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Policies towards Horizontal Inequalities

Author: F Stewart et al
Date: 2007
Size: 36 pages (262 KB)

Summary

Severe horizontal inequalities (HIs), or inequalities among groups, are undesirable in themselves and can lead to violent conflict. So, what can be done to reduce them? This paper from the Centre for Research on Inequality, Human Security and Ethnicity (CRISE) reviews a range of policies which could contribute to reducing HIs in the political, socio-economic and cultural status dimensions. Considerations of HI are frequently ignored in policy-making, and need to become an important part of policy discussions in multicultural societies.

Policies across all three dimensions can take either a direct or indirect approach towards correcting group inequality. Relevant policies depend on the context and hence a first requirement is a careful assessment of the nature and causes of HIs in the particular society. If possible, policies should be adopted which reduce rather than increase the salience of identities. Policies which correct HIs can be provocative, leading to mobilisation (sometimes violent) by previously privileged groups, so that caution is needed in design and implementation. The successful socio-economic cases are shown to have tackled both social and economic inequalities, while success in reducing political HIs requires political inclusivity at many levels of the political system.

HIs are most likely to contribute to conflict where:

they are durable and widen over time
group boundaries are relatively impermeable, meaning inequalities are more difficult to overcome
there are fairly large numbers in different groups
inequalitites are consistent across dimensions, for instance where lack of political power is combined with economic deprivation
aggregate incomes are stagnant/slow growing and there is very little improvement in the absolute economic and social position of deprived groups
groups are sufficiently cohesive for collective action to emerge
leaders emerge and are not co-opted into the ruling system, and government is irresponsive or violently repressive.

Policies towards HIs need to be combined with policies to aid in the reconstruction of economic and social infrastructure, demobilisation and economic growth.

Policies need to address political as well as economic/social HIs. Policies which aim for equality of outcomes are likely to be more successful than those only aimed at equality of opportunities or equality of resource access.
Policies may need to address discriminatory processes, directing assistance to particular groups or introducing targets and quotas for education, land distribution etc (affirmative action). Government action will have more effect on HIs in the public rather than the private sector.
Policies should be designed to enhance efficiency and improve income distribution to avoid the possibility of adverse impacts on efficiency and intra-group equity.
Political HIs can be addressed through a federal constitution, addressing the extent and nature of decentralisation, voting systems and elected assemblies. Other areas for attention include seat reservation for particular groups, job allocation within government, citizenship rights, the nature of political parties and human rights protection.
Differences in cultural status or recognition can also be an important aspect of group grievances which can potentially contribute to the emergence of violent conflict. Multicultural societies can adopt a wide range of formal policies as well as informal practices in order to mitigate perceptions of cultural exclusion, discrimination or inequality of treatment among certain cultural groups.
Careful attention also needs to be paid to the risk that affirmative action can entrench ethnicity. In addition, policies to correct HIs can in themselves provoke violence. In some cases action to correct political HIs may need to precede economic action.

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Source: Stewart, F., Brown, G., and Langer, A., 2007, 'Policies towards Horizontal Inequalities', CRISE Working Paper, no. 42, Queen Elizabeth House, Oxford University
Author: Arnim Langer , Arnim.Langer@qeh.ox.ac.uk ; Frances Stewart , frances.stewart[at]qeh.ox.ac.uk
Centre for Research on Inequality, Human Security and Ethnicity (CRISE), http://www.crise.ox.ac.uk/index.shtml