Abstract
Electoral participation of immigrants is an important issue in Europe, particularly because
immigrants vote less often than natives. This may suggest a lack of political integration and
might result in proportionally lower representation in parliament, in turn aecting democratic
legitimacy. This research analyses 8,132 immigrants in 24 European countries. We find that
although the largest dierences are at the level of the country of destination, the measured
characteristics of the country of origin oer more powerful explanations. We conclude that
immigrants from countries with more political and socio-economic opportunities have a higher
propensity to vote. Immigrants who live in countries with a higher economic development level
also vote more often.
immigrants vote less often than natives. This may suggest a lack of political integration and
might result in proportionally lower representation in parliament, in turn aecting democratic
legitimacy. This research analyses 8,132 immigrants in 24 European countries. We find that
although the largest dierences are at the level of the country of destination, the measured
characteristics of the country of origin oer more powerful explanations. We conclude that
immigrants from countries with more political and socio-economic opportunities have a higher
propensity to vote. Immigrants who live in countries with a higher economic development level
also vote more often.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 7-20 |
Journal | Research on Finnish Society |
Volume | 7 |
Publication status | Published - 1 Jan 2014 |