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Ethnic Heterogeneity, Voting Partecipation and Local Economic Growth. The Case of Belgium

Author

Listed:
  • Alessandro Innocenti
  • Francesca Lorini
  • Chiara Rapallini

    (Dipartimento di Scienza per l'Economia e l'Impresa)

Abstract

The paper analyzes the case of Belgium to provide insight into the relationships among ethnic heterogeneity, voting participation and local economic growth. We find that heterogeneity, and external and internal mobility reduce immigrants’ voting participation, while we do not find support for the hypothesis that voting participation is related to local economic growth, with the exception of Flanders, which is the most ethnically homogeneous region of Belgium. This finding is interpreted as showing that an increase in ethnic heterogeneity prevails over other factors in determining local economic performance via a decline in social capital.

Suggested Citation

  • Alessandro Innocenti & Francesca Lorini & Chiara Rapallini, 2014. "Ethnic Heterogeneity, Voting Partecipation and Local Economic Growth. The Case of Belgium," Working Papers - Economics wp2014_03.rdf, Universita' degli Studi di Firenze, Dipartimento di Scienze per l'Economia e l'Impresa.
    • Handle: RePEc:frz:wpaper:wp2014_03.rdf
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    ethnic heterogeneity; voting; political participation; local economic growth; Tiebout model.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D72 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Political Processes: Rent-seeking, Lobbying, Elections, Legislatures, and Voting Behavior
    • H4 - Public Economics - - Publicly Provided Goods
    • H7 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations
    • N4 - Economic History - - Government, War, Law, International Relations, and Regulation
    • R1 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics

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