Skills, Spatial Polarization, and the Politics of the Knowledge Economy
Introducing the Regional Human Capital Database
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 19213611 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Jane Gingrich (0000-0001-8775-3977, University of Oxford), Daniel Mcarthur (0000-0002-7310-9897, University of York), Mihnea Cuibus (0000-0002-0962-8983, University of Oxford) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 56 |
| Publication date | 2026-01-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | British Journal of Political Science (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0007-1234 • E-ISSN: 1469-2112 |
| Publisher | Cambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1017/s0007123426101513 |
| OpenAlex | W7159653586 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 39 |
Spatial inequalities in human capital are reshaping the politics of high-income democracies. However, comparative research on the political consequences of spatial inequality is constrained by a lack of data that is geographically detailed and cross-nationally comparable. This letter introduces the Regional Human Capital Database (RHCD), an open-access dataset covering 60,000 units in twenty wealthy democracies from the 1980s onward. The RHCD offers disaggregated data on educational attainment, demographics, urban structure, and voting, enabling analysis of within-region variation with unprecedented precision. We explain the construction of the dataset, including extensive checks to ensure reliability and validity. Our analysis demonstrates its value by showing growing urban–rural divides in educational attainment across countries with differing institutions and links between human capital and populist-right voting even within economically dynamic cities. The RHCD advances comparative research on the spatial dimensions of political change, offering a vital resource for scholars across political science and beyond
Capital (architecture) · Human capital · Human resources · Inequality · Politics · Value (mathematics) · Voting · Electoral Systems and Political Participation · Populism, Right-Wing Movements · Social Capital and Networks
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| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |