rentier state

Syllable breakdown

Dictionary meaning

a state that derives a substantial portion of its revenues from the extraction and export of natural resources — most commonly petroleum, natural gas, or minerals — rather than from the taxation of its citizens' productive economic activity; rentier states, a concept developed by Hossein Mahdavy and elaborated by Hazem Beblawi and Giacomo Luciani, are characterised by the relative autonomy of the state from domestic societal pressures because the government does not depend on citizens as a tax base; this autonomy is theorised to undermine democratisation, weaken state capacity and accountability, fuel patronage politics, and create what has been called the resource curse; Gulf oil states, Nigeria, Venezuela, and Angola are frequently cited examples; the concept has generated extensive debate about the relationship between natural resource wealth, political institutions, and economic development