Horizontal Inequalities, Political Environment, and Civil Conflict : Evidence from 55 Developing Countries, 1986-2003
Several studies of civil war have concluded that economic inequality between individuals does not increase the risk of internal armed conflict. This is perhaps not so surprising. Even though an individual may feel frustrated if he is poor compared...
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| Format: | Policy Research Working Paper |
| Language: | English |
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World Bank, Washington, DC
2012
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| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2007/04/7523837/horizontal-inequalities-political-environment-civil-conflict-evidence-55-developing-countries-1986-2003 http://hdl.handle.net/10986/6999 |
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okr-10986-6999 |
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oai_dc |
| repository_type |
Digital Repository |
| institution_category |
Foreign Institution |
| institution |
Digital Repositories |
| building |
World Bank Open Knowledge Repository |
| collection |
World Bank |
| language |
English |
| topic |
ARMED CONFLICT ASSET INEQUALITY AUTHORITY CENSUSES CENTRAL AMERICA CIVIL CONFLICT CIVIL CONFLICTS CIVIL PEACE CIVIL STRIFE CIVIL WAR CIVIL WARS CONFLICT RISK CONFLICT SOCIETIES CONFLICTS CONSTITUENCIES CONSTITUENTS CONSUMPTION EXPENDITURES COST OF REBELLION DEMOCRACIES DEMOCRACY DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTIONS DEMOCRATIC REGIMES DEVELOPING COUNTRIES DISADVANTAGED GROUPS DISCRIMINATION ECONOMIC INEQUALITY EFFECTS OF POPULATION ELECTION ELECTIONS ELECTORAL SYSTEM ELECTORAL SYSTEMS ETHNIC DIVISIONS ETHNIC GROUP ETHNIC GROUPS ETHNIC MINORITIES GENOCIDE GROUP GRIEVANCES GROUP LEADERS HOUSEHOLD ASSETS HUMAN SECURITY IDEAS INCOME INTERNAL CONFLICT INTERNATIONAL PEACE LATIN AMERICAN MEASURE OF INEQUALITY MINORITY NATURAL RESOURCES NUTRITION OPPORTUNITY COST PEACE POLICY RESEARCH POLICY RESEARCH WORKING PAPER POLITICAL CHANGE POLITICAL INSTABILITY POLITICAL PARTICIPATION POLITICAL PARTIES POLITICAL POWER POLITICAL SYSTEM POOR POPULATION SIZE POST CONFLICT POST-CONFLICT PROGRESS RADIO REBELLION REGIONAL DIFFERENCES REGIONAL INEQUALITIES RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN POPULATION RELIGIOUS GROUPS RESPECT RISK OF CONFLICT RISKS OF CONFLICT SOCIAL CLASS SOCIAL WELFARE SOCIETY SOCIOECONOMIC INEQUALITIES TELEVISION VIOLENT CONFLICT WARS WELFARE INDICATORS |
| spellingShingle |
ARMED CONFLICT ASSET INEQUALITY AUTHORITY CENSUSES CENTRAL AMERICA CIVIL CONFLICT CIVIL CONFLICTS CIVIL PEACE CIVIL STRIFE CIVIL WAR CIVIL WARS CONFLICT RISK CONFLICT SOCIETIES CONFLICTS CONSTITUENCIES CONSTITUENTS CONSUMPTION EXPENDITURES COST OF REBELLION DEMOCRACIES DEMOCRACY DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTIONS DEMOCRATIC REGIMES DEVELOPING COUNTRIES DISADVANTAGED GROUPS DISCRIMINATION ECONOMIC INEQUALITY EFFECTS OF POPULATION ELECTION ELECTIONS ELECTORAL SYSTEM ELECTORAL SYSTEMS ETHNIC DIVISIONS ETHNIC GROUP ETHNIC GROUPS ETHNIC MINORITIES GENOCIDE GROUP GRIEVANCES GROUP LEADERS HOUSEHOLD ASSETS HUMAN SECURITY IDEAS INCOME INTERNAL CONFLICT INTERNATIONAL PEACE LATIN AMERICAN MEASURE OF INEQUALITY MINORITY NATURAL RESOURCES NUTRITION OPPORTUNITY COST PEACE POLICY RESEARCH POLICY RESEARCH WORKING PAPER POLITICAL CHANGE POLITICAL INSTABILITY POLITICAL PARTICIPATION POLITICAL PARTIES POLITICAL POWER POLITICAL SYSTEM POOR POPULATION SIZE POST CONFLICT POST-CONFLICT PROGRESS RADIO REBELLION REGIONAL DIFFERENCES REGIONAL INEQUALITIES RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN POPULATION RELIGIOUS GROUPS RESPECT RISK OF CONFLICT RISKS OF CONFLICT SOCIAL CLASS SOCIAL WELFARE SOCIETY SOCIOECONOMIC INEQUALITIES TELEVISION VIOLENT CONFLICT WARS WELFARE INDICATORS Østby, Gudrun Horizontal Inequalities, Political Environment, and Civil Conflict : Evidence from 55 Developing Countries, 1986-2003 |
| relation |
Policy Research Working Paper; No. 4193 |
