Doctoral Dissertation Research: The Political Economy of Extractive Industries Conflicts

采掘业冲突是当今世界上日益普遍和代价高昂的现象，特别是在发展中国家。本项目调查了采掘业暴力冲突持续发生的原因，特别是在拉丁美洲，并测试了一些干预措施，这些干预措施旨在通过改善对当地社区的响应和减少政府官员的捕获来降低采矿冲突的水平。PI确定了三种可能解释采掘业冲突的地方机制：(1)信息不对称；(2)承诺问题；(3)民选官员的俘获。然后，共同项目通过秘鲁的三个随机实地实验来测试这些机制，其中包括私营部门、非政府组织和政府合作伙伴。指数测试政策制定者和私营部门反应能力的提高能否减少采掘部门的冲突。虽然以前的社会科学研究已经在宏观（跨国）层面确定了自然资源与冲突之间的关系，但本项目侧重于拉丁美洲微观层面的机制。该报告指出了三种地方机制，可以解释采掘业发生冲突的原因：1)信息不对称；2)承诺问题；3)民选官员的俘获。项目通过在秘鲁进行的三次随机实地试验对每一种机制进行测试，其中包括私营部门、非政府组织和政府合作伙伴。本项目考察了除内战以外的地方资源冲突机制，如劳工冲突、环境冲突和缺乏武装起义的农村民粹主义起义。随机现场实验技术的使用使PI更加确信所发现的效应确实是因果效应。

General SummaryExtractive industries conflicts are an increasingly common and costly phenomenon in the world today, particularly in developing countries. This project investigates why violent conflict continues to occur in extractive industries, particularly in Latin America, and tests several interventions designed to reduce the level of conflict around mining through improved responsiveness to local communities and reduced capture by government officials. The PI identifies three sub-national mechanisms that may explain extractive industries conflict: (1) asymmetric information, (2) commitment problems, and (3) capture by elected officials. The co-PI then test each of these mechanisms through three randomized field experiments in Peru that include private sector, NGO and government partners. The PI test whether improved responsiveness by policymakers and the private sector can reduce conflict in extractive sectors. Technical SummaryWhile previous studies in the social sciences have identified a relationship between natural resources and conflict at the macro (cross-national) level, this project focuses on micro-level mechanisms in Latin America. The PI identifies three sub-national mechanisms that explain why conflicts occur around extractive industries: 1) Asymmetric information, 2) Commitment problems and 3) Capture by elected officials. The PI tests each of the mechanisms through three randomized field experiments in Peru that include private sector, NGO and government partners. This project examines sub-national mechanisms for resource conflicts other than civil war, such as labor conflicts, environmental conflicts, and populist rural uprisings that are short of armed insurrection. The use of the randomized field experimental techniques allows the PI to be more confident that the effects found are indeed causal effects.