Projecting power at home and abroad: domestic state capacity and military capability

Abstract We examine the relationship between domestic state capacity and the projection of military power abroad during the 19th and 20th centuries. Drawing on recent advances in the conceptualization and measurement of state capacity, we develop a theoretical framework that identifies fiscal, administrative, and informational components as core resources of the state that enable external power projection. We theorize two distinct channels through which domestic state capacity shapes power-projection capabilities: unconditionally, by enhancing the state’s ability to pursue an effective foreign policy, and conditionally, by improving its capacity to mobilize material resources within its territory. We further argue that both channels are amplified when states face geopolitical competition from international rivals. We find evidence for both channels, as well as the amplifying effect of rivalries, not only among former and current great powers, but also in a broader sample of countries. These findings contribute a general and flexible framework for analyzing the domestic foundations of international power and have implications for core debates on the sources, conditions, and consequences of power projection.