The resource curse revisited and revised: A tale of paradoxes and red herrings

C.N. Brunnschweiler, E.H. Bulte

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleScientificpeer-review

658 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

We critically evaluate the empirical basis for the so-called resource curse and find that, despite the topic's popularity in economics and political science research, this apparent paradox may be a red herring. The most commonly used measure of “resource abundance” can be more usefully interpreted as a proxy for “resource dependence”—endogenous to underlying structural factors. In multiple estimations that combine resource abundance and dependence, institutional, and constitutional variables, we find that (i) resource abundance, constitutions, and institutions determine resource dependence, (ii) resource dependence does not affect growth, and (iii) resource abundance positively affects growth and institutional quality.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)248-264
JournalJournal of Environmental Economics and Management
Volume55
Issue number3
Publication statusPublished - 2008

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