Understanding State Capacity

State capacity refers to the government's ability to achieve its policy goals effectively. This concept has recently gained relevance in public discourse as citizens express frustration over the gap between political promises and tangible outcomes. In both the U.S. and U.K., there is a growing awareness that the lack of effective state capacity leads to the ineffective delivery of essential services, despite governments having substantial budgets. This disconnect reflects a broader dissatisfaction with how governmental structures translate political decisions into real-world impacts that people can feel.