Journal Special Issue
Horizontal Inequality: Persistence and Change

A considerable body of research suggests that horizontal inequality between ethnic groups has major socioeconomic implications, in particular for peace and economic development. Much of this work focuses on horizontal inequality as an independent causal variable, rather than an outcome of various processes.

This journal special issue offers conceptual, theoretical, and empirical reasons for treating horizontal inequality as an outcome and challenging assumptions of fixity. We first consider explanations for variation drawing on the literature on horizontal inequality, as well as on ethnicity more broadly. We then explore how horizontal inequality can be measured using survey and census data, and present analysis based on two datasets providing information on inequality in terms of educational attainment (HI-E) for the 1960s to 2000s.

These data suggest both a general trend toward decline in HI-E over time and considerable regional variation. 

Table of contents
  1. Horizontal inequality as an outcome
    Carla Canelas, Rachel M. Gisselquist
    More Working Paper | Horizontal inequality as a dependent variable
  2. Historical origins of persistent inequality in Nigeria
    Belinda Archibong
    More Working Paper | Historical origins of persistent inequality in Nigeria
  3. Horizontal inequality and ethnic diversity in Brazil: Patterns, trends, and their impacts on institutions
    Pedro H. Leivas, Anderson M.A. dos Santos
    More Working Paper | Patterns and trends of group-based inequality in Brazil
  4. Ethnic fragmentation, public good provision and inequality in India, 1988–2012
    Nishant Chadha, Bharti Nandwani
    More Working Paper | Ethnic fragmentation, public good provision, and inequality in India, 1988-2012
  5. Human capital, labour market outcomes, and horizontal inequality in Guatemala
    Carla Canelas, Rachel M. Gisselquist
    More Working Paper | Human capital, labour market outcomes, and horizontal inequality in Guatemala
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