Class Year
2017
Document Type
Student Research Paper
Date of Creation
Fall 2015
Department 1
Political Science
Abstract
The effects of economic development are enormously important in understanding the causes of civil war and the requirements for successful post-conflict reconstruction. In recent decades we have seen an increase in the number of civil wars because of a phenomenon known as the conflict trap. I question why we see an increase in civil wars and what role unstable economic development plays in contributing to the conflict trap. This paper offers evidence to support the hypothesis that uneven economic development increases the risk of multiple civil wars occurring in a short amount of time. Based on the results of testing my hypothesis I suggest that the conflict trap can be broken, and the risk of civil war decreased, when economic growth is stabilized. I suggest participation in the global economic community as a mechanism for stabilizing economic growth.
Copyright Note
This is the author's version of the work. This publication appears in Gettysburg College's institutional repository by permission of the copyright owner for personal use, not for redistribution.
Recommended Citation
Scheiber, Cassandra M., "Two Steps Forward and One Step Back: An Assessment of How Uneven Economic Development Affects the Number of Civil Wars" (2015). Student Publications. 393.
https://cupola.gettysburg.edu/student_scholarship/393
Included in
Environmental Policy Commons, Environmental Studies Commons, Peace and Conflict Studies Commons, Political Science Commons
Comments
This paper was written for Professor Caroline Hartzell's course, POL 351: The Political Economy of Armed Conflict, Fall 2015.