Richard W. Frank

Publications

“Diplomatic Interventions and Civil War: A New Dataset,” with Patrick M. Regan and Aysegul Aydin. Forthcoming from Journal of Peace Research.

“New Datasets on Political Institutions and Elections, 1972-2005.” With Patrick M. Regan and David H. Clark. Forthcoming from Conflict Management and Peace Science.

Works in Progress

“Migrant Remittances as Social Welfare Payments and the Prospects for Internal Political Instability.” With Patrick M. Regan. Revise and resubmit at a peer-reviewed journal.

“Transnational Microfinance, Welfare Provision, and Civil War Onset.” In progress.

“Leviathan Bound: Institutional Constraints and Human Rights Observance.” In progress. (working draft)

“Democratic Institutions and Alliance Formation.” In progress (working draft)

“Honor Thy Neighbor? Political and Economic Interests in Interventions in Adjacent Civil Wars.” In progress. (working draft)

ALM Thesis

“Fueling Violence? Natural Resources and Civil War.”

Abtract: This study sought to answer several questions: How important are natural resources to civil wars? How do natural resources contribute to their outbreak, duration, and conclusion? Most importantly, why do some countries go to war and others with similar resources do not? To answer these questions I first examine, in turn, the state, rebel groups, and their interests in natural resources. Several of the natural resources most frequently exploited in civil wars are diamonds and oil. These resources and several others are described and their positive and negative effects are explored. Then three pairs of similar countries: Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana, Congo (Brazzaville) and Cameroon, and Sierra Leone and Botswana are presented in more detail to help to understand what kept one country peaceful while the other descended into civil war. This paper concludes that weak state capabilities and poor leadership (including in using natural resources productively) are crucial in causing grievances, enabling state and rebel greed and corruption, and providing an atmosphere where rebellion can flourish. Natural resource wealth can undermine a state and increase the likelihood of underdevelopment and civil war, but it can also help a country develop. Understanding the economic and political causes of civil war can help form more targeted responses and address the problem at its source.

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Research