Self-control. The first dimension of infrastructural capacity is the ability of the state to define its goals, here termed self-control. The extent of a state’s capacity for self-control requires understanding the sources of that control. A state’s capacity for self-control is inexorably a function of the coherence exhibited by its political elite, an entity that can be defined as those individuals or groups who possess varying degrees of either high traditional status, economic influence, administrative power, or coercive capacity. Consensus among state elites would indicate a greater likelihood of goal-setting success, while stark divisions among elites would indicate either unstable goals or an inability to pursue the national goals normally associated with the accouterments of power. Specific indicators of coherence among the elite include the following: