Guns, Books, or Doctors? Conflict and Public Spending in Haiti: Lessons from Cross-Country Evidence

Haiti's economic development has been hindered by a history of civil conflict and violence. With donor assistance declining and concessional financing growing scarce, Haiti must learn to live with tighter budget constraints. Against this backdrop, this paper explores the conditions under which public spending can minimize violent conflict, drawing possible lessons for Haiti. Drawing on an empirical analysis of 148 countries over the period 1960–2009, simulations for Haiti suggest that increases in military spending would be associated with a higher risk of conflict, an observation in line with Haiti’s own history. Greater welfare expenditure (education, health, and social assistance), by contrast, would be associated with lower risk of conflict. The paper concludes that Haiti should prioritize social spending to reduce grievances and conflict.