The State Capacity Dataset seeks to fill a gap in comparative, cross-national research by providing researchers with a measure that captures the multidimensionality of the concept and is distinct from other concepts of interest such as economic development or regime type. Version 1 of the dataset covers the years 1960-2015 for 177 countries.

The methodology for the state capacity estimates is described in "Leviathan's Latent Dimensions: Measuring State Capacity for Comparative Political Research." Additional documentation is provided in the online appendix associated with the article.