IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/svk/wpaper/1144.html

Is There a Resource Curse in the US and Canada? Evidence from the Shale Revolution

Author

Listed:
  • Steven Yamarik

    (California State University Long Beach)

  • Florian Horky

    (National Bank of Slovakia)

  • Jarko Fidrmuc

    (Zeppelin University)

Abstract

This paper uses the shale revolution as a natural experiment to test the resource curse in American states and Canadian provinces. We use a comprehensive set of unproved reserves of unconventional gas and oil plays for North America in 2010 to identify the impact of resource dependence on state-level economic growth. We estimate a growth regression with mining production (resource dependence), corruption and other long-run determinants. Using least squares, we find no significant link between resource dependence and state-level economic growth. However, by instrumenting resource dependence, we find evidence of a resource curse in that greater mining production (and employment) leads to lower state-level growth. Our resource curse finding is robust to fracking bans and moratoriums, alternative GDP measures and resource abundance (proved reserves). In tests for indirect transmission mechanisms, we find that greater mining activity reduces educational attainment, non-resource tax revenue, and trade openness in North America and increases the price of nontradeables relative to tradeables in the US.

Suggested Citation

  • Steven Yamarik & Florian Horky & Jarko Fidrmuc, 2026. "Is There a Resource Curse in the US and Canada? Evidence from the Shale Revolution," Working and Discussion Papers WP 8/2026, Research Department, National Bank of Slovakia.
    • Handle: RePEc:svk:wpaper:1144
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://nbs.sk/dokument/b3013a5c-9925-4fc4-9271-63feb59d02b7/stiahnut/?force=false
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Noel Johnson & Courtney LaFountain & Steven Yamarik, 2011. "Corruption is bad for growth (even in the United States)," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 147(3), pages 377-393, June.
    2. Guido W. Imbens & Michal Kolesár, 2016. "Robust Standard Errors in Small Samples: Some Practical Advice," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 98(4), pages 701-712, October.
    3. Havranek, Tomas & Horvath, Roman & Zeynalov, Ayaz, 2016. "Natural Resources and Economic Growth: A Meta-Analysis," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 88(C), pages 134-151.
    4. Dan Black & Terra McKinnish & Seth Sanders, 2005. "The Economic Impact Of The Coal Boom And Bust," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 115(503), pages 449-476, April.
    5. Smith, Brock, 2015. "The resource curse exorcised: Evidence from a panel of countries," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 116(C), pages 57-73.
    6. James Feyrer & Erin T. Mansur & Bruce Sacerdote, 2017. "Geographic Dispersion of Economic Shocks: Evidence from the Fracking Revolution," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 107(4), pages 1313-1334, April.
    7. Al Yussef, Achtee & Hens, Luc & Holm, Joshua, 2024. "A curse on leisure? Resource rents and labor supply," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 140(C).
    8. Balázs Égert, 2012. "Dutch diease in the post-soviet countries of central and south-west Asia: How contagious is it?," Post-Print hal-01385841, HAL.
    9. Alssadek, Marwan & Benhin, James, 2023. "Natural resource curse: A literature survey and comparative assessment of regional groupings of oil-rich countries," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).
    10. Sachs, J-D & Warner, A-M, 1995. "Natural Resource Abundance and Economic Growth," Papers 517a, Harvard - Institute for International Development.
    11. Frederick van der Ploeg, 2011. "Natural Resources: Curse or Blessing?," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 49(2), pages 366-420, June.
    12. Halvor Mehlum & Karl Moene & Ragnar Torvik, 2006. "Institutions and the Resource Curse," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 116(508), pages 1-20, January.
    13. Mathieu Couttenier & Pauline Grosjean & Marc Sangnier, 2017. "The Wild West IS Wild: The Homicide Resource Curse," Journal of the European Economic Association, European Economic Association, vol. 15(3), pages 558-585.
    14. Robert J. Barro, 1991. "Economic Growth in a Cross Section of Countries," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 106(2), pages 407-443.
    15. Dauvin, Magali & Guerreiro, David, 2017. "The Paradox of Plenty: A Meta-Analysis," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 94(C), pages 212-231.
