Can high levels of state capacity protect countries from slow growth and deepening output collapses? Using data for 108 developing countries, we classify five-year periods using a two- dimensional state space based on growth regimes and levels of state capacity. We model transitions between them...

In early modern Spain, state capacity has been regarded as weak in the historical literature. In this paper, we assess the Spanish Monarchy’s ability to implement its policies through an output measure rather than an input - specifically, the distribution of the Bull of the Crusade....

In early modern Spain, state capacity has been regarded as weak in the historical literature. In this paper, we assess the Spanish Monarchy's ability to implement its policies through an output measure rather than an input - specifically, the distribution of the Bull of the Crusade. Furthermore,...

Can simply exceeding a critical tax-to-GDP threshold bring about an accelerated trajectory of economic growth and development in a country? We conduct new event studies and exploit a richer dataset to revisit Gaspar, Jaramillo and Wingender’s 2016 “tax tipping point” result. Both with...