Does Political Polarization Affect Migrant Integration? Evidence from a Survey Experiment among Migrants in Four European Countries

A growing body of research has documented the detrimental effects of political polarization on the attitudes and behavior of individuals living in such polarized environments, including the activation of authoritarian personality traits and an increased propensity for political violence. However, to date there are no studies investigating the potential impact of political polarization specifically on migrants’ attitudes and behavior. Building on literatures in social psychology, political behavior, and political communication, this study develops a novel theoretical framework which details the various ways in which polarization may affect migrants. Specifically, this framework posits that political polarization impacts several cognitive processes (such as expectations), which in turn affect migrant attitudes and behavior (such as identification with the host country and political participation). Further, I argue that these effects of polarization are not the same for all migrants; rather, polarization affects migrants differently based on certain demographic factors. To test these expectations, I conducted an original online survey of 700 migrants residing in Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. The survey was experimental, such that half of respondents received a version of the questionnaire that primed political polarization while the other half did not. Detailed results are pending further analysis.