State capacity and access to water: Panel data evidence from developing countries

Masood Ahmed, Muhammad Atif Khan, Muhammad Asif Khan, Hossam Haddad, Nidal Mahmoud Al-Ramahi

Article ID: 3282
Vol 8, Issue 8, 2024

VIEWS - 1209 (Abstract)

Abstract


The provision of clean drinking water is an important public service as more than 700 million people do not have access to this basic need. When it comes to delivering public services in developing countries, government capacity is a crucial element. This study investigates whether state capacity is a significant determinant in the provision of safe drinking water using panel data from 88 developing countries from 1990 to 2017. The paper applies ordinary least squares and fixed effects regression approaches and uses the Bureaucratic Quality Index and the Tax/GDP ratio as metrics of state capacity. The findings indicate that in developing nations, the availability of clean drinking water is positively correlated with state capacity.


Keywords


state capacity; drinking water; panel data; bureaucratic quality index; fixed effects; developing countries

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.24294/jipd.v8i8.3282

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