The concept of the strategic state: An assessment after 30 years

The strategic state was conceptualised 30 years ago in response to neoliberal reforms of government and the rise of New Public Management that began in Western democracies in the 1980s. The concept was widely used by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development in assessing the performance of governments through the 2000s. This research note describes how the concept has evolved, lessons learned from the application of the concept over the last 20 years, and some new developments that affirm the continuing relevance of the concept but also make its practical application more challenging.

Points for practitioners

• The strategic state is a well-established concept of long-term, outcomes-based government. It is pertinent to contemporary debates around mission-driven government and wellbeing approaches to government.
• The strategic state requires long-term and sustained investment in strategic capabilities, in part to mitigate against electoral pressures.
• Secondly, it requires a connection from strategy to action through clear accountability processes for both individuals and organisations including appropriate budgeting and evaluation mechanisms.
• Thirdly, a successful strategic state requires effective collaboration between different levels of government. This can be supported through a relational approach to public service design and delivery.
• Challenges to the strategic state include increased turbulence from political events, economic crises, the climate emergency, and the rise of artificial intelligence; the erosion of public trust in government and social cohesion combined with the rise of populist movements; and a decay in the media environment with increasing public alienation and polarisation in political debate.