Mines, Communities, and States: The Local Politics of Natural Resource Extraction in Africa

Natural resource extraction can benefit local communities by providing goods and services, but can also lead to protest and government intervention. Mines, Communities, and States explores these outcomes in Africa, arguing that local populations are important actors and that governments must assess the economic benefits and political support of extraction.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 294 pages
Publication date: 14 April 2022
Publisher: Cambridge University Press

In certain areas where natural resource extraction takes place, companies offer goods and services to local communities. However, in other instances, protests may arise, resulting in government regulatory or repressive measures. Mines, Communities, and States delves into these outcomes in Africa, where natural resource extraction plays a significant role in generating revenue for states with limited economic resources. By employing a diverse range of methodological approaches, including formal modeling, structured case comparison, and quantitative geo-spatial empirical analysis, the book argues that local populations hold significant influence in extractive regions as they possess the ability to impose political and economic costs on both the state and the extractive firm.

Jessica Steinberg further contends that governments must evaluate the economic benefits of extraction and the worth of political support within the region. They must then make a calculated decision regarding how to balance trade-offs that may arise between these alternatives.

Weight: 456g
Dimension: 154 x 227 x 26 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781108701778