| description |
Several studies of civil war have
concluded that economic inequality between individuals does
not increase the risk of internal armed conflict. This is
perhaps not so surprising. Even though an individual may
feel frustrated if he is poor compared with other
individuals in society, he will not start a rebellion on his
own. Civil wars are organized group conflicts, not a matter
of individuals randomly committing violence against each
other. Hence, we should not neglect the group aspect of
human well-being and conflict. Systematic inequalities that
coincide with ethnic, religious, or geographical cleavages
in a country are often referred to as horizontal
inequalities (or inter-group inequalities). Case studies of
particular countries as well as some statistical studies
have found that such inequalities between identity groups
tend to be associated with a higher risk of internal
conflict. But the emergence of violent group mobilization in
a country with sharp horizontal inequalities may depend on
the characteristics of the political regime. For example, in
an autocracy, grievances that stem from group inequalities
are likely to be large and frequent, but state repression
may prevent them from being openly expressed. This paper
investigates the relationship between horizontal
inequalities, political environment, and civil war in
developing countries. Based on national survey data from 55
countries it calculates welfare inequalities between ethnic,
religious, and regional groups for each country using
indicators such as household assets and educational levels.
All the inequality measures, particularly regional
inequality, are positively associated with higher risks of
conflict outbreak. And it seems that the conflict potential
of regional inequality is stronger for pure democratic and
intermediate regimes than for pure autocratic regimes.
Institutional arrangements also seem to matter. In fact it
seems that the conflict potential of horizontal inequalities
increases with more inclusive electoral systems. Finally,
the presence of both regional inequalities and political
exclusion of minority groups seems to make countries
particularly at risk for conflict. The main policy
implication of these findings is that the combination of
politically and economically inclusive government is
required to secure peace in developing countries. |
| format |
Publications & Research :: Policy Research Working Paper |
| author |
Østby, Gudrun |
| author_facet |
Østby, Gudrun |
| author_sort |
Østby, Gudrun |
| title |
Horizontal Inequalities, Political Environment, and Civil Conflict : Evidence from 55 Developing Countries, 1986-2003 |
| title_short |
Horizontal Inequalities, Political Environment, and Civil Conflict : Evidence from 55 Developing Countries, 1986-2003 |
| title_full |
Horizontal Inequalities, Political Environment, and Civil Conflict : Evidence from 55 Developing Countries, 1986-2003 |
| title_fullStr |
Horizontal Inequalities, Political Environment, and Civil Conflict : Evidence from 55 Developing Countries, 1986-2003 |
| title_full_unstemmed |
Horizontal Inequalities, Political Environment, and Civil Conflict : Evidence from 55 Developing Countries, 1986-2003 |
| title_sort |
horizontal inequalities, political environment, and civil conflict : evidence from 55 developing countries, 1986-2003 |
| publisher |
World Bank, Washington, DC |
| publishDate |
2012 |
| url |
http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2007/04/7523837/horizontal-inequalities-political-environment-civil-conflict-evidence-55-developing-countries-1986-2003 http://hdl.handle.net/10986/6999 |
| _version_ |
1764401702962724864 |
| spelling |
