The Resource Curse: A Statistical Mirage?
A surprising feature of resource-rich economies is slow growth. It is often argued that natural-resource production impedes development by creating market or institutional failures. A declining resource sector is disproportionately reflected in resource-dependent countries. Dr. James Alexander argues that there is little evidence that resource dependence impedes growth in non-resource sectors.
Dr. James was born in Northern California and received his Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Wyoming in 2012. After graduating, he worked for two years as a research fellow at the Center for the Analysis of Resource-Rich Economies at the University of Oxford and is currently Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Alaska Anchorage. His research interests broadly include resource-rich economies and he has published numerous articles that examine the social and economic consequences of natural-resource booms and busts.
The evening’s discussion was moderated by Larry Persily
Ammon Swenson is Alaska Public Media’s Audio Media Content Producer. He was born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska. He graduated from UAA in 2018 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and integrated media. He’s previously worked for KRUA radio, the Anchorage Press, and The Northern Light.
