Abstract:
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.
Short bio:
Hillel Rapoport is Professor of Economics at the Paris School of Economics, University Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne. He held visiting positions at Stanford University (in 2001-03) and Harvard University (in 2009-11). Since 2008 he is the scientific coordinator of the “migration and development” conferences jointly organized by the French Development Agency and the World Bank. His research focuses on the growth and developmental impact of migration. His other research interests include economic history, political economy, and the economics of immigration and diversity.