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Micromotives and macromoves:Political preferences and internal migration in England and Wales

Author

Listed:
  • Georgios Efthyvoulou

    (University of Sheffield)

  • Vincenzo Bove

    (University of Warwick)

  • Harry Pickard

    (Newcastle University)

Abstract

When people migrate internally, do they tend to move to locations that reflect their political preferences? To address this question, we first compile a unique panel dataset on the universe of population movements in England and Wales across 346 local authority districts over the period 2002-2015, and estimate a gravity model of internal migration. We show that proximity in partisan composition exerts an important positive effect on migration flows, which is of a similar order of magnitude as wage differentials or ethnic proximity. We then use individual surveybased data over the same time period to investigate some of the micro-foundations underlying the macromoves. We find that political alignment to the district of residence contributes to individuals’ sense of belonging and ‘fitting in’ – consistent with the existence of a political homophily mechanism – and that a migrant’s political ideology can predict the partisanship of the destination district.

Suggested Citation

  • Georgios Efthyvoulou & Vincenzo Bove & Harry Pickard, 2021. "Micromotives and macromoves:Political preferences and internal migration in England and Wales," CAGE Online Working Paper Series 600, Competitive Advantage in the Global Economy (CAGE).
    • Handle: RePEc:cge:wacage:600
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    File URL: https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/economics/research/centres/cage/manage/publications/wp600.2021.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Thiemo Fetzer, 2019. "Did Austerity Cause Brexit?," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 109(11), pages 3849-3886, November.
    2. Stephen Leslie & Bruce Winney & Garrett Hellenthal & Dan Davison & Abdelhamid Boumertit & Tammy Day & Katarzyna Hutnik & Ellen C. Royrvik & Barry Cunliffe & Daniel J. Lawson & Daniel Falush & Colin Fr, 2015. "The fine-scale genetic structure of the British population," Nature, Nature, vol. 519(7543), pages 309-314, March.
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    Cited by:

    1. Vincenzo Bove & Georgios Efthyvoulou & Harry Pickard, 2023. "Government ideology and international migration," Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 125(1), pages 107-138, January.
    2. Brox, Enzo & Krieger, Tommy, 2025. "Far-right mass protests and their effects on internal migration," ZEW Discussion Papers 25-045, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research.

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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • R23 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Household Analysis - - - Regional Migration; Regional Labor Markets; Population
    • D72 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Political Processes: Rent-seeking, Lobbying, Elections, Legislatures, and Voting Behavior

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