Guns, Books, or Doctors? Conflict and Public Spending in Haiti : Lessons from Cross-Country Evidence

Guns, Books, or Doctors? Conflict and Public Spending in Haiti : Lessons from Cross-Country Evidence

Haiti's economic development has been held back by a history of civil conflict and violence. With donor assistance declining from its exceptional levels following the 2010 earthquake, and concessional financing growing scarce, Haiti must learn...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors:	Singh, Raju Jan, Bodea, Cristina, Higashijima, Masaaki
Format:	Working Paper
Language:	English en_US
Published:	World Bank, Washington, DC 2016
Subjects:	SANITATION LIVING STANDARDS TERRORISM ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE CIVIL CONFLICT CIVIL LIBERTIES CONFLICT MANAGEMENT ECONOMIC GROWTH MILITIAS URBANIZATION DEATHS TOLERANCE MILITARY PERSONNEL MILITARY REGIMES JUNTA NATIONS ADEQUATE EDUCATION POLITICAL RIGHTS LABOR FORCE DEVELOPING COUNTRIES LEVEL OF POVERTY INTERNATIONAL CONFLICT PUBLIC SERVICES HEALTH CARE CONSTRAINTS CIVIL UNREST POLICY DISCUSSIONS ETHNIC GROUP SOLDIERS MILITARY EXPENDITURE LITERACY RATES SOCIAL PROGRAMS NATIONAL LEVEL INDEPENDENCE POPULATION SIZE CONFLICT INTERNATIONAL BANK SAFETY NETS REBELS HEALTH SECTOR FIREARMS ARMED CONFLICT INSTITUTIONAL MECHANISMS MILITARY BUDGETS POLITICAL VIOLENCE DISPUTES MILITARY SPENDING EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT AIR FORCE FOREIGN AID BABY REGIONAL CONFLICT MATERIAL RESOURCES DEMOCRACY CITIZEN YOUNG MALE VIOLENCE DEBT WORLD DEVELOPMENT TRUST HOUSEHOLD INCOME SECURITY FORCES COERCION SOCIAL SECURITY SCHOOL STUDENTS ARMED FORCES PRIMARY SCHOOL STATE UNIVERSITY SOCIAL EXPENDITURES RULE OF LAW URBAN DWELLERS EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES POLITICAL SUPPORT GRANTS PROGRESS GENOCIDE UNEMPLOYMENT ENERGY CONSUMPTION HUMAN CAPITAL EARTHQUAKE ELECTIONS IMF OBSERVERS POLICIES YOUNG SOLDIERS MILITARY LOW-INCOME COUNTRY POLICE BASIC NEEDS POLICY RESEARCH WORKING PAPER PENSIONS RAPES REBEL COLD WAR URBAN CENTERS PROVISION OF EDUCATION INTERPERSONAL SKILLS BASIC INFRASTRUCTURE WORKSHOP VICTIMS POLITICAL OPPOSITION ECONOMY VIOLENT CONFLICT NATION POPULATIONS BATTLE POLICY FIGHTING INTERNATIONAL STUDIES SOCIAL WELFARE QUALITY OF LIFE POPULOUS COUNTRIES CITIZENS BATTLES SOCIAL POLICIES INTERNATIONAL WAR SOCIAL SECTORS INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT HUMAN RIGHTS ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES WARS WAR MILITARY FORCES NATURAL RESOURCE ARMY RURAL AREAS ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY ARMS LIMITED RESOURCES NATIONALISM YOUNG PEOPLE SOCIAL COHESION REHABILITATION POPULATION CONFLICTS EXTERNAL DEBT LAW DEFENSE UNIVERSITY STUDENTS URBAN SLUMS POLICY RESEARCH CIVIL WAR AGREEMENT POLITICAL PROCESS CONFLICT RESOLUTION PEACE RESEARCH DEPENDENCE PEACE PROCESS REMITTANCES CIVIL WARS PUBLIC SERVICE MILITARIZATION SECONDARY EDUCATION ADULT LITERACY REVOLUTIONS POLITICAL PARTICIPATION SOCIAL MOBILITY PEACE POLITICAL INSTABILITY RECONSTRUCTION PEACEKEEPING NAVY ECONOMIES DEVELOPMENT POLICY HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
Online Access:	http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2016/05/26396742/guns-books-or-doctors-conflict-public-spending-haiti-lessons-cross-country-evidence http://hdl.handle.net/10986/24518

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Summary:	Haiti's economic development has been held back by a history of civil conflict and violence. With donor assistance declining from its exceptional levels following the 2010 earthquake, and concessional financing growing scarce, Haiti must learn to live with tighter budget constraints. At the same time, the United Nations forces that have provided security in the past decade are scaling down. Against this backdrop, this paper explores the conditions under which public spending can minimize violent conflict, and draws possible lessons for Haiti. Drawing on an empirical analysis of 148 countries over the period 1960-2009, simulations for Haiti suggest that increases in military spending would be associated with a higher risk of conflict, an observation in line with Haiti's own history. Greater welfare expenditure (education, health, and social assistance), by contrast, would be associated with lower risk of conflict.