They Came Banging Pots and Pans

In 2007–2008, food and fuel prices surged in many developing countries. These crises were soon followed by the devastating impact of the global financial crisis. Food riots and political pressure followed. Sub-Saharan Africa was hit particularly hard by the crisis. This chapter asks to what extent remittances played a role in reducing the severity of civil unrest and political instability that followed from the global food crisis in sub-Saharan Africa. The chapter tests the effects of remittances on citizens’ assessments of government economic performance, the effects of remittances on political engagement, and the effects of remittances on support for incumbents. Overall, I find that remittance recipients were somewhat less critical of their governments’ economic performance and more likely to voice support for incumbents during the food crisis.