Degree Year
2007
Document Type
Thesis - Open Access
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Department
Economics
Advisor(s)
Barbara Craig
Keywords
Inequality, Income Inequality, Revolution, Distribution, Resource Allocation, Revolt
Abstract
This paper examines the effect of income inequality on the impetus of an organized dissident group to initiate a "revolt" in an attempt to wrest power from the government regionally or countrywide. After suggesting alterations and extensions of a mathematical framework developed by Blomberg, Hess, and Weerapana (2004) income inequality, economic growth, urbanization, and political rights data from 102 countries from 1972-1999 are used to determine their respective influences on the likelihood of a revolt being initiated in a given year. Income inequality as measured by the Gini coefficient is found to be statistically significant in determining the likelihood of the start of politically motivated conflict, as is political openness, and economic growth while the overall predictive power of the model is found to be weak.
Repository Citation
Cecil, Noah, "Income Inequality and the Probability of Violent Revolt" (2007). Honors Papers. 446.
https://digitalcommons.oberlin.edu/honors/446
