Doctoral Dissertation Research in Political Science: Diversity and Development of Pluralism and Poverty? Government Institutions and the Economic Development of Multiethnic

政治学博士论文研究：多元化与贫困的多样性与发展？

• 批准号: 0515994
• 负责人: Mark Tessler
• 金额: $ 1.2万
• 依托单位: Regents of the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2005
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2005-09-01 至 2006-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0515994&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Doctoral; Dissertation; Research; Political; Science

Why are so many ethnically diverse societies poor? Does ethnic diversity cause economic underdevelopment, and if so, how? This dissertation research seeks to explain why so many ethnically diverse countries are underdeveloped, and how some have managed to avoid the poverty traps in which so many of their peers languish. Government institutions provide the key. The incentive structures defined by these institutions determine how ethnicity is channeled into or away from politics and the political allocation of scarce resources: some institutions produce relatively benign outcomes, while others favor zero-sum redistributive politics based on ethnic identity. To accomplish this goal, the PI employs a multi-method research design. Econometric analysis of cross-national data will allows the PI to test the impact of ethnic diversity and government institutions at the level of the system against a broad sample of countries. To explore the microfoundations of the aggregation process, the PI will collect individual-level data in Lebanon and Yemen via a combination of elite interviews, population surveys, and vignette experiments attached to the surveys. This dissertation research fills several important gaps in our understanding of how ethnic diversity affects economic development. It contributes to political science by expanding our understanding of how government institutions channel, and possibly pre-empt, potential social cleavages. It augments our understanding of economic development in divided societies by analyzing the ways in which latent cleavages are either reinforced or diluted by the institutions that translate them into political competition. Finally, this project has potentially far-reaching policy implications. Insofar as government institutions are potential policy levers, understanding how they function in different societies can help policymakers select institutions that can help mitigate the potentially negative effects of ethnic divisions.In terms of broader impact, this dissertation will help inform policymaker decisions toward appropriate government responses and institutions with the aim of mitigating the impact of ethnically-based political competition on economic development. Hence, beyond its interest to academics, it speaks to the puzzles and concerns facing government officials in ethnically diverse states, as well as those working for international development agencies such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. A better understanding of the role government institutions play in magnifying or reducing the impact of ethnic diversity on development will aid in formulating appropriate devel-opment policy.

为什么有这么多种族多样性的社会贫穷？种族多样性是否造成经济不发达，如果是，是如何造成的？ 本论文的研究旨在解释为什么这么多种族多样性的国家是欠发达的，以及如何一些设法避免贫困陷阱，在其中这么多的同龄人憔悴。政府机构提供了钥匙。这些制度所定义的激励结构决定了种族如何被引导进入或离开政治以及稀缺资源的政治分配：一些制度产生相对良性的结果，而另一些制度则倾向于基于种族身份的零和再分配政治。为了实现这一目标，PI采用了多方法研究设计。对跨国数据的计量经济学分析将使PI能够测试种族多样性和政府机构在系统一级对广泛的国家样本的影响。为了探索汇总过程的微观基础，PI将通过精英访谈、人口调查和调查附带的小插曲实验，在黎巴嫩和也门收集个人层面的数据。 本论文的研究填补了我们对民族多样性如何影响经济发展的理解中的几个重要空白。它通过扩大我们对政府机构如何引导，并可能先发制人，潜在的社会分裂的理解，为政治学做出了贡献。它通过分析潜在的分裂是如何被将其转化为政治竞争的制度所加强或稀释的，增强了我们对分裂社会中经济发展的理解。最后，该项目具有潜在的深远政策影响。由于政府机构是潜在的政策杠杆，了解他们如何在不同的社会功能，可以帮助决策者选择的制度，可以帮助减轻种族分裂的潜在负面影响。在更广泛的影响方面，本文将帮助决策者制定适当的政府应对措施和机构，以减轻基于种族的政治竞争对经济发展的影响。因此，除了学者的兴趣之外，它还谈到了多民族国家政府官员以及世界银行和国际货币基金组织等国际发展机构工作人员面临的困惑和担忧。更好地了解政府机构在放大或减少种族多样性对发展的影响方面所发挥的作用将有助于制定适当的发展政策。