The Effect of Natural Resource Control on Self-Determination Movement Success
Open Access
Author:
Lakavage, Benjamin
Area of Honors:
Political Science
Degree:
Bachelor of Arts
Document Type:
Thesis
Thesis Supervisors:
Xun Cao, Thesis Supervisor Gretchen G Casper, Thesis Honors Advisor
Keywords:
SDM Self-Determination Movement Secession De Facto State Natural Resources Hydrocarbons Diamonds Oil
Abstract:
With nongovernment actors becoming more prevalent in the modern day, one begins to ask what makes them successful. This thesis seeks to find what factors play into the success of self-determination movements (SDMs), with a particular focus on natural resources such as hydrocarbons and diamonds. Previous research on this topic is sparse, mainly focusing on the onset and duration of self-determination movements. Additionally, very little attention is paid to those who do not use violence; despite this, researchers appear to agree that hydrocarbons and diamonds do have an impact on self-determination movements. This research uses data from several datasets with information ranging from the geolocation of natural resources and ethnic groups to the accomplishments of 506 SDMs from 1945 to 2012. Through the use of multilinear regression, this research found that the control of natural resources such as hydrocarbons and diamonds positively impact the success of self-determination movements. Additionally, I also found that de facto states may have significantly different determinants of success compared to other types of SDMs.
