Causes and consequences of civil strife : Micro - level evidence from Uganda ' Klaus

To bridge the gap between case studies and highly opportur ities and government investment), asset aggregate cross-country analyses of c vil unrest, inequality (social tension), the presence of cash crops Deininlger uses data from Uganda to explore (expropriable wealth), and lower levels of human capital deterniinants of civil strife (as contrasted to theft and (ability to take advantage of opportunities in the physical violence) at the community -evel, as well as the "rcg,lar' econ imy) all increase the propensity for civil potentially differential impact of these variables on scrife. Furthermore, civil strife, in marked contrast to investinent and nonagricultural enterprise formation at viole ice and tleft, reduces investment and the household level. He finds that distancc f:om noragricultura enterprise start-ups. infrastructure (a proxy for scarcity of economic This paper-a product of Rural Development, Development Researchi Group--is part of a larger effort in the group to study factors affecting rural development. Copies of i h papeare avatlable free from the World Bank, 1818 H Street NW, Washington, DC 20433. Please contact Maria Fernandcz, room M C3-542, te ephone 202-473-3766, fax 202-522-1151, email address mfernandez2Ckworldbank.org. Policy Reiearch Wcrking Papers are also posted on the Web at http:// econ.worldbank.org. The author may be contacced at kdeininger(uowoildbanc.org. May 2003. (36 pages) The Policy Research Working Pape, Series dissemnmates the findings of vork in prog-ess to encouirage the exchange of ideas abonit development isstues. An objective of *he series is to get the findzngs outt qit;ckly, even tf tie pr-esentations are less than fully polished. The papers carry the names of the authors and should be cited accordongly. Tke fiiclings, iterpretations, and conclusionts expressed in this I paper are entirely those of the atthors. They do i,ot necessarily represent the uiew of 'he World Bank, its Execttive Directors, or the countries they represent. Produccd by rlhe Resea-c i Ads isory Staff Causes and consequences of civil strife: Micro-level evidence from Uganda' Klaus Deininger World Bank l The views presented are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the World Bank, its Executive Directors, or the countries they represent. Helpful discussions with and comments by Paul Collier, Ibrahirn Elbadawi, Marta Reynal-Querol, and Jolyne Sanjak are gratefully acknowledged. Causes and consequences of civil strife: The case of Uganda