okr-10986-69992021-04-23T14:02:33Z Horizontal Inequalities, Political Environment, and Civil Conflict : Evidence from 55 Developing Countries, 1986-2003 Østby, Gudrun ARMED CONFLICT ASSET INEQUALITY AUTHORITY CENSUSES CENTRAL AMERICA CIVIL CONFLICT CIVIL CONFLICTS CIVIL PEACE CIVIL STRIFE CIVIL WAR CIVIL WARS CONFLICT RISK CONFLICT SOCIETIES CONFLICTS CONSTITUENCIES CONSTITUENTS CONSUMPTION EXPENDITURES COST OF REBELLION DEMOCRACIES DEMOCRACY DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTIONS DEMOCRATIC REGIMES DEVELOPING COUNTRIES DISADVANTAGED GROUPS DISCRIMINATION ECONOMIC INEQUALITY EFFECTS OF POPULATION ELECTION ELECTIONS ELECTORAL SYSTEM ELECTORAL SYSTEMS ETHNIC DIVISIONS ETHNIC GROUP ETHNIC GROUPS ETHNIC MINORITIES GENOCIDE GROUP GRIEVANCES GROUP LEADERS HOUSEHOLD ASSETS HUMAN SECURITY IDEAS INCOME INTERNAL CONFLICT INTERNATIONAL PEACE LATIN AMERICAN MEASURE OF INEQUALITY MINORITY NATURAL RESOURCES NUTRITION OPPORTUNITY COST PEACE POLICY RESEARCH POLICY RESEARCH WORKING PAPER POLITICAL CHANGE POLITICAL INSTABILITY POLITICAL PARTICIPATION POLITICAL PARTIES POLITICAL POWER POLITICAL SYSTEM POOR POPULATION SIZE POST CONFLICT POST-CONFLICT PROGRESS RADIO REBELLION REGIONAL DIFFERENCES REGIONAL INEQUALITIES RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN POPULATION RELIGIOUS GROUPS RESPECT RISK OF CONFLICT RISKS OF CONFLICT SOCIAL CLASS SOCIAL WELFARE SOCIETY SOCIOECONOMIC INEQUALITIES TELEVISION VIOLENT CONFLICT WARS WELFARE INDICATORS Several studies of civil war have concluded that economic inequality between individuals does not increase the risk of internal armed conflict. This is perhaps not so surprising. Even though an individual may feel frustrated if he is poor compared with other individuals in society, he will not start a rebellion on his own. Civil wars are organized group conflicts, not a matter of individuals randomly committing violence against each other. Hence, we should not neglect the group aspect of human well-being and conflict. Systematic inequalities that coincide with ethnic, religious, or geographical cleavages in a country are often referred to as horizontal inequalities (or inter-group inequalities). Case studies of particular countries as well as some statistical studies have found that such inequalities between identity groups tend to be associated with a higher risk of internal conflict. But the emergence of violent group mobilization in a country with sharp horizontal inequalities may depend on the characteristics of the political regime. For example, in an autocracy, grievances that stem from group inequalities are likely to be large and frequent, but state repression may prevent them from being openly expressed. This paper investigates the relationship between horizontal inequalities, political environment, and civil war in developing countries. Based on national survey data from 55 countries it calculates welfare inequalities between ethnic, religious, and regional groups for each country using indicators such as household assets and educational levels. All the inequality measures, particularly regional inequality, are positively associated with higher risks of conflict outbreak. And it seems that the conflict potential of regional inequality is stronger for pure democratic and intermediate regimes than for pure autocratic regimes. Institutional arrangements also seem to matter. In fact it seems that the conflict potential of horizontal inequalities increases with more inclusive electoral systems. Finally, the presence of both regional inequalities and political exclusion of minority groups seems to make countries particularly at risk for conflict. The main policy implication of these findings is that the combination of politically and economically inclusive government is required to secure peace in developing countries. 2012-06-04T16:21:02Z 2012-06-04T16:21:02Z 2007-04 http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2007/04/7523837/horizontal-inequalities-political-environment-civil-conflict-evidence-55-developing-countries-1986-2003 http://hdl.handle.net/10986/6999 English Policy Research Working Paper; No. 4193 CC BY 3.0 IGO http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/igo/ World Bank World Bank, Washington, DC Publications & Research :: Policy Research Working Paper Publications & Research |