Research
Poverty and Witch Killing
Edward Miguel
2005
African DevelopmentEnvironment and ClimatePolitical Economy and Conflict
This study uses rainfall variation to estimate the impact of income shocks on murder in rural Tanzania. Extreme rainfall (drought or flood) leads to a large increase in the murder of "witches"–typically elderly women killed by relatives–but not other murders. The findings provide novel evidence on the role of income shocks in causing violent crime, and religious violence in particular.
Civil War Exposure and ViolencePublished PaperOtherPolitical Economy and Conflict2011
Re-examining Economic Shocks and Civil ConflictPublished PaperEnvironment and ClimatePolitical Economy and Conflict2011
Analysis of statistical power reconciles drought-conflict results in AfricaWorking PaperAfrican DevelopmentEnvironment and ClimateResearch Methodology2016
Climate and ConflictOtherEnvironment and ClimatePolitical Economy and ConflictResearch Methodology2015
Economic Shocks and Civil Conflict: An Instrumental Variables ApproachPublished PaperAfrican DevelopmentEnvironment and ClimatePolitical Economy and Conflict2004
Poverty and Crime in 19th Century GermanyPublished PaperEnvironment and ClimateOtherPolitical Economy and Conflict2006
Warming Increases the Risk of Civil War in AfricaPublished PaperAfrican DevelopmentEnvironment and ClimatePolitical Economy and Conflict2009
Economic Gangsters
Master of Development Practice (MDP) Special Lecture SeriesUC BerkeleyNovember 13, 2014
Bay Area Global Health Seminar SeriesUC BerkeleyNovember 12, 2014
TEDxBerkeley talk: Climate, Conflict, and African DevelopmentZellerbach Hall, UC BerkeleyFebruary 8, 2014
Economic Gangsters: Corruption, Violence, and the Poverty of Nations (Google)Mountain View, CA, USAJanuary 30, 2009
Why are Poor Countries Poor?Los Angeles, CA, USAOctober 28, 2008
Economic Gangsters: Corruption, Violence and the Poverty of Nations (Microsoft)Mountain View, CA, USAOctober 23, 2008
Climate, Conflict and Economic Development: The Next 50 YearsUniversity of Oslo, NorwayOctober 19, 2017
Life is a Lab Lecture: Climate and ConflictNorwegian School of Economics, Bergen, NorwayOctober 18, 2017
Did Cold Weather Cause the Salem Witch Trials?Power Buzz
BewitchedAid Thoughts Blog
Economic Gangsters Rule Poor CountriesZócalo Public Square: The Takeaway
Why It’s Dangerous to Be a Witch in a RecessionFinancial Times, by Tim Harford
Extended Forecast: BloodshedNew York Times, by Nicholas D. Kristof
Weather Spawns Witch KillingWeatherwise
Study Links Extreme Weather, Poverty and Witch KillingUC Berkeley News
Seguimos creyendo en las brujas, y las seguimos matandoLetras Libres
How Economic Prosperity Spared WitchesUSA Today
Young Kenyans are murdering elderly relatives they claim are witches, but it really has nothing to do with magical beliefsQuartz
Despite Murderous Attacks, Tanzania’s ‘Witches’ Fight for LandIndraStra
Despite murderous attacks, Tanzania’s ‘witches’ fight for landReuters
Why thousands of elderly women are called ‘witches’ before being burned alive or knifed to death in AfricaMirror
Despite murderous attacks, Tanzania’s ‘witches’ fight for landVnExpress International
Tanzania: Despite Murderous Attacks, ‘Witches’ Fight for LandallAfrica
South Africans and the blame gameThe Guardian Nigeria
From blaming witches to blaming foreigners: The torments of the black South African’s psycheBusiness Day
Changes in Climate Have Always Made Things Worse for (Accused) WitchesAtlas Obscura
Toil and Trouble – How Conflict and Climate Change are Triggering Witch HuntsForeign Affairs
Confronting Fragility and Conflict in Africa: What Does the Research Tell Us?World Bank - Africa Can End Poverty