Polarization of opportunity

Abstract

We introduce the concept of polarization of opportunities (POp) to explore how various circumstances shape unfair inequalities. While conventional measures of inequality of opportunity (IOp) focus on outcome disparities linked to factors such as race or gender, they do not account for how these circumstances group individuals into relatively uniform clusters. POp fills this gap by examining both the influence of circumstances and their role in clustering individuals into distinct poles. Using U.S. data, our analysis shows that while income polarization and IOp have risen over time, POp has decreased.