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  3. American Economic Review
  4. June 2011
  5. Linking Conflict to Inequality and Polarization

American Economic Review

ISSN 0002-8282 (Print) | ISSN 1944-7981 (Online)

Linking Conflict to Inequality and Polarization

  • Joan Esteban
  • Debraj Ray
American Economic Review
vol. 101, no. 4, June 2011
(pp. 1345–74)
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Abstract

In this paper we study a behavioral model of conflict that provides a basis for choosing certain indices of dispersion as indicators for conflict. We show that a suitable monotone transform of the equilibrium level of conflict can be proxied by a linear function of the Gini coefficient, the Herfindahl-Hirschman fractionalization index, and a specific measure of polarization due to Esteban and Ray. (JEL D31, D63, D74)

Citation

Esteban, Joan, and Debraj Ray. 2011. "Linking Conflict to Inequality and Polarization." American Economic Review, 101 (4): 1345–74. DOI: 10.1257/aer.101.4.1345

JEL Classification

  • D31 Personal Income, Wealth, and Their Distributions
  • D63 Equity, Justice, Inequality, and Other Normative Criteria and Measurement
  • D74 Conflict; Conflict Resolution; Alliances