Kyle Coons
Polysci 137
10/27/17
Economic Development and Civil Conflict
Civil conflicts are perhaps one of the most debilitating social occurrences in the modern world. A multitude of adverse effects can be seen in these cases; entire groups of people are forced to move, public health systems diminish, social and political legitimacy falter, and the economy suffers immensely. As discussed in lecture, civil conflict ultimately reverses the process of economic development. How do we measure development? In what aspects, and with what severity, does conflict influence the economic development we have seen around the globe? This paper will explore the methods that experts use to quantify development, provide an analysis on the relationship between …show more content…
Civil conflict does not include interstate war, instead focusing on political, social and ethnic struggles inside of the country. Noteworthy features of civil conflict lay in the understanding that competing groups both have a differing political goal that causes a clash of ideals to occur. Civil conflicts can include coups, gang violence, riots, and protests, and isn’t necessarily confined to action only against the government. It is disruption in the natural order of a nation; the mobilization of groups with differing views that becomes violent more often than …show more content…
Conflict related deaths can decrease the workforce, basic public services lose funding, and economic exchange is slowed to a halt. The lack of safety and stability that violence creates translates into a deterioration of social order, where many people simply leave their homes and jobs, further damaging development. Civil wars also lead to massive diversions of public funding. “Political upheavals divert resources and energies away from production and thus affect the contemporaneous growth of the economy” . This means that the state must increase spending on other things like the military and resolving the conflict, taking away from public institutions. “The ability to enforce contracts is reduced as the institutions of civil society is weakened, trust declines, time horizons shorten due to uncertainty, and opportunism becomes more profitable” If protecting personal interests and investments costs too much, citizens will leave or move their savings elsewhere, causing industries to close down too. The money it takes to support civil conflict and war is usually enough to raise the risk of conflicts in the future, often resulting in a negative cycle. “After independence, most of Spain’s former colonies on the mainland imploded in a costly and deadly spiral of organized revolts against the government” . Had political turmoil not occurred, and
Polysci 137
10/27/17
Economic Development and Civil Conflict
Civil conflicts are perhaps one of the most debilitating social occurrences in the modern world. A multitude of adverse effects can be seen in these cases; entire groups of people are forced to move, public health systems diminish, social and political legitimacy falter, and the economy suffers immensely. As discussed in lecture, civil conflict ultimately reverses the process of economic development. How do we measure development? In what aspects, and with what severity, does conflict influence the economic development we have seen around the globe? This paper will explore the methods that experts use to quantify development, provide an analysis on the relationship between …show more content…
Civil conflict does not include interstate war, instead focusing on political, social and ethnic struggles inside of the country. Noteworthy features of civil conflict lay in the understanding that competing groups both have a differing political goal that causes a clash of ideals to occur. Civil conflicts can include coups, gang violence, riots, and protests, and isn’t necessarily confined to action only against the government. It is disruption in the natural order of a nation; the mobilization of groups with differing views that becomes violent more often than …show more content…
Conflict related deaths can decrease the workforce, basic public services lose funding, and economic exchange is slowed to a halt. The lack of safety and stability that violence creates translates into a deterioration of social order, where many people simply leave their homes and jobs, further damaging development. Civil wars also lead to massive diversions of public funding. “Political upheavals divert resources and energies away from production and thus affect the contemporaneous growth of the economy” . This means that the state must increase spending on other things like the military and resolving the conflict, taking away from public institutions. “The ability to enforce contracts is reduced as the institutions of civil society is weakened, trust declines, time horizons shorten due to uncertainty, and opportunism becomes more profitable” If protecting personal interests and investments costs too much, citizens will leave or move their savings elsewhere, causing industries to close down too. The money it takes to support civil conflict and war is usually enough to raise the risk of conflicts in the future, often resulting in a negative cycle. “After independence, most of Spain’s former colonies on the mainland imploded in a costly and deadly spiral of organized revolts against the government” . Had political turmoil not occurred, and