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The political economy of the resource curse: A development perspective

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  • Antonio Savoia
  • Kunal Sen

Abstract

This paper reviews the recent literature on the developmental effects of resource abundance, assessing likely effects and channels with respect to income inequality, poverty, education, and health. To date, this area has received less analysis although it is relevant to the Sustainable Development Goals agenda, as a significant number of the world poor live in African resource-rich economies. We argue that the presence of a natural resource sector per se does not necessarily translate into worse development outcomes. The natural resource experience varies to a significant extent.

Suggested Citation

  • Antonio Savoia & Kunal Sen, 2020. "The political economy of the resource curse: A development perspective," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2020-123, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    • Handle: RePEc:unu:wpaper:wp-2020-123
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Deyi Xu & Shiquan Dou & Yongguang Zhu & Jinhua Cheng, 2024. "Resource nationalism: the intersection of politics and economics," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(1), pages 1-15, December.
    2. Masi, Tania & Savoia, Antonio & Sen, Kunal, 2024. "Is there a fiscal resource curse? Resource rents, fiscal capacity and political institutions in developing economies," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 177(C).
    3. van Krevel, Charan & Peters, Marlou, 2024. "How natural resource rents, exports, and government resource revenues determine Genuine Savings: Causal evidence from oil, gas, and coal," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 181(C).
    4. Sampson Vivian Esumanba & Gyamfi Emmanuel & Atsu Francis & Nantogmah Danaa & Amoh John Kwaku, 2024. "Political Commitment to resource management, the African case," SN Business & Economics, Springer, vol. 4(6), pages 1-19, June.
    5. Andrea Coveri & Elena Paglialunga & Antonello Zanfei, 2023. "Global value chains, functional diversification and within-country inequality: an empirical assessment," Working Papers 2302, University of Urbino Carlo Bo, Department of Economics, Society & Politics - Scientific Committee - L. Stefanini & G. Travaglini, revised 2023.
    6. Liu, Yishuang & Huang, Jinpeng & Xu, Jianxiang & Xiong, Shufei, 2024. "Natural resource dependence and sustainable development policy: Insights from city-level analysis," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    7. Abman, Ryan & Longbrake, Gabrial, 2023. "Resource development and governance declines: The case of the Chad–Cameroon petroleum pipeline," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 117(C).
    8. Tatar, Moosa & Harati, Javad & Farokhi, Soheila & Taghvaee, Vahid & Wilson, Fernando A., 2024. "Good governance and natural resource management in oil and gas resource-rich countries: A machine learning approach," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 89(C).
    9. Sebri, Maamar & Dachraoui, Hajer, 2021. "Natural resources and income inequality: A meta-analytic review," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    10. Alssadek, Marwan & Benhin, James, 2023. "Natural resource curse: A literature survey and comparative assessment of regional groupings of oil-rich countries," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).
    11. Ferreira, João J. & Gomes, Sofia & Lopes, João M. & Zhang, Justin Z., 2023. "Ticking time bombs: The MENA and SSA regions' geopolitical risks," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 85(PA).
    12. Issa Dianda & Idrissa Ouedraogo & Hamidou Sawadogo, 2024. "Inclusive human development effect of financial inclusion in sub‐Saharan Africa: A gender perspective," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 36(3), pages 1896-1917, April.
    13. Bitoto, Fabrice Ewolo & Nkoa Ongo, Emmanuel Bruno, 2024. "Natural resource rents and public spending on education in Africa: Does women's political empowerment matter?," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 93(C).
    14. Tong, Jun & Wang, Kai, 2024. "Exploring the role of higher education attainment in shaping the nexus of mineral resources dependency, business freedom, and globalization in South Asia," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    15. Coveri, Andrea & Paglialunga, Elena & Zanfei, Antonello, 2024. "Global value chains and within-country inequality: The role of functional positioning," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 382-397.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Resource abundance; Inequality; Institutions; SDGs; Poverty;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D7 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making
    • N4 - Economic History - - Government, War, Law, International Relations, and Regulation
    • O4 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity
    • P5 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Comparative Economic Systems

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