“Political science has focused heavily on democratic institutions in recent years but far less on the understanding of basic state capacity, whose absence often undermines democracy. Making Democratic Governance Work is an important book that helps enormously to fill this critical gap in our understanding.” – Francis Fukuyama, Olivier Nomellini Senior Fellow, Freeman Spogli Institute, Stanford University

“This book is a landmark study of one of the most heated questions in social science: do political institutions determine human welfare, and if so, to what extent? The answer is a resounding, but qualified, ‘yes.’ Combining rigorous conceptual analysis with a wealth of data, Norris shows that liberal democracy is not enough for creating human well-being if states lack the capacity to implement policies. Her argument that international development organizations should promote both liberal democracy and the quality of government is both timely and convincing.” – Bo Rothstein, August Röhss Chair in Political Science, University of Gothenburg

“Pippa Norris has done it again. With masterful grasp of the literature and a breathtaking tour de force through vast masses of empirical data, she comes through with one simple and crystal clear conclusion: it's not a question of promoting democracy or building state capacity; it's a question of doing both. This book deserves to be read well beyond the boundaries of academia.” – Jan Teorell, Professor of Political Science, Lund University