Hallisuus

Hallisuus is a term used in Finnish-language political science and public administration to describe the perceived quality of governance and institutional capacity within a government, state, or organization. The word is formed from hallitus "government/board" and the suffix -isuus indicating a state or condition. Although not standardized, hallisuus is employed as a heuristic to analyze how well authorities exercise power, implement policies, and respond to citizens.

Definition and scope: Hallisuus encompasses elements such as legitimacy of the governing authority, coherence and stability of institutions, adherence to the rule of law, transparency, accountability, and administrative efficiency. Proponents see hallisuus as a holistic measure that goes beyond policy outcomes to include process quality and public trust.

Dimensions and indicators: Common dimensions include policy coherence, institutional coordination, fiscal sustainability, regulatory quality, and responsiveness. Indicators may combine expert assessments, governance indices, and citizen surveys.

Applications: In comparative research, hallisuus is used to discuss differences in governance across countries or regions, and to assess reform outcomes. It is also discussed in case studies of organizations undergoing governance changes, such as mergers or digital governance initiatives.

Limitations and criticism: The term is relatively new and loosely defined, which can hamper comparability. Critics argue that hallisuus overlaps with established concepts such as state capacity and governance quality, risking conceptual overlap or tautology.

Etymology and usage: The word reflects Finnish linguistic patterns for forming abstract nouns and is most common in scholarly writing rather than everyday political discourse.

See also: governance, state capacity, legitimacy, public administration, political science.

References: The concept appears in Finnish academic writings on governance and public administration, often in articles and monographs discussing state capacity and governance reforms.