Can Institutions Resolve Ethnic Conflict?
31 Pages Posted: 2 Jan 2001
There are 2 versions of this paper
Can Institutions Resolve Ethnic Conflict?
Abstract
High-quality institutions-reflected in such factors as rule of law, bureaucratic quality, freedom from government expropriation, and freedom from government repudiation of contracts-mitigate the adverse economic effects of ethnic fractionalization identified by Easterly and Levine (1997) and others.
Ethnic diversity has a more adverse effect on economic policy and growth when a government's institutions are poor. But poor institutions have an even more adverse effect on growth and policy when ethnic diversity is high. In countries where the institutions are good enough, however, ethnic diversity does not lessen growth or worsen economic policies.
Good institutions also reduce the risk of wars and genocides that might otherwise result from ethnic fractionalization. However, these forms of violence are not the channel through which ethnic fragmentation and its interaction with institutions affect economic growth.
Ethnically diverse nations that want to endure in peace and prosperity must build good institutions.
Keywords: Growth, Economic Development, Political Economy, Institutions, Economic Policy, Ethnic Conflict, Genocide
JEL Classification: O1, O4, H0, Z13
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation
Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?
Recommended Papers
-
By Alberto F. Alesina, William Easterly, ...
-
By Alberto F. Alesina, William Easterly, ...
-
An African Success Story: Botswana
By Daron Acemoglu, Simon Johnson, ...
-
An African Success Story: Botswana
By Daron Acemoglu, Simon Johnson, ...
-
The Economic Value of Cultural Diversity: Evidence from Us Cities