relation: https://frw.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/4008/
title: Immigration and the Geography of Discontent: The Role of Immigration in Far-Right Voting across EU-Regions
creator: Bieleman, Martin
description: Long-term spatial income disparities led to the retaliation of irrelevant places and individuals  who voice their anger through the ballot box. The field of study that addresses these trends, the  geography of discontent, gained increased attention from regional scientists in the last few  years. This study aims to contribute to this literature by assessing immigration-related,  economic, and socio-cultural far-right voting channels'’ contribution to voting decisions across  European Union’s regions. Moreover, building on recent literature, this thesis introduces a  multiple roots framework for immigration’s electoral backing which builds on the interaction  between immigration and population change. In depopulation regions economic and social  deterioration – marginalisation – translated into increased far-right electoral backing. Yet,  immigration is hypothesised to reduce far-right voting in depopulation regions due to its  capacity to improve regional economic performance. Furthermore, immigration-related    sociocultural concerns are presumed to have a greater impact on voting behaviour in faster-  growing regions, compared to depopulation regions. Subsequently, the immigration far-right    voting channels are tested using the 8th and 9th waves of the European Social Survey with a  two-level, individual, and NUTS I/II (regional), mixed effects logistic model. Moreover, this  thesis provides a novel methodological approach – marginal effect plots – to assess the  statistical relevance of immigration’s same and cross-level interaction effects. The results  confirm the relevance of far-right voting’s multiple roots framework. Yet, in conflict with  previous literature, this thesis finds no support for the labour market channel of far-right voting.  Similarly, regional economic deprivation is discovered to be unrelated to scapegoating  immigrants and far-right electoral support.
date: 2022
type: Thesis
type: NonPeerReviewed
format: text
language: en
identifier: https://frw.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/4008/1/Immigration%20and%20the%20Geography%20of%20Discontent_Bieleman_s3485234.pdf
identifier:   Bieleman, Martin  (2022) Immigration and the Geography of Discontent: The Role of Immigration in Far-Right Voting across EU-Regions.  Master thesis.