POLI 3424 Lecture Notes - Lecture 16: Resource Curse
Document Summary
The resource curse - when natural resources bring something bad. No one has been able to consolidate real power over the country. Poverty and low levels of human development. Thought that all of these countries that have great natural resources are going to be able to use them effectively (like norway) As we see in the case of nigeria, it doesn"t. We find that authoritarian regimes that have natural resources tend to remain authoritarian regimes. Resources don"t usually bring about positive change in terms of rights and freedoms. Governments that have easy access to natural resources can get the money they need to effectively operate from those resources. Naver have to develop things like an effective bureaucracy (one that collects taxes) This helps provide vaccinations, provide schools, etc. If a government does have natural resources and doesn"t have to build quality institutions, they they aren"t going to have things related to human development.