This paper explores two relationships, first between country characteristics and the quality of public financial management ('drivers'), and second between the quality of public financial management systems and expected outcomes ('effects'). On the influence of country characteristics, the paper...

Problem-driven political economy analysis holds considerable promise to help development practitioners identify what policies and strategies are most likely to succeed in addressing difficult and persistent development challenges. This volume is the result of a systematic effort to take stock of...

State weakness has come to be recognized as a key problem for the transformations in a number of Eastern European countries, particularly those East and South of enlargement. This paper addresses the issue firstly by asking how state capacity can be assessed and observed empirically, and...

The developmental state is back at the centre of the international policy debate. But policy-makers still have much to learn from the large research-based literature on the subject. In introducing a theme issue of DPR on this subject, this article provides an overview of three central topics:...