This article tackles ethnic diversity's impact on governance by distinguishing between economic and cultural differences. It introduces Between-Group Inequality (BGI) as a novel measure capturing these economic disparities, contrasting it with established Ethnolinguistic Fractionalization (ELF). The analysis reveals that while ELF and Cultural Fractionalization (CF) capture different aspects of diversity than BGI, only BGI shows a consistently negative effect on public goods provision across 46 countries. 🔍 Data & Methods: Examines three fractionalization measures using cross-national data from various sources. 📊 Key Findings: BGI correlates strongly negatively with public goods delivery; ELF and CF do not show this relationship. 💡 Why It Matters: Challenges conventional wisdom by demonstrating the unique impact of economic differences between ethnic groups on governance outcomes.