On the Measurement of Polarization
Abstract
Suppose that the authors are interested in the distribution of a set of characteristics over a population. They study a precise sense in which this distribution can be said to be polarized and provide a theory of measurement. Polarization, as conceptualized here, is closely related to the generation of social tensions, to the possibilities of revolution and revolt, and to the existence of social unrest in general. The authors take special care to distinguish their theory from the theory of inequality measurement. They derive measures of polarization that are easily applicable to distributions of characteristics such as income and wealth. Copyright 1994 by The Econometric Society.
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The Q index can be interpreted as the polarization measure of Esteban and Ray (1994) with a discrete metric.
“The Q index can be interpreted as the polarization measure of Esteban and Ray (1994) with a discrete metric.”
From Ethnic Polarization, Potential Conflict, and Civil Wars (2005) · cites this paper as Esteban and Ray (1994)
Any reasonable measure of polarization must be global in nature.
“This is in line with Esteban and Ray (1994), according to whom any reasonable measure of polarization must be global in nature.”
From Credibility of climate change denial in social media (2019) · cites this paper as Esteban and Ray, 1994
When homophily in communication occurs in two large sections of society with differing beliefs, it enhances polarization.
“When such homophily in communication happens in two large sections of the society with differing beliefs, it enhances polarization (Esteban and Ray, 1994).”
From Credibility of climate change denial in social media (2019) · cites this paper as Esteban and Ray, 1994
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Ethnic Polarization, Potential Conflict, and Civil Wars
Montalvo, J. G., & Reynal-Querol, M. (2005) · American Economic Review · doi:10.1257/0002828054201468 · Cited by 1,386 · see citing works
“In particular, and in contrast with the polarization index of Esteban and Ray (1994), there is only one level of polarization sensitivity ( 1) for which the discrete polarization measure satisfies a version of the properties of polarization.”
BackgroundMethodResultInfluentialGreco, S., Ishizaka, A., Tasiou, M., & Torrisi, G. (2019) · Social Indicators Research · doi:10.1007/s11205-017-1832-9 · Cited by 1,325 · see citing works
“(2017) introduce a specific SMAA-based class of multidimensional concentration and polarisation indices (the latter extending the EGR index) (Esteban and Ray 1994; Esteban et al.”
BackgroundMcCoy, J., Rahman, T., & Somer, M. (2018) · American Behavioral Scientist · doi:10.1177/0002764218759576 · Cited by 1,023 · see citing works
Polarization: Concepts, Measurement, Estimation
Duclos, J.-Y., Esteban, J., & Ray, D. (2004) · Econometrica · doi:10.1111/j.1468-0262.2004.00552.x · Cited by 611 · see citing works
Self-citationReiljan, A. (2020) · European Journal of Political Research · doi:10.1111/1475-6765.12351 · Cited by 592 · see citing works
Shared Prosperity and the Mitigation of Poverty: In Practice and in Precept
Basu, K. (2013) · World Bank, Washington, DC eBooks · doi:10.1596/1813-9450-6700 · Cited by 78 · see citing works
On the Links between Violent Conflict and Chronic Poverty: How Much Do We Really Know?Preprint
Justino, P. (2011) · SSRN Electronic Journal · doi:10.2139/ssrn.1753644 · Cited by 71 · see citing works
“This can be a powerful mechanism when forms of discontent coincide with ethnic, religious or regional divides measured by the degree of ethnic fragmentation (Easterly and Levine, 1997; Wilkinson, 2004), horizontal inequality (Stewart, 2000; Langer, 2004; Mancini, 2005), categorical inequalities (Tilly, 1998) or increa…”
Polarisation, identity and affect - conceptualising affective polarisation in multi-party systems
Röllicke, L. (2023) · Electoral Studies · doi:10.1016/j.electstud.2023.102655 · Cited by 62 · see citing works
Credibility of climate change denial in social media
Samantray, A., & Pin, P. (2019) · Palgrave Communications · doi:10.1057/s41599-019-0344-4 · Cited by 60 · see citing works
Justino, P. (2012) · IDS Working Papers · doi:10.1111/j.2040-0209.2012.00391.x · Cited by 74 · see citing works
Ecological Performance: Ethnic Fragmentation versus Governance Quality and Sustainable Development
Козюк, В., Hayda, Y., Dluhopolskyi, O. V., et al. (2020) · Problemy Ekorozwoju · doi:10.35784/pe.2020.1.06 · Cited by 44 · see citing works
Araar, A. (2008) · SSRN Electronic Journal · doi:10.2139/ssrn.1136142 · Cited by 34 · see citing works
“Pioneered by Esteban and Ray (1991) and Esteban and Ray (1994), Foster and Wolfson (1992) and Wolfson (1994), they have proposed some measurements of polarization in the distribution of incomes.”
