New research examines the relationship between oil income and authoritarian personalism in countries like Russia, Nigeria, and Venezuela.

Data & Methods: Using "Varieties of Autocracy" dataset covering 1980-2015 across multiple nations 💡 Researchers analyze how changes in oil wealth affect political systems over time 🔍

Key Findings: Higher oil income leads to greater personalization of power 👑 Increases in resource rents are associated with stronger autocratic control and patronage networks 📈

Why It Matters: This challenges the standard resource curse narrative that links oil wealth exclusively to institutional strength ✨ Policy implications include understanding how natural resources influence political polarization and democratic backsliding 🔮