Wealth and Division

Publication Date

Spring 2025

Presentation Length

15 minutes

College

College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

Department

Political Science, Department of

Student Level

Undergraduate

SPARK Category

Research

Faculty Advisor

Dr. Nathan Griffith

WELL Core Type

Intellectual Wellness

Presentation Type

Talk/Oral

Summary

Political polarization has become a defining characteristic of contemporary advanced democracies, and scholars have sought an explanation for its growth with limited success. Some point to media fragmentation while others argue that populist movements cause polarization, but I, along with a healthy amount of other researchers, believe that economic inequality is the primary culprit. This research seeks to determine whether or not there is a significant causal relationship between economic inequality. Scholars have studied inequality’s effect on polarization, but it is almost always limited in scope to the United States. This research will add to the broader discourse of economic inequality and its role in affecting political division around the globe. Determining a cause of polarization would be highly beneficial for researchers and policymakers alike, as it would allow for solutions to be brought forward that might aid in combating its increase. The research portion of this essay will compare the Gini index value of a group of advanced democracies with individual self-reported partisanship rates to determine whether there is any relationship between the two variables.

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