This project focus on a single question:
Why do natural resources induce prosperity in some countries, but poverty and conflict in others?
Clearly, natural resource wealth may work very different in different social settings. While oil may be a blessin g in Norway it may be a curse in Venezuela. While diamonds may produce violent conflict in Sierra Leone they may contribute to prosperity in Botswana. The most interesting aspect of the 'resource curse' is perhaps not that natural resource wealth on avera ge reduces growth and increases poverty, but that economic, social, and political outcomes are so different among resource abundant countries.
This project aims to strengthen and expand the already existing cooperation on this topic between James A. Rob inson at Harvard and Ragnar Torvik at NTNU, in that Torvik spends 10 months with Robinson at Haravard.