The Evolution of Citizenship: Economic and Institutional Determinants

Graziella Bertocchi (graziella.bertocchi@unimore.it) and Chiara Strozzi (chiara.strozzi@unimore.it)

No 211, Development Working Papers from Centro Studi Luca d'Agliano, University of Milano

Abstract: We investigate the origin and evolution of the legal institution of citizenship. We compile a new data set on citizenship laws across countries of the world which documents how these institutions have evolved from the legal tradition of common and civil law established in the course of the 19th century. We show that in the postwar period citizenship laws have responded endogenously and systematically to economic and institutional determinants. Original citizenship laws tend to affect the current legislation persistently, with a particularly strong tendency for jus sanguinis to be preserved despite discontinuities in the transplanting process for former colonies. The presence of a large stock of migrants tends to limit the application of jus soli elements, although there is also evidence of a contrasting tendency for those jus sanguinis countries exposed to large immigration. The results hold after controlling for additional factors such as the degree of democracy, border stability, the welfare burden, demographics, and cultural characteristics.

Keywords: citizenship laws; international migration; legal origins; democracy; borders (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: F22 K40 O15 P16 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2006-06-15
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-his, nep-law and nep-soc
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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Related works:
Journal Article: The Evolution of Citizenship: Economic and Institutional Determinants (2010)
Working Paper: The Evolution of Citizenship: Economic and Institutional Determinants (2007)
Working Paper: The Evolution of Citizenship: Economic and Institutional Determinants (2007)
Working Paper: The Evolution of Citizenship: Economic and Institutional Determinants (2006)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:csl:devewp:211

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