Economics
The Resource Curse and Its Impact on Political Accountability
Quick fact
Oil-rich countries have a 50% higher chance of being authoritarian than their non-resource-rich counterparts, and they face higher risks of civil war. This surprising pattern is known as the resource curse.
Why this is interesting
Imagine a country so rich in oil that its citizens never pay taxes—yet the government rarely listens to them. Why does vast wealth sometimes weaken democracy rather than strengthen it?