    16. Torfinn Harding & Radoslaw Stefans & Gerhard Toews, 2020. "Boom Goes the Price: Giant Resource Discoveries and Real Exchange Rate Appreciation," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 130(630), pages 1715-1728.
    17. Hunt Allcott & Daniel Keniston, 2018. "Dutch Disease or Agglomeration? The Local Economic Effects of Natural Resource Booms in Modern America," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 85(2), pages 695-731.
    18. Halvor Mehlum & Karl Moene & Ragnar Torvik, 2006. "Cursed by Resources or Institutions?," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(8), pages 1117-1131, August.
    19. Bilgili, Faik & Koçak, Emrah & Bulut, Ümit & Sualp, M. Nedim, 2016. "How did the US economy react to shale gas production revolution? An advanced time series approach," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 116(P1), pages 963-977.
    20. N. Gregory Mankiw & David Romer & David N. Weil, 1992. "A Contribution to the Empirics of Economic Growth," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 107(2), pages 407-437.
    21. W. Robert Reed, 2009. "The Determinants Of U.S. State Economic Growth: A Less Extreme Bounds Analysis," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 47(4), pages 685-700, October.
    22. MacKinnon, James G., 2011. "Thirty Years of Heteroskedasticity-Robust Inference," Queen's Economics Department Working Papers 273816, Queen's University - Department of Economics.
    23. Weber, Jeremy G., 2012. "The effects of a natural gas boom on employment and income in Colorado, Texas, and Wyoming," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 34(5), pages 1580-1588.
    24. Stijns, Jean-Philippe C., 2005. "Natural resource abundance and economic growth revisited," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 30(2), pages 107-130, June.
    25. Catherine Norman, 2009. "Rule of Law and the Resource Curse: Abundance Versus Intensity," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 43(2), pages 183-207, June.
    26. Alfonso Flores-Lagunes, 2007. "Finite sample evidence of IV estimators under weak instruments," Journal of Applied Econometrics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 22(3), pages 677-694.
    27. Jonathon Hazell & Juan Herreño & Emi Nakamura & Jón Steinsson, 2022. "The Slope of the Phillips Curve: Evidence from U.S. States," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 137(3), pages 1299-1344.
    28. Alexander James, 2015. "US State Fiscal Policy and Natural Resources," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 7(3), pages 238-257, August.
    29. Dauvin, Magali & Guerreiro, David, 2017. "The Paradox of Plenty: A Meta-Analysis," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 94(C), pages 212-231.
    30. Alexander W. Bartik & Janet Currie & Michael Greenstone & Christopher R. Knittel, 2019. "The Local Economic and Welfare Consequences of Hydraulic Fracturing," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 11(4), pages 105-155, October.
    31. Fernando M. Arag?n & Juan Pablo Rud, 2013. "Natural Resources and Local Communities: Evidence from a Peruvian Gold Mine," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 5(2), pages 1-25, May.
    32. Corden, W Max & Neary, J Peter, 1982. "Booming Sector and De-Industrialisation in a Small Open Economy," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 92(368), pages 825-848, December.
    33. Papyrakis, Elissaios & Gerlagh, Reyer, 2007. "Resource abundance and economic growth in the United States," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 51(4), pages 1011-1039, May.
    34. Jaimes, Richard & Gerlagh, Reyer, 2020. "Resource-richness and economic growth in contemporary U.S," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 89(C).
    35. Mei, Yingdan & Liu, Wenbo & Wang, Jianliang & Bentley, Yongmei, 2022. "Shale gas development and regional economic growth: Evidence from Fuling, China," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 239(PC).
    36. Gasper A. Garofalo & Steven Yamarik, 2002. "Regional Convergence: Evidence From A New State-By-State Capital Stock Series," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 84(2), pages 316-323, May.
    37. Marchand, Joseph, 2012. "Local labor market impacts of energy boom-bust-boom in Western Canada," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 71(1), pages 165-174.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Cheng, Zhonghua & Li, Lianshui & Liu, Jun, 2020. "Natural resource abundance, resource industry dependence and economic green growth in China," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
