Replication Files for "The Forces of Path Dependence: Haiti’s Refugee Camps, 1937–2009"

Principal Investigator(s):  View help for Principal Investigator(s) Craig Palsson, Huntsman School of Business, Utah State University

Version:  View help for Version V1

Name File Type Size Last Modified
  data 04/27/2023 01:00:PM
  results 04/27/2023 01:01:PM
analysis_EEH.do text/plain 20.4 KB 04/27/2023 09:01:AM
prep_data_EEH.do text/plain 18.3 KB 04/27/2023 08:39:AM

Project Citation: 

Palsson, Craig. Replication Files for “The Forces of Path Dependence: Haiti’s Refugee Camps, 1937–2009.” Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2023-04-27. https://doi.org/10.3886/E190166V1

Project Description

Summary:  View help for Summary These files create the tables and figures reported in Craig Palsson's "The Forces of Path Dependence: Haiti’s Refugee Camps, 1937–2009" at Explorations in Economic History.

Abstract
Refugee camps are sudden, spontaneous population centers that can persist for years. Their persistence provides an opportunity to learn about the forces of path dependence. I argue that residents stay because the camps create local amenities. I examine this question using refugee camps established in Haiti after a 1937 massacre in the Dominican Republic. Despite the residents’ freedom to migrate, the camps evolved into persistent settlements where the refugees’ descendants resided 70 years later. I show that these camps gave residents access to public land with incomplete rights and to social networks that help with informal insurance. While residents 70 years later have slightly lower levels of literacy, they are not significantly disadvantaged on other margins. I interpret these results as evidence of path dependence driven by amenities rather than local productivity advantages.

Scope of Project

Subject Terms:  View help for Subject Terms Haiti; refugees; path dependence
Geographic Coverage:  View help for Geographic Coverage Haiti
Time Period(s):  View help for Time Period(s) 1937 – 2009


Related Publications

Download this project

Published Versions

V1 [2023-04-27]

Export Metadata

Dublin Core

DDI 2.5

Report a Problem

Found a serious problem with the data, such as disclosure risk or copyrighted content? Let us know.

This material is distributed exactly as received from the data depositor. As of April 2026, depositors are required to submit study materials in accessible formats. ICPSR has not reviewed, checked, or processed this material. For additional information about the study, please contact the investigator(s) directly. If you have questions about the accessibility of materials distributed by ICPSR or require further assistance, please visit ICPSR's Accessibility Center.