Studies in Comparative International Development

Alssadek, Marwan; Benhin, James

doi: 10.1007/s12116-025-09478-ypmid: N/A

The objective of this paper is to extend the seminal work of De Soysa and Gizelis (2013) by exploring whether natural resources increase the spread of and death from infectious diseases and prevalence of anaemia in a panel data sample of 37 Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries. To do this, we first examine the impact of natural resources on the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the long-run. Second, we investigate the long-run effect of natural resources on tuberculosis (TB) and malaria communicable diseases. Third, we assess the role of natural resources in financing antiretroviral therapy (ART) treatment. Fourth, we estimate the impact of natural resources on the prevalence of anaemia. Lastly, cross-sectional augmented distributed lag (CS-ARDL) and common correlated effect mean group (CCEMG) approaches are employed to address cross-sectional dependency, mixed order of stationarity, and endogeneity problems. Our results suggest that (i) there are significant negative long-run effects of natural resource rents on prevalence of HIV and death rates from AIDS, (ii) natural resource rents are negatively associated with decreased TB and malaria in the long-run, (iii) the rents of natural resources are sufficient to finance ART treatment, and (iv) natural resource rents are positively associated with increased rates of anaemia.

Ciftci, Sabri

doi: 10.1007/s12116-025-09476-0pmid: N/A

Organized religion and its relationship with lay power have played an integral role in political development in the Muslim world. While conventional wisdom often highlights the impact of religious bureaucracy on state-building, this study offers a complementary narrative. Drawing on evidence from Asia Minor during the High Middle Ages, the research highlights the prominence of antinomian Sufi dervishes as key agents of state formation. In a context marked by significant nomadic migration and political disintegration, these dervishes mobilized holy wars (ghazā) for rapid territorial expansion (war-making) and organized nomads around religious lodges (zaviye) to establish a rural tax base and enable public good provision (state-making). The analysis suggests that ties between informal religious networks and political power played a pivotal role in state-building across Islamic societies. The study offers crucial insights into the distant origins of state-religion relations in the Muslim world and explores alternative paths to political development beyond the European experience.