Conflict and the evolution of institutions: Unbundling institutions at the local level in Burundi
| Author | Erwin H Bulte,Maarten J Voors |
| Date | 01 July 2014 |
| Published date | 01 July 2014 |
| DOI | 10.1177/0022343314531264 |
| Subject Matter | Research Articles |
Conflict and the evolution of institutions:
Unbundling institutions at the local level
in Burundi
Maarten J Voors
Wageningen University & University of Cambridge
Erwin H Bulte
Wageningen University & Tilburg University
Abstract
The impact of armed conflict may persist long after the end of war, and may include a lasting institutional legacy. We
use a novel dataset from rural Burundi to examine the impact of local exposure to conflict on institutional quality,
and try to ‘unbundle’ institutions by distinguishing between three dimensions of the institutional framework: prop-
erty rights security, local political institutions, and social capital. We find that conflict exposure affects institutional
quality, and document that the impact of conflict on institutional quality may be positive or negative, depending on
the institutional measure. Specifically, exposure to violence strengthens in-group social capital and promotes tenure
security. However, the appreciation for state institutions is negatively affected by exposure to violence. We find no
evidence consistent with design-based theories of institutional quality, or the idea that institutional quality is
enhanced by interventions of (non)state external actors. Instead our findings provide some support for the theory
of parochial altruism. Our results emphasize the importance for policymakers to consider autonomous responses
to conflict when designing development programs. They further imply some caution for actors seeking to reform
local institutions through top-down interventions.
Keywords
Africa, civil war, local governance, property rights security, social capital
Introduction
While many studies emphasize the ‘persistence’ of insti-
tutions over extended periods of time (e.g. Acemoglu,
Johnson & Robinson, 2001), institutions also evolve
in response to various pressures (Austin, 2008). In light
of evidence that institutions are among the main deter-
minants of economic development, institutional reform
has taken center stage in current development para-
digms. Unfortunately, our understanding of the
dynamics of institutions, and the determinants of insti-
tutional change, is fragmented and limited.
One of the potential, but under-researched, drivers of
institutional quality is civil war. ‘Both theory and evi-
dence are weakest in assessing the impact of civil war
on the fundamental drivers of long-run economic
performance – institutions, technology, and culture –
even though these may govern whether a society recovers,
stagnates, or plunges back into war’ (Blattman & Miguel,
2010: 8). More than two-thirds of African nations
have experienced civil war during the past decades
(e.g. Gleditsch et al., 2002). While neoclassical
growth models predict that postwar economies should
rapidly accumulate capital and experience growth, evi-
dence regarding the speed of post-conflict recovery is
mixed (e.g. Chen, Loayza & Reynal-Querol, 2008;
Cerra & Saxena, 2008; Miguel & Roland, 2010).
Corresponding author:
maarten.voors@wur.nl
Journal of Peace Research
2014, Vol. 51(4) 455–469
ªThe Author(s) 2014
Reprints and permission:
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DOI: 10.1177/0022343314531264
jpr.sagepub.com
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