Rule of Law, State Capability and Development. A Latin-American Perspective

In the past decades there have been several studies about state capability, fragile, failed or weak states and development. Also, the discipline of rule of law and development has been widely studied. Nonetheless, the complex connections between rule of law, state capability and development have different questions that must be addressed, particularly from a Latin America perspective.

Since its independence Latin American countries have been struggling to achieve adequate levels of development through policies designed and implemented by the State. But the practical relation between this objective and the rule of law has been no clear. How can the rule of law effectively improve the state capability and therefore, promotes the social and economic development? What should be the basic components of the rule of law necessary to remove binding constraints on growth and improve governmental capability to implement public policies, taking into consideration the informal institutions that affect state capability?

 

Speaker: José Ignacio Hernández. Visiting Fellow, Center for International Development, Harvard Kennedy School

Sponsor: RCC