The evidence for advanced resourceproducing countries, such as Canada, is typically much more positive. Once again, we are the exception. The reasons that have been put forward by way of explaining the so-called commodity curse have both a political and an economic dimension. Researchers have found that many countries with rich resource endowments suffer from weak governance and a democratic deficit.
The governments are often despotic, and the countries prone to armed conflict and civil unrest. Property rights aren’t respected, and institutional arrangements are weak. 2  For a detailed survey, please see Jeffrey A. Frankel, “The Natural Resource Curse: A Survey.” Faculty Research Working Paper Series, Harvard Kennedy School, February 2010.