Ethnic Heterogeneity and Public Goods Provision in Zambia: Further Evidence of a Subnational 鈥楧iversity Dividend鈥�
皇冠体育app authors find no clear evidence of a negative impact but instead a positive association with welfare outcomes
Abstract
皇冠体育app hypothesis that ethnic diversity has a negative impact on public goods provision is widely accepted. Notably, most work on this issue fails to distinguish adequately between national versus subnational governance. We find that subnational empirical evidence in particular is inconclusive, and speak to this gap with new analysis at the Zambian district level. Results lend strong support to an emerging body of work challenging the 鈥榙iversity debit鈥� hypothesis: we find no clear evidence of a negative impact but instead a robust positive association with key welfare outcomes. Contra the conventional wisdom, future work should explore mechanisms underlying the 鈥榙iversity dividend鈥� now suggested in multiple subnational analyses.
Citation
Gisselquist, R.M.; Leiderer, S.; Ni帽o-Zaraz煤a, M. Ethnic Heterogeneity and Public Goods Provision in Zambia: Further Evidence of a Subnational ;Diversity Dividend;. UNU-WIDER, Helsinki, Finland (2014) 87 pp. [WIDER Working Paper No. 2014/162]