Arbeitspapier

The Origins of Common Identity: Division, Homogenization Policies and Identity Formation in Alsace-Lorraine

We exploit the fact that disagreements in the German leadership after the Franco-Prussian War in 1870 led to a quasi-exogenous division of Alsace and Lorraine to provide rare evidence of group identity formation within historically homogeneous regions. In line with the rejection-identification hypothesis, people in the treated area which experienced a change in nation-status and were exposed to repressive homogenization policies express a stronger regional identity and support more regional autonomy today. On average, subjects with a stronger regional also express a stronger European identity, which we exploit in a regression discontinuity design at the municipal level to reveal whether these identity differences are causal. We find that support for the European Union is significantly stronger in two crucial referenda, a result that is robust across different specifications and bandwidths, and not driven by language differences, large agglomerations or distance to foreign countries. The effect seems to be the strongest for the first two age cohorts after World War II and diminishes for later generations.

Language: Englisch

Bibliographic citation: Series: CESifo Working Paper ; No. 6556

Classification: Wirtschaft
Micro-Based Behavioral Economics: Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making‡
State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations: General
Public Economics: Miscellaneous Issues: General
Economic History: Government, War, Law, International Relations, and Regulation: General, International, or Comparative
Cultural Economics: Other

Subject: group identity
identity formation
homogenization policies
assimilation
rejection-identification hypothesis
persistence of preferences
Alsace-Lorraine

Event: Geistige Schöpfung

(who): Dehdari, Sirus
Gehring, Kai

Event: Veröffentlichung

(who): Center for Economic Studies and ifo Institute (CESifo)

(where): Munich

(when): 2017

Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/167542

Last update: 10.03.2025, 11:41 AM CET

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Object type

Arbeitspapier

Associated

Dehdari, Sirus
Gehring, Kai
Center for Economic Studies and ifo Institute (CESifo)

Time of origin

2017

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Arbeitspapier