We investigate if ethnic representation in power-sharing cabinets generates socio-economic peace dividends for citizens in post-war countries. We conceptualize rebel groups as ethno-political organizations that engage in distributive politics after conflict, provide security for their ethnic constituents, and serve as psychological anchor for co-ethnic citizens. As a result, we expect that individuals with ethnic ties to rebel organizations that secure political power through posts in a power-sharing cabinet perceive their well-being better than individuals without these links. To test this argument, we link data from recent Afrobarometer surveys to information on individuals' ethnic ties to rebel organizations in power-sharing arrangements in four African post-war countries. Controlling for a battery of factors that might simultaneously predict an ethnic group's propensity to gain political power and their members' well-being, results from a wide range of fixed effects specifications indicate support for our hypothesis. Methodologically, this study demonstrates how to innovatively leverage widely available Afrobarometer data for analyzing substantive questions in conflict research. Empirically, we show that peace trickles down, but not to everyone equally.
