Working Paper: CEPR ID: DP7371
Authors: Enrico Spolaore; Romain Wacziarg
Abstract: We develop a theory of interstate conflict in which the degree of genealogical relatedness between populations has a positive effect on their conflict propensities because more closely related populations, on average, tend to interact more and develop more disputes over sets of common issues. We examine the empirical relationship between the occurrence of interstate conflicts and the degree of relatedness between countries, showing that populations that are genetically closer are more prone to go to war with each other, even after controlling for a wide set of measures of geographic distance and other factors that affect conflict, including measures of trade and democracy.
Keywords: conflict; democracy; genetic distance; trade
JEL Codes: F51; F59; N40
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| Geographic proximity (R12) | Risk of conflict (D74) |
| Trade (F19) | Risk of conflict (D74) |
| Democracy (D72) | Risk of conflict (D74) |
| Genetic distance (C29) | Risk of conflict (D74) |