Energy in the Soviet Union
Abstract A prominent commentator on Eastern European affairs takes up some points raised by J.H. Chesshire and Miss C. Huggett in their paper, ‘Primary Energy production in the Soviet Union’ which appeared in the September 1975 issue of Energy Policy.
Primary energy production in the Soviet Union problems and prospects
Abstract Analyses and commentary on the Soviet energy situation by observers in the non-communist countries have usually been primarily historical or have dealt with particular aspects only. However, in this article, Mr Chesshire and Miss Huggett review the current situation, problems and prospects of the primary energy industries in the USSR and the extent of Soviet trade in fossil fuels with both her COMECON partners and the non-communist countries. They also discuss the implications of long-term Soviet economic growth projections and possible changes in international relations, with particular reference to the possible emergence of the USSR in the longer term as a significant exporter of primary fuels.
Deliberative Democracy and the Resource Curse: A Nationwide Experiment in Tanzania
Oil and gas discoveries in developing countries are often associated with short-sighted economic policies and, in response, calls to insulate resource management from populist impulses. We report on a randomized experiment testing methods to overcome this apparent tension between sound resource governance and democratic politics. Soon after Tanzania’s discovery of major natural gas reserves, we invited a nationally representative sample of voters to an intensive public deliberation of policy options featuring nationally recognized experts and small-group discussions. Democratic deliberation reinforced the public’s strong preference for rapid spending of gas revenues, but also increased support for various prudential and economically orthodox measures, including independent oversight of gas revenues, limits on government borrowing, and selling gas abroad rather than subsidizing fuel at home. These effects were driven by deliberation per se, rather than a pure information treatment, and show no evidence of contamination by facilitatoror peer-effects in group deliberations. www.cgdev.org Justin Sandefur, Nancy Birdsall, James Fishkin, and Mujobu Moyo