Publications
Publications
- 2024
- HBS Working Paper Series
The Seeds of Ideology: Historical Immigration and Political Preferences in the United States
By: Paola Giuliano and Marco Tabellini
Abstract
We study the long run effects of immigration on American political ideology. Exploiting
cross-county variation in the presence of European immigrants between 1900
and 1930, we establish a novel result: historical European immigration is associated
with stronger preferences for redistribution and a more liberal ideology among Americans
today. We show that this pattern is driven by immigrants coming from countries
with stronger preferences for redistribution, measured by the timing of adoption of
social-welfare reforms. Our evidence suggests that the vertical transmission of preferences
within immigrant enclaves was complemented by horizontal socialization that
promoted the spillover of ideology from immigrants to natives. This process was reinforced
by immigrants’ political incorporation in the Democratic voting bloc and by
the election of legislators who were more likely to support pro-redistribution bills.
Keywords
Political Ideology; Preferences For Redistribution; Cultural Transmission; Immigration; History; Values and Beliefs; Welfare; United States
Citation
Giuliano, Paola, and Marco Tabellini. "The Seeds of Ideology: Historical Immigration and Political Preferences in the United States." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 20-118, May 2020. (Revised July 2024. Conditionally accepted at the Journal of the European Economic Association. Available also from VOX, UCLA Anderson Review, Weekendavisen, Cato Institute, Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research (LISER), World Financial Review, and Newsweek.)