Journal Article

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

Authors

  • Barsbai
  • T.
  • Rapoport
  • H.
  • Steinmayr
  • A.
  • Trebesch
  • C.
Publication Date

Migration contributes to the circulation of goods, knowledge, and ideas. Using community and individual-level data from Moldova, we show that the emigration episode that started in the late 1990s strongly affected political preferences and electoral outcomes in Moldova during the following decade and was eventually instrumental in bringing down the last ruling Communist government in Europe. Our results are suggestive of information transmission and cultural diffusion channels. Identification relies on the quasi-experimental context studied and on the differential effects arising from the fact that emigration was directed both to more democratic Western Europe and to less democratic Russia.

Keywords

Info

JEL Classification
D72, D83, F22, P23, P26
DOI
10.1257/app.20150517

Key Words

  • Cultural Diffusion
  • Elections
  • Emigration
  • Information Transmission
  • Political institutions
  • Social Networks