Capital accumulation in a politically unstable region

We investigate the different channels by which political instability impacts capital accumulation using a unique data of firms from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), a region that has long suffered from political unrest, and a novel empirical method. We find that political stability shapes firm investment mainly via its influence on credit conditions. Political instability tightens borrowing constraints and impedes capital accumulation, thereby adversely affecting economic growth.