The role of political leadership in the formation and functioning of a developmental state

In the analysis of development in general and the origin and performance of developmental state in particular, the concept of political will, which is ultimately the result of institutions, is emphasized. But there is no convincing explanation of how and where this necessary will to change and create institutions comes from. The main purpose of this article is to examine how the developmental state was formed. Using a qualitative method (process tracing) and taking advantage of the theoretical achievements of the "third phase of institutionalism" and by deciphering the black box of political will, we will show that "It is the political leadership that provides the necessary ground for the formation and proper functioning of the developmental state. Leadership builds coalitions through a process backed by political capital and, through re-framing, provides a new expression of the underlying problems and obstacles to development and their solutions, and manages potential crises along the way with its pragmatic approach." The findings of this study show that in the process of political leadership as a causal mechanism, there are several variables with different relationships that ultimately affect the formation of the developmental state and the overall development process.