Conflict and the Formation of Political Beliefs in Africa

Achyuta Adhvaryu () and James Fenske
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Achyuta Adhvaryu: University of Michigan Stephen M. Ross School of Business

No 164, HiCN Working Papers from Households in Conflict Network

Abstract: We test whether living through conflict in childhood changes political beliefs and engagement. We combine data on the location and intensity of conflicts since 1945 with nationally representative data on political attitudes and behaviors from 17 sub-Saharan African countries. Exposure from ages 0 to 14 has a very small standardized impact on later attitudes and behaviors. This finding is robust to migration and holds across a variety of definitions, specifications, and sources of data. Our results suggest that at the population level in Africa, conflict does not alter political beliefs, though the most exposed sub-populations may experience large, lasting effects.

Keywords: conflict; political beliefs; early childhood; Africa (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D72 D74 O12 O17 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 54 pages
Date: 2014-01
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-cdm and nep-pol
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (9)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hic:wpaper:164

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