Municipal state capacity and local human development in Brazil

This paper analyses the relationship between municipal state capacities and human development in Brazil. For that, we built a framework that indicates types of municipal management capacities and how to measure them. Using logistic regression, frequency distribution, and geospatial analysis, we analyse the extent these capacities are associated with the variation in Human Development Index (HDI-M) in municipalities with less than 50 thousand inhabitants (85% of all municipalities). The assessments are based on three different policy areas: health; education; and social assistance. The results suggest that planning activities and interaction with other actors have a greater association with HDI-M than resource endowment or administrative structures. The number of participatory councils, plans and consortia are statistically significant and have a positive effect.