    2. Zuo, Na & Zhong, Hua, 2020. "Can resource policy reverse the resource curse? Evidence from China," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
    3. Aparicio-Pérez, Daniel & Ripollés, Jordi, 2025. "Disentangling the heterogeneous effect of natural resources on economic growth," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 142(C).
    4. Nicoletta Corrocher & Camilla Lenzi & Marie-Louise Deshaires, 2020. "The curse of natural resources: an empirical analysis of European regions," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 54(12), pages 1694-1708, December.
    5. Hilmawan, Rian & Clark, Jeremy, 2019. "An investigation of the resource curse in Indonesia," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).
    6. Zuo, Na & Zhong, Hua, "undated". "The Effect of Resource Wealth on Regional Economic Development in China," 2019 Annual Meeting, July 21-23, Atlanta, Georgia 291114, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    7. Pelzl, Paul & Poelhekke, Steven, 2021. "Good mine, bad mine: Natural resource heterogeneity and Dutch disease in Indonesia," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 131(C).
    8. Jaimes, Richard & Gerlagh, Reyer, 2020. "Resource-richness and economic growth in contemporary U.S," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 89(C).
    9. Awoa Awoa, Paul & Atangana Ondoa, Henri & Ngoa Tabi, Henri, 2022. "Women's political empowerment and natural resource curse in developing countries," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 75(C).
    10. Jaimes Bonilla, Richard, 2020. "Essays in macroeconomic theory and natural resources," Other publications TiSEM 48a44548-df1e-44f9-8e2e-3, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    11. Grant D. Jacobsen, 2019. "Who Wins In An Energy Boom? Evidence From Wage Rates And Housing," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 57(1), pages 9-32, January.
    12. Arsham Reisinezhad, 2024. "The Dutch disease revisited: consistency of theory and evidence," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 87(3), pages 553-603, March.
    13. Ozcan, Burcu & Temiz, Mehmet & Gültekin Tarla, Esma, 2023. "The resource curse phenomenon in the case of precious metals: A panel evidence from top 19 exporting countries," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    14. Ben-Salha, Ousama & Dachraoui, Hajer & Sebri, Maamar, 2021. "Natural resource rents and economic growth in the top resource-abundant countries: A PMG estimation," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    15. Nouf Alsharif & Sambit Bhattacharyya, 2024. "Oil discovery, boom‐bust cycle and manufacturing slowdown: Evidence from a large industry level dataset," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(2), pages 406-431, May.
    16. Hasanov, Fakhri J. & Aliyev, Ruslan & Taskin, Dilvin & Suleymanov, Elchin, 2023. "Oil rents and non-oil economic growth in CIS oil exporters. The role of financial development," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    17. Pehli̇van, Mikail, 2026. "Is the resource curse persistent? Dynamic causality evidence from resource-dependent economies," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 113(C).
    18. Pafadnam, Neerbewendé Abdoul Rachid, 2024. "How does implementing the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) affect economic growth? Evidence from developing countries," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 85(C).
    19. He, Xiaoping & Mou, Dunguo, 2020. "Impacts of mineral resources: Evidence from county economies in China," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 136(C).
    20. Horváth, Roman & Zeynalov, Ayaz, 2016. "Natural resources, manufacturing and institutions in post-Soviet countries," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 141-148.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • C21 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Cross-Sectional Models; Spatial Models; Treatment Effect Models
    • O13 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Agriculture; Natural Resources; Environment; Other Primary Products
    • O51 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies - - - U.S.; Canada
    • Q33 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Nonrenewable Resources and Conservation - - - Resource Booms (Dutch Disease)
    • R11 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Regional Economic Activity: Growth, Development, Environmental Issues, and Changes

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:svk:wpaper:1144. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: the person in charge (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/nbsgvsk.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.