Can Workfare Programs Moderate Conflict? Evidence from India

Thiemo Fetzer

The Warwick Economics Research Paper Series (TWERPS) from University of Warwick, Department of Economics

Abstract: Can public interventions persistently reduce conflict? Adverse weather shocks, through their impact on incomes, have been identified as robust drivers of conflict in many contexts. An effective social insurance system moderates the impact of adverse shocks on house hold incomes, and hence,could attenuate the link between these shocks and conflict. This paper shows that a public employment program in India, by providing an alternative source of income through a guarantee of 100 days of employment at minimum wages, effectively provides insurance. This has an indirect pacifying effect. By weakening the link between productivity shocks and incomes, the program uncouples productivity shocks from conflict, leading persistently lower conflict levels

Keywords: social insurance; civil conflict; India; NREGA; insurgency (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D74 H56 J65 Q34 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-dev, nep-ias and nep-lab
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:wrk:warwec:1220

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