National Penalties Reversed: The Local Politics of Citizenship and Politician Responsiveness to Immigrants

• Published in: The Journal of politics Vol. 83; no. 3; pp. 867 - 883
• Main Authors: Alizade, Jeyhun, Dancygier, Rafaela, Ditlmann, Ruth K.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chicago The University of Chicago Press 01.07.2021; University of Chicago Press
• Subjects: Bias; Citizen participation; Citizenship; Councils; Discrimination; Elections; Fines & penalties; Group size; Helping behavior; Immigrants; Local politics; Penalties; Politicians; Politics; Public opinion; Responsiveness; correspondence study; immigration; discrimination; local politics; Germany; citizenship
• ISSN: 0022-3816; 1468-2508
• DOI: 10.1086/711056

Local politicians can play an important role in promoting citizenship, but their helpfulness varies considerably across local councils. Do politicians discriminate against immigrants seeking to naturalize in ways that public opinion and national citizenship debates would suggest? In two correspondence studies fielded in Germany, we find no evidence that features that are salient in national debates and public opinion predict responsiveness. Specifically, signals of national identification and attachment play no role. Instead, we document a reversed national penalty: politicians are 50% more likely to assist a large low-status group (Turks) than a small high status-group (Canadians). When probing mechanisms via elite interviews, we find that the desire to promote integration and electoral participation can counteract biases that typically generate discrimination. Among politicians, factors associated with group size can therefore help reverse penalties against low-status groups. Research on citizenship and discrimination must consider these disconnects between public perceptions, national debates, and local politics.