Natural Resources and Political Patronage in Africa: An Ethnicity Level Analysis

Nemera Mamo (getnemera@hotmail.com) and Sambit Bhattacharyya

Working Paper Series from Department of Economics, University of Sussex Business School

Abstract: We investigate the effect of resource discoveries on ethnicity level political patronage in Africa using a large geospatial dataset of 254 ethnic groups in 15 countries over the period 1960 to 2004. We find that the first (or single first) resource discovery in a virgin ethnic homeland increases the share of cabinet posts of that ethnicity. The effect is induced by both expectations and rent. Overall the effect is mainly driven by major mineral discoveries as opposed to oil and gas. The discovery shocks do not trigger monopoly or dominant access to power, autonomy, separatism, and exclusion. Our analysis reveals that point source resource (mineral) rents are far more important political currency than diffuse agricultural commodity rents. Furthermore, by ranking ministries into Top and Bottom levels we find some evidence of window dressing politics. Our results survive a battery of robustness tests and controls.

Keywords: Resource discovery; Political Patronage; Africa (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D72 O11 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018-01
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-afr, nep-cul, nep-ene, nep-env, nep-gro and nep-pol
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sus:susewp:0418

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