Government Effectiveness in Comparative Perspective.

In this paper we offer an approach for conceptualizing and measuring government effectiveness or performance in which the focus is on the whole government's effectiveness. We examine data that portray how countries compare in terms of perceived government effectiveness using the World Bank Governance Indicators dataset, which cover 212 countries from 1996 until 2006. We also offer and interpret a new measure of perceived government effectiveness that accounts for the economic development of each country. We argue that the comparative study of government effectiveness (in terms of both multiple measures and across countries) benefits the study of public administration, public management, and public policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]