Bieleman, Martin (2022) Immigration and the Geography of Discontent: The Role of Immigration in Far-Right Voting across EU-Regions. Master thesis.
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Abstract
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.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Master) |
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| Degree programme: | Economic Geography: Regional Competitiveness and Trade (track) |
| Supervisor: | Ballas, D. |
| Date Deposited: | 31 Aug 2022 10:33 |
| Last Modified: | 31 Aug 2022 10:33 |
| URI: | https://frw.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/4008 |
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