Immigration and election outcomes: Evidence from city districts in Hamburg

Arbeitspapier

This paper provides new evidence on the effect of immigration on election outcomes. Our analysis makes use of data on city districts in Hamburg, Germany, during a period of substantial inflows of immigrants and asylum seekers. We find significant and robust effects for changes in foreigner shares on the electoral success of parties that built up a distinctive reputation in immigration politics. In particular, our fixed-effects estimates indicate a positive effect for xenophobic, extreme right-wing parties and an adverse effect for the Green party that actively campaigned for liberal immigration policies and minority rights. Overall, our results support the hypothesis that changes in local compositional amenities shape individual attitudes towards immigration.

Object Details

• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Series: HWWI Research Paper ; No. 122

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft ; Political Processes: Rent-seeking, Lobbying, Elections, Legislatures, and Voting Behavior ; Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination ; Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics: Regional Migration; Regional Labor Markets; Population; Neighborhood Characteristics
• Subject: immigration ; elections ; xenophobia

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Otto, Alkis Henri ; Steinhardt, Max Friedrich
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): Hamburgisches WeltWirtschaftsInstitut (HWWI)
• (where): Hamburg
• (when): 2012

Further information

• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/57920
• Last update: 10.03.2025, 11:41 AM CET