Development and the Tolerance for Inequality

This paper tests the validity of the claim that inequality leads to political instability, as well as several other hypotheses about the tolerance for inequality. Using data from the Social Conflict in Africa Database, I examine macro-level implications of micro-level theories about grievances and collective action, complementing earlier research on the individual-level correlates of protest participation. I find that inequality is associated with more frequent protests about economic issues, as is the complexity of a country’s economy. I also replicate the earlier findings that democracies are more protest-prone and that military repression or the threat of military repression discourages protests. Analyses do not support a set of hypotheses derived from classic theories about urban bias, the tunnel effect, and the ostentation signaling effect.