Immigration and Nationalism in the Long Run

Valentin Lang and Stephan A. Schneider

No 10621, CESifo Working Paper Series from CESifo

Abstract: This study identifies how local experiences with immigration in the past shape political reactions to immigration in the present. We exploit a spatially discontinuous resettlement of forced migrants in post-war Germany, analyzing digitized municipal panel data from 1925–2021. Nationalist electoral backlashes against contemporary immigration are substantially weaker in regions that were historically exposed to immigrants. To examine the mechanisms, we conduct a geocoded survey with experimental elements in the study region. Results from both the randomized and the natural experiment consistently show that historical exposure to immigration has led natives to revise their beliefs about the consequences of immigration, particularly its long-term economic benefits. With additional evidence beyond the study context, the results demonstrate how positive integration experiences can mitigate nationalism in the long run.

Keywords: migration; nationalism; persistence; voting behavior (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D72 O15 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-cdm, nep-his, nep-int, nep-inv, nep-mig, nep-pol and nep-ure
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ces:ceswps:_10621

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