The essential issues of the State agenda: governance, development, and equality. A comparative longitudinal analysis (1972-2002)

Abstract

In this paper, I argue that the State’s agenda deals basically with issues of development, governance, and equality. Starting out from this premise, I explore whether the differences between countries in terms of these three variables have a structural pattern and, if so, how stable this pattern is throughout the period under study. Using cluster analysis, I conclude that the world can be divided in two main groups whose composition remains relatively stable. In addition, it is shown that the governance gap between the two groups tends to diminish, but this is not followed by a concomitant improvement in development and equality gaps.