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Ethnic Heterogeneity and Public Goods Provision in Zambia: Further Evidence of a Subnational 'Diversity Dividend'

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  • Rachel M. Gisselquist
  • Stefan Leiderer
  • Miguel Niño-Zarazúa

Abstract

The hypothesis that ethnic diversity has a negative impact on public goods provision is widely accepted. Notably, most work on this issue fails to distinguish adequately between national versus subnational governance. We find that subnational empirical evidence in particular is inconclusive, and speak to this gap with new analysis at the Zambian district level. Results lend strong support to an emerging body of work challenging the 'diversity debit' hypothesis: we find no clear evidence of a negative impact but instead a robust positive association with key welfare outcomes.

Suggested Citation

  • Rachel M. Gisselquist & Stefan Leiderer & Miguel Niño-Zarazúa, 2014. "Ethnic Heterogeneity and Public Goods Provision in Zambia: Further Evidence of a Subnational 'Diversity Dividend'," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2014-162, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    • Handle: RePEc:unu:wpaper:wp-2014-162
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    Cited by:

    1. Gisselquist, Rachel M. & McDoom, Omar Shahabudin, 2015. "The conceptualization and measurement ofethnic and religious divisions: categorical, temporal, and spatial dimensions with evidencefrom Mindanao, the Philippines," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 61993, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    2. Matondang Elsa Siburian, 2020. "Fiscal Decentralization, Regional Income Inequality, and the Provision of Local Public Goods: Evidence from Indonesia," Working Papers 2001, Waseda University, Faculty of Political Science and Economics.
    3. Prerna Singh & Dean Spears, 2017. "How status inequality between ethnic groups affects public goods provision: Experimental evidence on caste and tolerance for teacher absenteeism in India," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2017-129, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    4. Prerna Singh & Dean Spears, 2017. "How status inequality between ethnic groups affects public goods provision: Experimental evidence on caste and tolerance for teacher absenteeism in India," WIDER Working Paper Series 129, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    5. Omar McDoom & Rachel M. Gisselquist S., 2015. "The conceptualization and measurement of ethnic and religious divisions: Categorical, temporal, and spatial dimensions with evidence from Mindanao, the Philippines," WIDER Working Paper Series 022, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).

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