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Ethnic diversity and political participation: the role of individual income

Author

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  • G. Bellettini
  • C. Berti Ceroni
  • C. Monfardini

Abstract

We exploit a unique dataset merging data on individual socio-economic characteristics and political participation in an Italian municipality to investigate the relationship between ethnic diversity in residential neighborhoods and individuals' propensity to vote. We document a sizable negative impact of diversity on overall electoral turnout which reects differential effects at the individual level, depending on household equivalent income. Speciffically, we show that ethnic heterogeneity in the neighborhood reduces the political participation of the poor, while it fosters that of the more affluent. These results highlight a potential democratic deficit stemming from reduced and unequal electoral turnout in increasingly ethnically heterogeneous neighborhoods.

Suggested Citation

  • G. Bellettini & C. Berti Ceroni & C. Monfardini, 2017. "Ethnic diversity and political participation: the role of individual income," Working Papers wp1114, Dipartimento Scienze Economiche, Universita' di Bologna.
    • Handle: RePEc:bol:bodewp:wp1114
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Alberto Alesina & Eliana La Ferrara, 2000. "Participation in Heterogeneous Communities," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 115(3), pages 847-904.
    2. Rachel Milstein Sondheimer & Donald P. Green, 2010. "Using Experiments to Estimate the Effects of Education on Voter Turnout," American Journal of Political Science, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 54(1), pages 174-189, January.
    3. Ryan D. Enos, 2016. "What the Demolition of Public Housing Teaches Us about the Impact of Racial Threat on Political Behavior," American Journal of Political Science, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 60(1), pages 123-142, January.
    4. Alesina, Alberto & La Ferrara, Eliana, 2002. "Who trusts others?," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 85(2), pages 207-234, August.
    5. April A. Johnson, 2014. "Ambivalence, Political Engagement and Context," Political Studies, Political Studies Association, vol. 62(3), pages 502-521, October.
    6. Barone, Guglielmo & D'Ignazio, Alessio & de Blasio, Guido & Naticchioni, Paolo, 2016. "Mr. Rossi, Mr. Hu and politics. The role of immigration in shaping natives' voting behavior," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 136(C), pages 1-13.
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    Cited by:

    1. Miguel Calvin & Pilar Rey del Castillo, 2023. "A Bayesian Networks Approach for Analyzing Voting Behavior," CESifo Working Paper Series 10855, CESifo.
    2. Bellettini, Giorgio & Ceroni, Carlotta Berti & Cantoni, Enrico & Monfardini, Chiara, 2018. "Family Structure and the Turnout Gender Gap: Evidence from Italy," IZA Discussion Papers 11384, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D72 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Political Processes: Rent-seeking, Lobbying, Elections, Legislatures, and Voting Behavior

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