The Security Factor in The Political Economy of Development

Martin McGuire ()

No 1998/033, IMF Working Papers from International Monetary Fund

Abstract: A country’s judiciary, police, and security forces are essential to protect the State from external aggression. By virtue of the State’s monopoly of coercion, they maintain a stable legal framework and the safety of persons and property. All these activities enhance a society’s productivity, but they also sustain the particular political regime—and its redistributive ethic—in power. They absorb resources, but they also waste them, since security forces tend to be rent-seekers. This paper analyzes both the productive and the unproductive side of security provision and shows that the balance depends on the nature of the political regime.

Keywords: WP; political economy; public goods; national product; Security; Economic Conflict; Wealth Distribution; Governance; Institutions of Development; unproductive government outlay; government policy; captive-of-the-military government; regime support; property right; security outlay; tax monopoly; government behavior; monopoly use; aggressor country; security expenditures of government; Securities; Tax collection; Productivity; East Asia (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 41
Date: 1998-03-01
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