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Perceiving Inequality

In the study of international conflicts, economic inequality is often identified as one of the key factors contributing towards political instability. Today, as studies identify rapidly rising wealth and income inequality across the world, many have predicted that higher levels of political and economic instability will surely follow. But just how close is the relationship between inequality and instability? The Cipher Brief spoke with Vladimir Gimpelson, Director of the Center for Labor Market Studies at the Higher School of Economics in Moscow, to discuss the mechanics of that link, and the problems associated with the way we measure and interpret inequality statistics.

The Cipher Brief: There has been much talk in recent years of rising inequality across the world. How do you see the current state of global wealth and income inequality?

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