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Measuring the Concentration of Power in the International System

Author

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  • James Lee Ray

    (Department of Political Science University of Michigan)

  • J. David Singer

    (Department of Political Science University of Michigan)

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to examine some earlier efforts to measure the inequality of distribution within several different substantive contexts and to see how appropriate these different measures might be if they were applied to the distribution of "power potential" in the international system or any of its subsystems. We discuss several measures which we find would not be appropriate. We then present a measure which we find better suited for the purpose and go on to compare it to earlier measures of inequality. Several of these turn out to be very similar to the one we present, even though they were originally devised for quite different purposes, such as measuring the degree of economic differentiation in a society. We conclude with a demonstration of the essential similarities among most of the measures discussed.

Suggested Citation

  • James Lee Ray & J. David Singer, 1973. "Measuring the Concentration of Power in the International System," Sociological Methods & Research, , vol. 1(4), pages 403-437, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:somere:v:1:y:1973:i:4:p:403-437
    DOI: 10.1177/004912417300100401
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. R. Quandt, 1966. "Old and new methods of estimation and the pareto distribution," Metrika: International Journal for Theoretical and Applied Statistics, Springer, vol. 10(1), pages 55-82, December.
    2. Gideon Rosenbluth, 1955. "Measures of Concentration," NBER Chapters, in: Business Concentration and Price Policy, pages 57-99, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    3. Puchala, Donald J., 1970. "International Transactions and Regional Integration," International Organization, Cambridge University Press, vol. 24(4), pages 732-763, October.
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    Cited by:

    1. Ronald Rousseau, 2018. "The repeat rate: from Hirschman to Stirling," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 116(1), pages 645-653, July.
    2. Silverberg, Gerald, 2005. "When is a Wave a Wave? Long Waves as Empirical and Theoretical Constructs from a Complex Systems Perspective," Research Memorandum 014, Maastricht University, Maastricht Economic Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (MERIT).
    3. Fuyuki Yoshikane & Kyo Kageura, 2004. "Comparative analysis of coauthorship networks of different domains: The growth and change of networks," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 60(3), pages 435-446, August.
    4. Michael Smithson, 1982. "On relative dispersion: A new solution for some old problems," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 16(3), pages 261-271, June.
    5. Fuyuki Yoshikane & Takafumi Suzuki, 2014. "Diversity of fields in patent citations: synchronic and diachronic changes," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 98(3), pages 1879-1897, March.

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