The nature, causes, and consequences of inter-regional inequality

Bathelt, Harald, Buchholz, Maximilian and Storper, Michael ORCID: 0000-0002-8354-792X (2024) The nature, causes, and consequences of inter-regional inequality. Journal of Economic Geography. ISSN 1468-2702

Text (Storper_nature-causes-and-consequences--published) - Published Version Available under License Creative Commons Attribution. Download (1MB)

• Author

Abstract

Social scientists and policymakers alike have become increasingly concerned with understanding the nature, causes, and consequences of inter-regional inequality in economic living conditions. Contemporary spatial inequality is multi-faceted—it varies depending on how we define inequality, the scale at which it is measured, and which groups in the labor force are considered. Increasing economic inequality has important implications for broader social and political issues. Notably, it is difficult to account for the rise of far-right populism in industrialized countries without considering the context of growing inter-regional inequality. Important explanations for the rise in inter-regional inequality include changing patterns of worker and firm sorting processes across space, major transitions like the reorientation of the economy from manufacturing to digital technologies, and increasing global economic integration, as well as policy. Different causal explanations in turn imply a different role for place-based policy. This article introduces the context of the special issue on the nature, causes, and consequences of inter-regional inequality, focusing specifically on inequality in North America and Western Europe, and aims to identify challenges for, and spark further research on, inter-regional inequality.

Item Type:	Article
Official URL:	https://academic.oup.com/joeg
Additional Information:	© 2024 The Authors
Divisions:	Geography & Environment
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HC Economic History and Conditions
JEL classification:	D - Microeconomics > D6 - Welfare Economics > D63 - Equity, Justice, Inequality, and Other Normative Criteria and Measurement D - Microeconomics > D7 - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making > D72 - Economic Models of Political Processes: Rent-Seeking, Elections, Legislatures, and Voting Behavior D - Microeconomics > D8 - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty > D83 - Search; Learning; Information and Knowledge; Communication; Belief F - International Economics > F2 - International Factor Movements and International Business > F21 - International Investment; Long-Term Capital Movements O - Economic Development, Technological Change, and Growth > O1 - Economic Development > O18 - Regional, Urban, and Rural Analyses R - Urban, Rural, and Regional Economics > R1 - General Regional Economics > R11 - Regional Economic Activity: Growth, Development, and Changes
Date Deposited:	10 May 2024 14:21
Last Modified:	16 May 2024 04:23
URI:	http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/123014

Actions (login required)

View Item