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The riddle of how to avoid the so-called "resource curse" has bedeviled a generation of policy makers, economists and academics.

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Resource curse refers to the negative consequences that befall a country when it discovers a valuable natural resource, like oil. Often times the discovery of oil does not propel a country\'s economic development, and can even set a country back.

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My guest today is engaging in ground-breaking research that suggests some ways that a government may avoid the resource curse. Sam Hickey is a professor of the politics and development at the Global Development Institute at the University of Manchester . And in this capacity he is engaged in some long term research into how governments in Africa are approaching their oil sectors.This includes a fascinating study comparing how democratic Ghana and authoritarian Uganda have approached their relatively recent oil discoveries.\\xa0

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Responsible resource extraction is a key element in the development of many countries around the world and I found this conversation an extremely enlightening explanation about what academic research says about what works--and what does not -- in avoiding the resource curse.\\xa0

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We kick off with an extended discussion of the curse, before discussing his research.\\xa0

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