BackgroundInfluentialPolarization: Concepts, Measurement, EstimationPreprint
Duclos, J., Esteban, J. M., & Ray, D. (2003) · SSRN Electronic Journal · doi:10.2139/ssrn.385246 · Cited by 34 · see citing works
Self-citationThe Impact of Armed Civil Conflict on Household Welfare and Policy
Justino, P. (2011) · IDS Working Papers · doi:10.1111/j.2040-0209.2011.00384_2.x · Cited by 25 · see citing works
“…(e.g. Stewart 2002; Langer 2004; Stewart, Brown and Mancini 2005; Mancini 2005; Østby 2006), as well as of societal levels of polarization (e.g. Esteban and Ray 1991, 1994; Foster and Wolfson 1992; Wolfson 1994; Reynal-Querol 2001; Montalvo and Reynal-Querol 2003; Caselli and Coleman 2006),…”
The Impact of Armed Civil Conflict on Household Welfare and Policy ResponsesPreprint
Justino, P. (2009) · SSRN Electronic Journal · doi:10.2139/ssrn.1425043 · Cited by 23 · see citing works
“…(e.g. Stewart, 2002; Langer, 2004; Stewart, Brown and Mancini, 2005; Mancini, 2005; Østby, 2006), as well as of societal levels of polarization (e.g. Esteban and Ray, 1991, 1994; Foster and Wolfson, 1992; Wolfson, 1994; Reynal-Querol, 2001; Montalvo and Reynal-Querol, 2003; Caselli and Coleman,…”
Income Polarization and Economic GrowthPreprint
Brzeziński, M. (2013) · SSRN Electronic Journal · doi:10.2139/ssrn.2244858 · Cited by 22 · see citing works
“…of conflict across social groups, which implies that the equilibrium intensity of conflict is linearly related to three distributional measures: a polarization index of Esteban and Ray (1994), the Herfindahl–Hirschman fractionalization index (Hirschman, 1964), and the Gini index of inequality.”
BackgroundInfluentialEthnic diversity, investment efficiency, mediating roles of trust and agency cost
Ying, Z., Zhong, Z., & Luo, J. (2020) · Economic Analysis and Policy · doi:10.1016/j.eap.2020.12.017 · Cited by 21 · see citing works
Kaltenthaler, K., & Miller, W. J. W. (2012) · American Behavioral Scientist · doi:10.1177/0002764212463357 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
War and PovertyPreprint
Justino, P. (2010) · SSRN Electronic Journal · doi:10.2139/ssrn.1666787 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
“Similar findings are reported in Akresh and de Walque (2008) for Rwanda, Angrist and Kugler (2008) and Rodriguez and Sanchez (2009) for Colombia, Chamarbagwala and Morán (2009) for Guatemala and de Walque (2006) for Cambodia.”
Income Distribution in Uruguay: The Effects of Economic and Institutional ReformsPreprint
Rossi, M., & Gradín, C. (2001) · SSRN Electronic Journal · doi:10.2139/ssrn.282954 · Cited by 6 · see citing works
- Authors
- Esteban, J.-M., & Ray, D.
- ORCID
- Esteban, Joan-Maria
- Venue
- Econometrica
- Publisher
- JSTOR
- Published
- 1994-07
- Volume
- 62
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 819
- ISSN
- 0012-9682 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W1521624368
- Semantic Scholar
- bb7e9a3cf4850d539f4d221f431e016f07fb8960
- Cited by
- 14
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2020: 2 · 2013: 2 · 2012: 2
- FWCI
- 0.00
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Econometrica (publishedVersion)
- RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Income, Poverty, and Inequality
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Intergenerational and Educational Inequality Studies
- Social Sciences › Economics, Econometrics and Finance › General Economics, Econometrics and Finance › Economic Theory and Policy
- Keywords
- polarimetry, polarization, inequality measurement, social tensions, social unrest, income distribution, wealth distribution, measurement theory
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