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Conflict and the Formation of Political Beliefs in Africa

Author

Listed:
  • Achyuta Adhvaryu
  • James Fenske

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, the “conflict trap” in Africa is not driven by shifts in political beliefs and engagement caused by conflict exposure in childhood.

Suggested Citation

  • Achyuta Adhvaryu & James Fenske, 2023. "Conflict and the Formation of Political Beliefs in Africa," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 71(2), pages 403-442.
    • Handle: RePEc:ucp:ecdecc:doi:10.1086/715846
    DOI: 10.1086/715846
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    Cited by:

    1. Efobi, Uchenna & Adejumo, Oluwabunmi & Kim, Jiyoung, 2025. "Climate change and the farmer-Pastoralist's violent conflict: Experimental evidence from Nigeria," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 228(C).
    2. Mackay, Robert & Mavisakalyan, Astghik & Tarverdi, Yashar, 2024. "Trust a few: Natural disasters and the disruption of trust in Africa," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 113(C).
    3. Albin Salmon & Vincent Fleuriet & Paul Vertier, 2025. "Currency Crises and Malnutrition," Working papers 1003, Banque de France.
    4. Giulia La Mattina & Olga N. Shemyakina, 2017. "Domestic Violence and Childhood Exposure to Armed Conflict: Attitudes and Experiences," HiCN Working Papers 255, Households in Conflict Network.
    5. Gabriel Fuentes Cordoba, 2021. "Growing up in a civil war and political participation: Evidence from Guatemala," Economics of Transition and Institutional Change, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 29(2), pages 197-225, April.
    6. Edgar Salgado Chavez, 2018. "Growing Up in a War: The Shaping of Trust and Identity After Conflict in Peru," Working Paper Series 0618, Department of Economics, University of Sussex Business School.
    7. Salgado Chavez, Edgar, . "Essays on beliefs, democracy and local labor markets: an empirical examination for Peru," Economics PhD Theses, Department of Economics, University of Sussex Business School, number 0717, December.
    8. La Mattina, Giulia & Shemyakina, Olga N., 2024. "Growing up amid armed conflict: Women's attitudes toward domestic violence," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 52(3), pages 645-662.
    9. PatriÌ cia Justino & Wolfgang Stojetz, 2018. "On the Legacies of Wartime Governance," HiCN Working Papers 263, Households in Conflict Network.
    10. Bai, Liang & Wu, Lingwei, 2020. "Political movement and trust formation: Evidence from the Cultural Revolution (1966–76)," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 122(C).
    11. Hidalgo-Aréstegui, Alessandra & Porter, Catherine & Sánchez, Alan & Singhal, Saurabh, 2025. "The long shadow of conflict on human capital: Intergenerational evidence from Peru," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 174(C).
    12. Patricia Justino & Wolfgang Stojetz, 2019. "Civic legacies of wartime governance," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2019-104, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    13. Richard Akresh, 2016. "Climate Change, Conflict, and Children," HiCN Working Papers 221, Households in Conflict Network.
    14. Markus Freitag & Sara Kijewski & Malvin Oppold, 2019. "War experiences, economic grievances, and political participation in postwar societies: An empirical analysis of Kosovo," Conflict Management and Peace Science, Peace Science Society (International), vol. 36(4), pages 405-424, July.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D72 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Political Processes: Rent-seeking, Lobbying, Elections, Legislatures, and Voting Behavior
    • D74 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Conflict; Conflict Resolution; Alliances; Revolutions
    • O12 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Microeconomic Analyses of Economic Development
    • O17 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Formal and Informal Sectors; Shadow Economy; Institutional Arrangements

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