Stanford scholar proposes new policy to curb resource curse in Africa

RTXZBQO logo South Sudan's Petroleum and Mining Minister applauds as he restarts oil production in the main oil field in South Sudan.

In the coming decade new oil discoveries in Africa will leave fragile democracies vulnerable to corruption, patronage and rent seeking behavior. In a piece co-written in Foreign Affairs, CDDRL Director Larry Diamond advocates a new scheme to directly distribute oil revenue to citizens in the form of taxable income. This oil-to-cash system would strengthen accountability and increase citizens ownership of state resources.