Working Paper: NBER ID: w17620
Authors: Stelios Michalopoulos; Elias Papaioannou
Abstract: We examine the long-run consequences of ethnic partitioning, a neglected aspect of the Scramble for Africa, and uncover the following regularities. First, apart from the land mass and presence of water bodies, historical homelands of split and non-split groups are similar across many observable characteristics. Second, using georeferenced data on political violence, that include both state-driven conflict and violence against civilians, we find that the incidence, severity and duration of violence are higher in the historical homelands of partitioned groups. Third, we shed some light on the mechanisms showing that military interventions from neighboring countries are much more likely in the homelands of split groups. Fourth, our exploration of the status of ethnic groups in the political arena reveals that partitioned ethnicities are systematically discriminated from the national government and are more likely to participate in ethnic civil wars. Fifth, using individual-level data we document that respondents identifying with split groups have lower access to public goods and worse educational outcomes. The uncovered evidence brings in the foreground the detrimental repercussions of ethnic partitioning.
Keywords: No keywords provided
JEL Codes: N17; N47; O10; Z10
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| Ethnic partitioning (J15) | military interventions from neighboring countries (F51) |
| Ethnic partitioning (J15) | systematic discrimination from national governments (J15) |
| systematic discrimination from national governments (J15) | higher participation in ethnic civil wars (D74) |
| Ethnic partitioning (J15) | lower access to public goods (H49) |
| Ethnic partitioning (J15) | worse educational outcomes (I24) |
| Ethnic partitioning (J15) | civil conflict (D74) |