Climate, diseases, and the origins of corruption

Abstract

It has been commonly observed that tropical countries typically suffer from intense corruption and underdevelopment. I offer an explanation for this longstanding disparity across the world based on variation in the intensity of ultraviolet radiation (UV-R). The central idea of this paper holds that UV-R is positively associated with the (historical) prevalence of eye diseases, which significantly shortens work-life expectancy as a skilled worker. This arguably shapes the global pattern of corrupt practices. Interestingly, this finding appears to be strong and insensitive to accounting for different theories explaining differences in corruption levels across the globe. Further analyses using individual-level data taken from the World Values Survey and provincial level data for China lend strong credence to the cross-country evidence.

Sunlight, culture and state capacity

“…In order to provide further evidence on this issue, in Section 4.3.4, I perform a robustness test that confirms that the relationship between the degree of UV-R exposure and state capacity is very similar across the various years of the period 2000-2015. The employment of a cross-sectional approach is also consistent with the standard estimation strategy adopted in earlier studies about the effect of UV-R on economic and institutional development (Andersen et al, 2016;Ang et al, 2018;Fredriksson & Mohanty, 2021;Vu, 2021). Indeed, as discussed…”

“…As mentioned above, this literature has identified various factors that affect state capacity, but none of these prior studies have investigated the potential influence of UV-R exposure and the individualism-collectivism divide on state capacity. Second, this work also complements a recent body of research that examines the effect of UV-R exposure on various aspects such as economic performance or institutional quality (Andersen et al, 2016;Ang et al, 2018;Fredriksson & Mohanty, 2021;Vu, 2021). Third, this paper is also related to the literature that emphasizes the endogeneity of culture (Alesina et al, 2013;Bisin & Verdier, 2001;Galor & Özak, 2016;Michalopoulos & Xue, 2021) and its effects on comparative development (Ang et al, 2021;Gorodnichenko & Roland, 2017Mokyr, 2016).…”

“…Furthermore, the potential association between UV‐R and state capacity may have policy implications when devising public initiatives intended to enhance state capacity. Moreover, because UV‐R intensity has remained largely constant over the last two billion years (Andersen et al, 2016; Cockell & Horneck, 2001), exploiting the cross‐country variation in UV‐R exposure can help overcome possible problems of reverse causality that often complicate the identification of the causal impact of the proximate determinants of state capacity (Vu, 2021).…”

“…2 At first glance, the existence of a relationship between UV-R and the ability of a state to attain its intended policy goals might seem striking. Nevertheless, a recent body of research has highlighted the relevance of UV-R for contemporary economic and institutional development (Andersen et al, 2016;Ang et al, 2018;Vu, 2021), which suggests that the degree of UV-R exposure may also affect state capacity.…”