Title: The economic impacts of United Nations peacekeeping operations: growth versus level effects

Authors: Brandon Ernst; Rajeev Sooreea; Gigi Gokcek; Diara Spain

Addresses: International Politics and International Business Alum, Dominican University of California, 246 Roundtree Way, San Rafael, CA 94903, USA ' School of Business and Leadership, Dominican University of California, 50 Acacia Ave., San Rafael, CA 94901, USA ' Department of Political Science and International Studies, School of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, Dominican University of California, 50 Acacia Ave., San Rafael, CA 94901, USA ' School of Health and Natural Sciences, Dominican University of California, 50 Acacia Ave., San Rafael, CA 94901, USA

Abstract: This study examines the impacts on economic growth and development of United Nations peacekeeping operations (PKOs) in a set of 39 conflict-afflicted countries between 1980 and 2010. The research is conducted using panel data analysis with a multiplicative binary (dummy) variable approach. The results indicate that, on average, PKOs do not increase the growth rate of gross domestic product (GDP) but they do increase the level of GDP per capita by 1.08% to 1.92%. The presence of PKOs tends to be more successful in Europe and Central Asia or high-income countries.

Keywords: peacekeeping operations; PKOs; economic growth; development; United Nations; UN peacekeeping; panel data; binary variables; dummy variables; economic impact; gross domestic product; GDP growth; GDP per capita; high-income countries; conflict afflicted countries.

DOI: 10.1504/IJPP.2014.059564

International Journal of Public Policy, 2014 Vol.10 No.1/2/3, pp.100 - 117

Received: 18 Apr 2012
Accepted: 28 Mar 2013

Published online: 13 May 2014 *

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