Featuring
Laura Paler, University of Pittsburgh
Host
Justin Sandefur, Center for Global Development
Does the discovery of oil — onshore, concentrated in one region — generate more citizen demand for transparent governance inside the oil-rich region or outside of it?
Can the tendency for oil wealth to contribute to regional and ethnic grievances be mitigated by providing citizens with information on the national benefits of oil, and the the role of the president, MPs, and local governments in managing resource wealth?
On March 16, CGD non-resident fellow Laura Paler presented her research based on new survey data from 2,736 citizens in Uganda—where substantial oil deposits were discovered in 2008. Her work with coauthors uses survey data and experimental information treatments to understand the roots of the natural resource curse at the level of individual knowledge, attitudes, and political action.
