Doctoral Dissertation in Political Science: Local Political Contexts and Immigrant Integration

Washington University, Saint Louis MO

Investigators

Abstract

General Summary: Why are immigrants better able to integrate - economically, socially, and politically - in some locations than others? Why do natives oppose or support immigrants more in some locations than others? Upon arriving in new countries, immigrants' experiences vary greatly across both space and time. In some cases, immigrants are able to thrive in their new location, succeeding economically while peacefully coexisting with nationals. Yet in other cases, immigrants are lodged in perpetual poverty and have strained relations with nationals. One important determinant of successful integration is the context in which immigrants settle. The PI contends that locations governed by anti-immigrant parties will hinder immigrants' successful immigration. The PI argues further that highly homogenous immigrant communities foster anti-immigrant attitudes. The PI tests these arguments by leveraging the random assignment of refugees to localities in Denmark together with a survey experiment on the effects of diversity. Overall, this study intends to bring important light to how society can best overcome the challenges presented by immigration in the coming years. Technical Summary: This project will ascertain the role of local political contexts in both immigrant integration and the development of anti-immigrant attitudes among natives. The PI argues that locations governed by anti-immigrant parties will hinder immigrants' successful immigration. The PI argues further that highly homogenous immigrant communities foster anti-immigrant attitudes. These arguments will be tested by leveraging a quasi-experiment in refugee location that occurred in Denmark. The quasi-experiment comes in the form of the Spatial Dispersion Policy of 1986-1998, in which refugees were assigned to municipalities around Denmark. Combined with micro data from government registers, this will allow the PI to test the expectations described above. Second, this project will investigate the role of local-level diversity among immigrants as a determinant of native opposition to immigration. This argument will be tested with a survey experiments in Denmark. Respondents will be randomly selected to view a vignette about either a high or low diversity immigrant community and then asked their opinion about immigrants and immigration. Reported opinions between the high and low diversity groups will be compared to evaluate the theoretical expectation. Overall, this study intends to bring important light to how society can best overcome the challenges presented by immigration in the coming years.