An expanding literature explores the size of the fiscal multiplier at the state and local level. Often, these papers ignore the “general equilibrium” effects of fiscal policy. That is, they ignore the overall impact on a country like the United States and only focus on the effect on the...

One line of thought in development economics and political science emphasizes the need for state building to achieve economic growth and better outcomes throughout the developing world. Conventionally, this has been conceptualized in terms of “state capacity,” sometimes operationalized via...

Cowen (2020) argues for a redirection of effort towards “State Capacity Libertarianism,” which keeps the core of policy proposals from libertarianism intact while emphasizing a select set of policies aimed at furthering economic growth. These policies center on the ability of the state to...

Acemoglu and Robinson (2019) create a compelling narrative concerning the relationship between the power of states, the power of societies, and economic development, illustrated with a series of historical vignettes. Using a recently constructed historical dataset of state capacity, we provide a...

Among the arguments put forward by proponents of buying local is that it facilitates the accumulation of social capital. However, some research has suggested that social capital may not always confer economic benefits. This paper explores potential problematic aspects of social capital,...