AUTHOR=Adaid Felipe A. P. , Banda Lloyd George , Chirwa Joseph Amazuwa , Chidzanja Chikondi , Mavhura Bathromeu 

TITLE=State capacity and growth in Sub-Saharan Africa: a dynamic panel examination of the pillars of prosperity

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Political Science

VOLUME=Volume 6 - 2024

YEAR=2025

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/political-science/articles/10.3389/fpos.2024.1487658

DOI=10.3389/fpos.2024.1487658

ISSN=2673-3145

ABSTRACT=This paper investigates Smith's triumvirate hypothesis that peace, easy taxes, and a tolerable administration of justice inclusively constitute what a state requires to attain the highest degree of economic prosperity. First, the paper constructed a single index of Smith's triumvirate through a principal component analysis (PCA). Then, data analysis using a two-step difference GMM technique was conducted, with results confirming the hypothesis in Sub-Saharan Africa.