State Expansion and Social Responses in the Democratic Republic of the Congo by Soeren J. Henn

Join us for another event in the Political Economy and Political Science Institutions (PEPSI) Seminar Series, Spring Term 2024.

Soeren J. Henn, from the Newcastle University Business School, will present their research on State Expansion and Social Responses in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. 

Abstract

This paper shows that the expansion of a weak state can increase citizens' demand for state governance and displace existing actors. We study a reform in the Democratic Republic of the Congo that extends state authority, via a population threshold, to small towns previously governed by traditional chiefs.  Using a regression discontinuity design, we find that state expansion increased citizens' demand for the state even when such an expansion is fraught. Towns above the population threshold have more state appointed personnel, public goods provision, and state security personnel, but little improvements in capacity or infrastructure. State expansion also leads to increased conflict between the state and traditional chiefs, especially around property rights. Citizens increasingly turn to the state when resolving disputes, make more tax payments and bribe payments. This increased demand for the state comes at the expense of demand for traditional authority. In public goods games citizens affected by state expansion are more likely to contribute to the common pool when hearing messages from state officials while citizens in unaffected villages react to messages by traditional leaders. Our results suggest that a weak state can extend its capacity and capture society via political competition.

This seminar will be held in NTC.1.02 on Wednesday 7th February 2024 at 12.30pm. This event is open to all levels of study and is also open to the public.