Metadata only
Date
2020-01Type
- Journal Article
Abstract
Although resources have been shown to influence secessionist conflicts in developing countries, their effect in established democracies has largely been neglected. We integrate regional resources and inter-regional transfers in a model of democratic secession, and show that relative regional income correlates positively with secessionist party success in a large panel of regions. To establish causality, our difference-in-differences and triple-differences designs exploit that Scotland and Wales both feature separatist parties, but only an independent Scotland would profit from oil discoveries off its coast. We document an economically and statistically significant positive effect of regional resources and rule out plausible alternative explanations. Show more
Publication status
publishedExternal links
Journal / series
Journal of Public EconomicsVolume
Pages / Article No.
Publisher
ElsevierSubject
Fiscal federalism; inter-regional transfers; redistribution; secession; separatism; secession; separatism; resources; economic votingOrganisational unit
02525 - KOF Konjunkturforschungsstelle / KOF Swiss Economic Institute
03716 - Sturm, Jan-Egbert / Sturm, Jan-Egbert
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