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Economic Inequality and Nonviolent Protest

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  • Frederick Solt

Abstract

type="main"> Despite substantial theorizing, the relationship between economic inequality and participation in nonviolent protests has not been satisfactorily examined empirically. Using multilevel models of data from four waves of the European Social Survey, this article examines whether differences in inequality across countries and over time help explain people's engagement in peaceful protest. It finds that greater inequality reduces protest participation for all those with incomes below the top quintile. This result provides strong support for the relative power theory of political participation; the predictions of grievance and resource theories regarding inequality's effects on protest are not supported.

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  • Frederick Solt, 2015. "Economic Inequality and Nonviolent Protest," Social Science Quarterly, Southwestern Social Science Association, vol. 96(5), pages 1314-1327, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:socsci:v:96:y:2015:i:5:p:1314-1327
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1111/ssqu.12198
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    Cited by:

    1. Jung-In Jo & Hyun Jin Choi, 2019. "Enigmas of grievances about inequality: Effects of attitudes toward inequality and government redistribution on protest participation," International Area Studies Review, Center for International Area Studies, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, vol. 22(4), pages 348-368, December.
    2. Patricia Justino, 2022. "Revisiting the links between economic inequality and political violence: The role of social mobilization," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2022-19, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    3. Silke Goubin, 2018. "Is Inequality a Latent Construct? An Assessment of Economic Inequality Indicators and Their Relation with Social Cohesion in Europe," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 136(1), pages 21-40, February.
    4. Patricia Justino & Bruno Martorano, 2016. "Inequality, Distributive Beliefs and Protests: A Recent Story from Latin America," HiCN Working Papers 218, Households in Conflict Network.
    5. Carolyn Chisadza & Mduduzi Biyase, 2023. "Financial Development and Income Inequality: Evidence From Advanced, Emerging and Developing Economies," Annals of Financial Economics (AFE), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 18(01), pages 1-27, March.
    6. Sargis Karavardanyan, 2024. "Economic Development, Inequality and Dynamics of Social Movements in the United States: Theory and Quantitative Analysis," Journal of Quantitative Economics, Springer;The Indian Econometric Society (TIES), vol. 22(2), pages 421-474, June.
    7. Alexeev, Michael & Zakharov, Nikita, 2022. "Who profits from windfalls in oil tax revenue? Inequality, protests, and the role of corruption," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 197(C), pages 472-492.
    8. Kim Leonie Kellermann, 2022. "Political inequality, political participation, and support for populist parties," Constitutional Political Economy, Springer, vol. 33(4), pages 461-482, December.
    9. Tina Fransman & Marisa Fintel, 2024. "Relative Standing and Political Participation," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 174(1), pages 281-311, August.
    10. Tomás Gómez Rodríguez & Humberto Ríos Bolívar & Adriana Zambrano Reyes, 2022. "Desigualdad del ingreso y desarrollo del sistema financiero un enfoque multidimensional," Remef - Revista Mexicana de Economía y Finanzas Nueva Época REMEF (The Mexican Journal of Economics and Finance), Instituto Mexicano de Ejecutivos de Finanzas, IMEF, vol. 17(1), pages 1-23, Enero - M.
    11. repec:zbw:bofitp:2022_002 is not listed on IDEAS
    12. Afesorgbor, Sylvanus Kwaku & Mahadevan, Renuka, 2016. "The Impact of Economic Sanctions on Income Inequality of Target States," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 1-11.
    13. Alexeev, Michael & Zakharov, Nikita, 2022. "Who profits from windfalls in oil tax revenue? Inequality, protests, and the role of corruption," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 197(C), pages 472-492.
    14. Rodon Casarramona, Toni & Guinjoan, Marc, 2018. "Mind the protest gap : the role of resources in the face of economic hardship," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 87159, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    15. Jung In Jo, 2016. "Weapons of the dissatisfied? Perceptions of socioeconomic inequality, redistributive preference, and political protest: Evidence from South Korea," International Area Studies Review, Center for International Area Studies, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, vol. 19(4), pages 285-300, December.
    16. Prashant Kumar Choudhary & Priyanka Saharia, 2023. "Global income inequality and measuring values with the world values survey," Journal of Social and Economic Development, Springer;Institute for Social and Economic Change, vol. 25(1), pages 103-122, June.
    17. Marwil J. Dávila-Fernández & Serena Sordi, 2019. "From open economies to attitudes towards change. Growth and institutions in Latin America and Asia," Department of Economics University of Siena 809, Department of Economics, University of Siena.
    18. Sargis Karavardanyan, 2021. "Are Actions Costlier Than Words? Formal Models of Protester-Police Dynamic Interactions and Evidence from Empirical Analysis," SN Operations Research Forum, Springer, vol. 2(4), pages 1-29, December.
    19. Chiu, Yi-Bin & Lee, Chien-Chiang, 2019. "Financial development, income inequality, and country risk," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 93(C), pages 1-18.
    20. Patricia Justino & Ana Arjona & Juan Camilo Cárdenas & Ana María Ibáñez & Julián Arteaga, 2019. "On the political and social consequences of economic inequality: Civic engagement in Colombia," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2019-76, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    21. Dávila-Fernández, Marwil J. & Sordi, Serena, 2020. "Structural change in a growing open economy: Attitudes and institutions in Latin America and Asia," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 91(C), pages 358-385.
    22. Valentina Gonzalez‐Rostani, 2024. "Engaged robots, disengaged workers: Automation and political alienation," Economics and Politics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 36(3), pages 1703-1730, November.
    23. Chau-kiu Cheung, 2022. "Occupying Protest and Life Dissatisfaction in Hong Kong," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 164(2), pages 843-859, November.
    24. Mathew Y. H. Wong & Stan Hok-Wui Wong, 2022. "Income Inequality and Political Participation: A District-Level Analysis of Hong Kong Elections," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 162(3), pages 959-977, August.
    25. Frederick Solt, 2015. "On the assessment and use of cross-national income inequality datasets," The Journal of Economic Inequality, Springer;Society for the Study of Economic Inequality, vol. 13(4), pages 683-691, December.

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