Scholars of the resource curse argue that reliance on primary commodities destabilizes
governments: price fluctuations generate windfalls or periods of austerity that provoke or …

This paper provides evidence that exposure to illegal labor markets during childhood leads
to the formation of industry‐specific human capital at an early age, putting children on a …

China's development model challenges the approaches of traditional donors like the World
Bank (WB). While some see this mostly as a chance, Chinese aid specifically and aid in …

The number of major Drug Trafficking Organizations (known as cartels) in Mexico increased
from four to nine over the last two decades. This was accompanied by an increase in drug …

What are the effects of internal armed conflict on public perceptions of the police? We
explore this research question in the context of Afghanistan and argue that local conflict …

In this paper, we study how a positive economic shock to an illicit industry might foster
migration. In 2010, a series of reforms to the US health care system resulted in a shift in …

Marriage markets in rural Nigeria are characterised by bride price and polygamy. These
customs may diminish marriage prospects for young men, causing them to join militant …

Rebel organizations often benefit from the sale of primary commodities. However, producing
these commodities may require labor from noncombatants. Rebels provide security and …

We show that the proliferation of armed groups increases the amount of organized political
violence. The natural death of a tribal leader provides quasi-experimental variation in the …

This paper investigates how terrorism alters human capital investment through perceived
uncertainty. Using various estimators, we identify a causal negative effect of terrorism on …