Colorful Community or Ethnic Witches' Brew?

Abstract

This article investigates the relationship between multiethnicity and domestic conflict from 1946 to 1992. Multiethnicity is measured by the size of the largest ethnic group, the number of ethnic groups, the size of the largest ethnic minority group, and ethnic affinities to groups outside the country. Although ethnic heterogeneity is expected to stimulate conflict, other factors may alleviate ethnic tension. Moreover, most countries are heterogeneous in one way or another and yet do not engage in violent conflict. The type of political regime and the socioeconomic level within the country become important here. Using data for two different types of domestic conflict, the article concludes that multiethnicity does increase the propensity of domestic violence, although less so for large-scale conflicts. Such cultural factors seem to have become more important in the post-cold war period. However, the country's political regime and socioeconomic level are more important in predicting domestic conflict.