Examining Ethnic Power Dynamics and Public Provision

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Abstract

This project explores the relationship between ethnic power dynamics and public provision by examining how the majority ethnic group’s (MEG) access to executive state power can affect the public services score. The rationale of this project is to address shortcomings in existing literature – the lack of differentiation between ethnic diversity and ethnic power exclusion, and the lack of analysis on regions besides Africa and the US. The model affirms expectations that the more power MEG has in the executive state, the higher the public services score. However, the relationship is not clear-cut:

• The estimated mean public services score when MEG is discriminated against is substantively greater than when MEG has greater access to executive state power
• The model shows that the difference in mean public services score is only statistically significant between every other rather than every progressive power level.

Further, the project makes an important difference in the relationship between ethnic power dynamics and public provision between national and subnational levels because of different political and ethnic affiliations, electoral systems, and delegation of funding and provision of public goods across localities.

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