A cross-national analysis of militarization and inequality

This research empirically examines Stanislav Andreski's (1968) argument that military participation (soldiers/population) reduces inequality within countries. In a cross-national analysis of 66 countries for the period 19 70 through 1990, authors find that military participation reduces income inequality, as measured by Gini coefficients. These results support Andreski's argument that military service serves integrative and egalitarian functions. Authors interpret Andreski's arguments from both Weberian and global dependency perspectives.