Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in
Book cover

The Palgrave Handbook of Comparative Economics pp 761–783Cite as

Palgrave Macmillan

Does Emigration Affect Political and Institutional Development in Migrants’ Countries of Origin?

Abstract

Recent literature suggests that emigration can affect political and institutional outcomes (voting in elections, government accountability, voting for pro-democratic parties, prevalence of democracy, involvement in and tolerance of corrupt exchanges etc.) in the migrants’ countries of origin. This chapter outlines the conceptual channels through which emigration may affect institutional quality back home, highlighting Hirschman’s model of ‘Exit and Voice’, Levitt’s ‘Social Remittances’ hypothesis, and explanations related to the receipt of monetary remittances. It then reviews the growing empirical literature on the question. A common finding emerging from empirical analyses is that migrants going to countries with better governance are more likely to have a positive effect on the institutional quality back home. The chapter concludes by identifying gaps and suggesting directions for future research.

Keywords

  • Migration
  • Institutions
  • Development
  • Social remittances
  • Monetary remittances

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD   219.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD   279.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD   279.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

Notes

  1. 1.

    I acknowledge an excellent policy brief by Lodigiani (2016). I expand on her work by considering contributions from a broader range of disciplines (in particular, political science) and a broader range of institutional outcomes (in particular, corruption).

  2. 2.

    The same effect might apply to the substantial migration into Russia from other former Soviet republics, but no empirical studies exist on that.

  3. 3.

    The classification of autocracies here follows Geddes et al. (2014).

  4. 4.

    The correlational evidence is also important as it reveals “stylised facts” that need to be explained.

References

  • Abdih, Y., Chami, R., Dagher, J., & Montiel, P. (2012). Remittances and Institutions: Are Remittances a Curse? World Development, 40(4), 657–666.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Agerpres. (2018). Romanians from Abroad Gather in Bucharest; Rally in Piata Victoriei Announced on Social Media. Retrieved fromhttps://www.agerpres.ro/english/2018/08/10/romanians-from-abroad-to-gather-in-bucharest-rally-in-piata-victoriei-announced-on-social-media%2D%2D158677

  • Balkaninsight. (2018). Thousands Join Romanian Diaspora Anti-corruption Protest. Retrieved from https://balkaninsight.com/2018/08/10/romanian-diaspora-rally-gathers-thousands-in-bucharest-08-10-2018/

  • Barsbai, T., Rapoport, H., Steinmayr, A., & Trebesch, C. (2017). The Effect of Labor Migration on the Diffusion of Democracy: Evidence from a Former Soviet Republic. American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, 9(3), 36–69.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bastiaens, I., & Tirone, D. C. (2019). Remittances and Varieties of Democratization in Developing Countries. Democratization, 26(7), 1132–1153.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Batista, C., Seither, J., & Vicente, P. C. (2019). Do Migrant Social Networks Shape Political Attitudes and Behavior at Home? World Development, 117, 328–343.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Batista, C., & Vicente, P. C. (2011). Do Migrants Improve Governance at Home? World Bank Economic Review, 25(1), 77–104.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Beine, M., & Sekkat, K. (2013). Skilled Migration and the Transfer of Institutional Norms. IZA Journal of Migration, 2, 9.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Berdiev, A. N., Kim, Y., & Chang, C. P. (2013). Remittances and Corruption. Economics Letters, 118(1), 182–185.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Burgess, K. (2012). Migrants, Remittances and Politics: Loyalty and Voice after Exit. Fletcher Forum of World Affairs, 36(1), 43–55.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chauvet, L., Gubert, F., & Mesplé-Somps, S. (2016). Do Migrants Adopt New Political Attitudes from Abroad? Evidence Using a Multi-sited Exit-Poll Survey During the 2013 Malian Elections. Comparative Migration Studies, 4(1), 1–31.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Chauvet, L., & Mercier, M. (2014). Do Return Migrants Transfer Political Norms to Their Origin Country? Evidence from Mali. Journal of Comparative Economics, 42(3), 630–651.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Cooray, A., & Schneider, F. (2016). Does Corruption Promote Emigration? An Empirical Examination. Journal of Population Economics, 29(1), 293–310.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Córdova, A., & Hiskey, J. (2015). Shaping Politics at Home: Cross-Border Social Ties and Local-Level Political Engagement. Comparative Political Studies, 48(11), 1454–1487.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • De la Garza, R., & Hazan, M. (2003). Looking Backward, Moving Forward: Mexican Organizations in the US as Agents of Incorporation and Dissociation. The Tomas Rivera Policy Institute.

    Google Scholar 

  • Docquier, F., Lodigiani, E., Rapoport, H., & Schiff, M. (2016). Emigration and Democracy. Journal of Development Economics, 120, 209–223.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Douarin, E.,&Radu, D. (2020). Drivers of Political Participation: Are Prospective Migrants Different? UCL Centre for Comparative Studies of Emerging Economies (CCSEE)—Working Paper Series.

