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Why does natural resource abundance not always lead to better outcomes? Limited financial development versus political impatience

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  • Mahadeva Lavan

    (Oxford Institute for Energy Studies, A Recognized Independent Centre of the University of Oxford, UK)

Abstract

Is the failure of natural resource abundance to achieve better economic outcomes due to limited financial development or fiscal policy short-termism? I answer this question in a precautionary savings model where both resource revenues and asset returns are uncertain. Calibrating for Colombia, I find that under policy impatience, welfare costs are large, net assets are insufficient and net discretionary expenditures are too sensitive to resource revenues. If financial markets are underdeveloped, we can generate welfare costs of the same magnitude but not also explain why there are insufficient net effective assets, nor the heightened sensitivity to revenues.

Suggested Citation

  • Mahadeva Lavan, 2014. "Why does natural resource abundance not always lead to better outcomes? Limited financial development versus political impatience," The B.E. Journal of Macroeconomics, De Gruyter, vol. 14(1), pages 341-377, January.
  • Handle: RePEc:bpj:bejmac:v:14:y:2014:i:1:p:37:n:4
    DOI: 10.1515/bejm-2012-0038
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    financial development; optimal management of windfalls; political short-termism; public capital;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E44 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Money and Interest Rates - - - Financial Markets and the Macroeconomy
    • E60 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - General
    • H60 - Public Economics - - National Budget, Deficit, and Debt - - - General
    • Q32 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Nonrenewable Resources and Conservation - - - Exhaustible Resources and Economic Development

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