Mineral Rents and the Financing of Social Policy: Opportunities and Challenges (Social Policy in a Development Context)

An exploration of the implications of mineral-led wealth and the opportunities that this creates for economic and social development. The book includes theoretical and policy analyses as well as micro level country case studies, including Norway, Chile, Indonesia, Nigeria and Botswana. Combining a theoretical approach with individual country case studies, this volume systematically analyses the relationship between mineral wealth, social development outcomes and social policy in developing countries. Chapters discuss how some countries manage to channel their resources into sustainable economic policies while others fail to do so; the factors that impede such investment; and whether boosting mineral rents can help promote democracy, social inclusion and economic development. This volume is unique and distinctive, moving beyond existing research to analyse the implications of natural resources for developing countries and focusing on the social and political implications of mineral rents Front Matter....Pages i-xxi Front Matter....Pages 1-1 Introduction and Overview: Blessing or Curse? Financing Social Policies in Mineral-Rich Countries....Pages 3-25 Development and Growth in Resource-Dependent Countries: Why Social Policy Matters....Pages 26-61 Economic Policy in Mineral-Rich Countries....Pages 62-90 Social Policy and State Revenues in Mineral-Rich Contexts....Pages 91-121 Institutional Change and State Capacity in Mineral-Rich Countries....Pages 122-152 Front Matter....Pages 153-153 Mineral Rents and Social Development in Norway....Pages 155-184 Mineral Rents and Social Development in Chile....Pages 185-222 Mineral Wealth, Development and Social Policy in Indonesia....Pages 223-256 Has Botswana Beaten the Resource Curse?....Pages 257-284 Social Policy in a Mineral-Rich Economy: The Case of Nigeria....Pages 285-317 Conclusion: Harnessing the Potential of Mineral Rents for Social Development - Options and Constraints....Pages 318-331 Back Matter....Pages 332-343