The power of the state: how is its effectiveness to be estimated? The most significant approaches in modern research of the problem are reviewed in the article; the author proposes his own model of estimation, and the core of this model consists in the Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) methodology, which (to make the long story short) takes into account the relationship between the results achieved and the resources used. The author introduces the concept of system effectiveness reflecting the structural characteristics of the model’s inputs and outputs. To carry out empirical testing, data of the Russian health service system are made use of.