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The Effect of Labor Migration on the Diffusion of Democracy: Evidence from a Former Soviet Republic

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  • Toman Barsbai
  • Hillel Rapoport
  • Andreas Steinmayr
  • Christoph Trebesch

Abstract

Migration contributes to the circulation of goods, knowledge, and ideas. Using community and individual-level data from Moldova, we show that the emigration wave that started in the aftermath of the Russian crisis of 1998 strongly affected electoral outcomes and political preferences in Moldova during the following decade, eventually contributing to the fall of the last Communist government in Europe. Our results are suggestive of information transmission and cultural diffusion channels. Identification relies on the quasi-experimental context and on the differential effects arising from the fact that emigration was directed both to more democratic Western Europe and to less democratic Russia.

Suggested Citation

  • Toman Barsbai & Hillel Rapoport & Andreas Steinmayr & Christoph Trebesch, 2016. "The Effect of Labor Migration on the Diffusion of Democracy: Evidence from a Former Soviet Republic," Working Papers 2016-26, CEPII research center.
    • Handle: RePEc:cii:cepidt:2016-26
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Emigration; Political institutions; Elections; Social networks; Information transmission; Cultural diffusion;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F22 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - International Migration
    • D72 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Political Processes: Rent-seeking, Lobbying, Elections, Legislatures, and Voting Behavior
    • O1 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development

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