University of Twente Student Theses
The determinants of immigrant integration policies in 28 EU-member states Does the Political Party Spectrum Matter?
Koenemund, I. (2016) The determinants of immigrant integration policies in 28 EU-member states Does the Political Party Spectrum Matter?
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| Abstract: | This paper explores the link between the ideological positioning of different political party constellations in national parliaments amongst EU-Member States and the openness of immigrant integration policies in the respective countries. Although it is largely assumed that a higher proportion of extreme left, center left, and center parties in parliament would implement more open immigrant integration policies (thus scoring higher on the MIPEX Index) than far- and center right parties, this link is more complex in practice. This is partly because parties may be influenced by other socio-economic factors than their ideological party positioning or cleavage location that determine national policy outcomes on integration issues. Drawing on the MIPEX Index database that evaluates migrant integration policies cross-nationally, the effect of the composition of national parliaments on the integration policies in the 28 EU-Member States in 2014 is assessed in this thesis. Results indicate that there is no clear association between the political party spectrum and the openness of immigrant integration policies. Only the share of far right parties in parliament seems to be an appropriate determinant for the degree to which national integration policies are less favorable towards their target group. Instead, it is found that macroeconomic and socio-demographic factors such as a high economic performance and immense refugee levels and migratory movements account for more open integration policies and alter the traditional ideological and social cleavage positioning of political parties from either end of the party spectrum. |
| Item Type: | Essay (Bachelor) |
| Faculty: | BMS: Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences |
| Subject: | 89 political science |
| Programme: | Management Society and Technology BSc (56654) |
| Link to this item: | https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/70438 |
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