Mining the state : the subnational consequences of natural resource extraction on citizen engagement
Abstract
[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT REQUEST OF AUTHOR.] Scholars link natural resource wealth to a host of anti-democratic consequences. The bulk of this literature focuses on the consequences of oil revenues, which have the power to dramatically transform a country. However, mining can have a similar effect subnationally. At the local level, mining dominates an economy. The mining industry's economic power in areas of weak local governance can produce a competing governing entity. This effect is most pronounced within the realm of public goods provision. Given mining's ability to become a competing state-like entity, this dissertation asks how resource extraction influences citizen interactions with the state. Focusing specifically on the Republic of South Africa, I find that mining leads to increases in political trust, but also results in increases in support for authoritarian service providers. In addition, I find that mining reduces citizen voice, by both reducing the count of protests and decreasing voter turnout. These findings contribute to the resource curse literature by demonstrating that mining can promote a political resource curse while also addressing issues of local economic development.
Degree
Ph. D.
Thesis Department
Rights
Access to files is limited to the University of Missouri--Columbia.