A study on the RQ index of ethnic polarization

Satya R. Chakravarty () and Bhargav Maharaj
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Bhargav Maharaj: Ramakrishna Mission Vidyamandira, Belur, India

No 134, Working Papers from ECINEQ, Society for the Study of Economic Inequality

Abstract: An ethnic polarization index is a summary statistic of ethnic diversity in a population. Montalvo and Reynal-Querol (2005,2008) suggested an index of ethnic polarization, the RQ index, and discussed its properties in detail. In this paper we develop some axiomatic characterizations of the RQ index using axioms taken mostly from the earlier literature. A generalized form of the RQ index is also characterized. Finally, we develop an ethnic polarization ordering for ranking alternative ethnic profiles unambiguously.

Keywords: Ethnic polarization; RQ index; axioms; generalization; characterization. (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C43 D63 D74 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-ure
Date: 2009

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Persistent link: http://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:inq:inqwps:ecineq2009-134

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