The Rent-Conditional Reform (RCR) theory in three sentences
1. The rulers of resource-wealthy, non-democratic regimes (i.e. autocracies and hybrid-regimes) manipulate economic policy to prolong their rule.

2. During commodity booms, it is easier to loosen the state’s control of the economy (i.e. economic liberalization in pursuit of diversification) because booming natural resource rents can be used to placate (i.e. patronage) or repress threats to regime stability from inside (i.e. other elites) or outside (i.e. non-elites or foreign powers) the regime.

3. During commodity downturns, it is harder to loosen the state’s control of the economy due to the relative lack of funds to placate or repress.