Natural Resources and the Public’s Political Trust

Patricia Agyapong

No 2026-03, CSAE Working Paper Series from Centre for the Study of African Economies, University of Oxford

Abstract: Do natural resources affect public trust in political leaders and institutions? In this study, I use a difference-in-differences approach to investigate this question, focusing on Ghana’s discovery of high-grade offshore oil in 2007. I find that individuals living close to the oil fields became less trusting of political leaders and institutions after the discovery. The findings suggest that the oil discovery’s impact on political trust varies depending on pre-existing social and economic condi¬tions such as educational status, employment status and the level of media exposure. Additionally, individuals located near the oil fields reported more negative views about Ghana’s democracy, corruption, government performance, and economic conditions. The results suggest a potential link between increased bribe payments in these locations and declining trust.

Keywords: natural resources; political trust; governance; corruption; public attitudes; difference-in-differences; Ghana; Afrobarometer (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C21 D72 H11 O17 Q33 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-min, nep-pol and nep-soc
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:csa:wpaper:2026-03

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