    Google Scholar 

  • Escribà-Folch, A., Meseguer, C., & Wright, J. (2015). Remittances and Democratization. International Studies Quarterly, 59(3), 571–586.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. (2019). The Transition Report 2019–2020: Better Governance, Better Economies. London: European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

    Google Scholar 

  • Geddes, B., Wright, J., & Frantz, E. (2014). Autocratic Breakdown and Regime Transitions: A New Data Set. Perspectives on Politics, 12(2), 313–331.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Goodman, G., & Hiskey, J. (2008). Exit Without Leaving: Political Disengagement in High Migration Municipalities in Mexico. Comparative Politics, 40(2), 169–188.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Hirschman, A. (1970). Exit, Voice, Loyalty Responses to Decline in Firms, Organizations, and States. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hladnik, M. (2009). From a Dollar Bill in an Envelope to a Petition to the White House: The Significance of Slovenian Migrants for Those Back Home. In U. Brunnbauer (Ed.), Transnational Societies, Trans Territorial Politics. Migrations in the (Post-)Yugoslav Region, 19th–21st Century. Munich: R. Oldenbourg Verlag.

    Google Scholar 

  • Höckel, L. S., Santos Silva, M., & Stöhr, T. (2018). Can Parental Migration Reduce Petty Corruption in Education? World Bank Economic Review, 32(1), 109–126.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Hoffmann, B. (2010). Bringing Hirschman Back In: “Exit”, “Voice”, and “Loyalty” in the Politics of Transnational Migration. The Latin Americanist, 54(2), 57–73.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Ivlevs, A., & King, R. (2017). Does Emigration Reduce Corruption? Public Choice, 171(3–4), 389–408.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Ivlevs, A., & King, R. (2020). To Europe or Not to Europe? Migration and Public Support for Joining the European Union in the Western Balkans. International Migration Review, 54(2), 559–584.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jones, S., & Tarp, F. (2016). Does Foreign aid Harm Political Institutions? Journal of Development Economics, 118, 266–281.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Kapur, D. (2014). Political Effects of International Migration. Annual Review of Political Science, 17, 479–502.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Karakoç, E., Köse, T., & Özcan, M. (2017). Emigration and the Diffusion of Political Salafism: Religious Remittances and Support for Salafi Parties in Egypt during the Arab Spring. Party Politics, 23(6), 731–745.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Lahiri, S., & Raimondos-Møller, P. (2000). Lobbying by Ethnic Groups and Aid Allocation. The Economic Journal, 110(462), C62–C79.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Levitt, P. (1998). Social Remittances: Migration Driven Local-Level Forms of Cultural Diffusion. International Migration Review, 32(4), 926–948.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Levitt, P. & Lamba-Nieves, D. (2011). Social Remittances Revisited. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 37(1), 1–22.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lodigiani, E. (2016). The Effect of Emigration on Home-Country Political Institutions. IZA World of Labor, 2016, 307.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mercier, M. (2016). The Return of the Prodigy Son: Do Return Migrants Make Better Leaders? Journal of Development Economics, 122, 76–91.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Merino, J.(2005). Transition to Democracy Under a Clientelistic Autocracy: Remittances in the Making of Independent Citizens in Mexico. Working Paper, APSA Annual Meeting 2005.

    Google Scholar 

  • Miletic, A. (2009). (Extra-)Institutional Practices, Restrictions and Corruption. Emigration Policy in the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes (1918–1928). In Brunnbauer, U. (Ed.), Transnational Societies, Transterritorial Politics. Migrations in the (Post-)Yugoslav Region, 19th–21st Century. Munich: R. OldenbourgVerlag.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pfutze, T. (2012). Does Migration Promote Democratization? Evidence from the Mexican Transition. Journal of Comparative Economics, 40(2), 159–175.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Reuters. (2018). Anti-government Protest in Romania Turns Violent. Retrieved fromhttps://www.reuters.com/article/us-romania-protests/anti-government-protest-in-romania-turns-violent-idUSKBN1KV1YO

  • Shain, Y., & Barth, A. (2003). Diasporas and International Relations Theory. International Organization, 57(3), 449–479.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Spilimbergo, A. (2009). Democracy and Foreign Education. American Economic Review, 99(1), 528–543.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • The Guardian. (2018). Migrants Left for a Better Life. Now They Fight for a Better Romania. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/aug/22/romania-migrant-diaspora-protest-police-crackdown-corruption

  • Tuccio, M., Wahba, J., & Hamdouch, B. (2019). International Migration as a Driver of Political and Social Change: Evidence from Morocco. Journal of Population Economics, 32(4), 1171–1203.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Tyburski, M. D. (2012). The Resource Curse Reversed? Remittances and Corruption in Mexico. International Studies Quarterly, 56, 339–350.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Vertovec, S. (2004). Migrant Transnationalism and Modes of Transformation. International Migration Review, 38(3), 970–1001.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Bristol Business School, UWE Bristol, Bristol, UK

    Artjoms Ivlevs

Authors
  1. Artjoms Ivlevs
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Artjoms Ivlevs .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Slavonic and East European Studies, University College London, London, UK

    Elodie Douarin

  2. Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada

    Oleh Havrylyshyn

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

Copyright information

© 2021 The Author(s)

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Ivlevs, A. (2021). Does Emigration Affect Political and Institutional Development in Migrants’ Countries of Origin?. In: Douarin, E., Havrylyshyn, O. (eds) The Palgrave Handbook of Comparative Economics. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-50888-3_29

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-50888-3_29

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-50887-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-50888-3

  • eBook Packages: Economics and FinanceEconomics and Finance (R0)

search

Navigation