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Brain Drain and Institutions of Governance: Educational Attainment of Immigrants to the US 1988-1998

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  • Aniruddha Mitra
  • James T. Bang

Abstract

We investigate the impact of home country institutions on the skill level of immigrants to the United States over 1988-1998. Specifically, we explore the hypothesis that institutions are multidimensional and that the different dimensions have conflicting impacts on the migration of skilled labor. Using an exploratory factor analysis on fifteen institutional variables, we identify the following dimensions of institutional character: credibility; transparency; democracy; and the security of civil society. We find that credibility and transparency increase the magnitude of brain drain; security reduces it; and democracy has no significant impact.

Suggested Citation

  • Aniruddha Mitra & James T. Bang, 2010. "Brain Drain and Institutions of Governance: Educational Attainment of Immigrants to the US 1988-1998," Middlebury College Working Paper Series 1026, Middlebury College, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:mdl:mdlpap:1026
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    2. Adovor, E. & Czaika, M. & Docquier, F. & Moullan, Y., 2021. "Medical brain drain: How many, where and why?," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    3. Michel Beine & Khalid Sekkat, 2014. "Emigration and origin country's institutions: does the destination country matter?," Middle East Development Journal, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 6(1), pages 20-44, January.
    4. Nejad, Maryam Naghsh & Young, Andrew T., 2016. "Want freedom, will travel: Emigrant self-selection according to institutional quality," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 45(S), pages 71-84.
    5. Michel Beine & Khalid Sekkat, 2013. "Skilled migration and the transfer of institutional norms," IZA Journal of Migration and Development, Springer;Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit GmbH (IZA), vol. 2(1), pages 1-19, December.
    6. James T. Bang & Aniruddha Mitra & Phanindra V. Wunnava, 2015. "Financial liberalization and remittances: Recent panel evidence," The Journal of International Trade & Economic Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 24(8), pages 1077-1102, December.
    7. Mitra, Aniruddha & Bang, James T. & Wunnava, Phanindra V., 2011. "Financial Liberalization and the Brain Drain: A Panel Data Analysis," IZA Discussion Papers 5953, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    8. Phanindra V. Wunnava & Aniruddha Mitra & Robert E. Prasch, 2015. "Globalization and the Ethnic Divide: Recent Longitudinal Evidence," Social Science Quarterly, Southwestern Social Science Association, vol. 96(5), pages 1475-1492, November.
    9. Aniruddha Mitra & James Bang & Phanindra Wunnava, 2014. "Financial liberalization and the selection of emigrants: a cross-national analysis," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 47(1), pages 199-226, August.
    10. Abolfazl Shahabadi & Marzieh Salehi & Seyed Ehsan Hosseinidoust, 2020. "The Impact of Competitiveness on Brain Drain, GMM Panel Approach," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 11(2), pages 558-573, June.
    11. Wunnava, Phanindra V. & Mitra, Aniruddha & Prasch, Robert E., 2012. "Globalization, Institutions, and the Ethnic Divide: Recent Longitudinal Evidence," IZA Discussion Papers 6459, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
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    13. Aleksandr V. Gevorkyan, 2022. "Diaspora and Economic Development: A Systemic View," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 34(3), pages 1522-1541, June.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    immigration; institutions; political instability; brain drain;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F22 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - International Migration
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • J61 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Geographic Labor Mobility; Immigrant Workers
    • J64 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Unemployment: Models, Duration, Incidence, and Job Search

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