This chapter speaks to the importance of measuring state capability not through the analysis of how successful policies are, but through studying a state’s capability for implementation. The authors decide to use Quality of Governance indicators on corruption, law & order and bureaucratic quality; effectiveness of public services (is this actually measuring capability and not successful policies?); and World Governance Indicators on government effectiveness. Through measuring the agencies within a country and studying the relationship between all the indicators and their capability score, they determine to have created an accurate way to measure capability.
“is this actually measuring capability and not successful policies?” — good question