The Impact of Transnational Partisanship on Immigrant Engagement in US Politics

• In Event: Public Opinion on Immigration

Abstract

In the study of public opinion and political behavior, few concepts have been scrutinized as extensively as partisan identification. Yet very little is known about the scope of transnational partisanship among immigrants and the implications of such remote partisan ties for political engagement in the receiving country. Drawing from the 2012 Latino Immigrant National Election Study (LINES) and focusing in particular on the substantial Mexican-born population in the United States, we find that identification with a political party in Mexico from the distance is widespread. This is the case even for immigrants who have resided in the U.S. for many years, have become American citizens, and speak English in their everyday lives. Such partisanship is shown to foster political engagement in the American context, as indicated by a desire to take part in elections and actual participation in the 2012 campaigns. These effects are strong and remain significant in the face of many multivariate controls. There is a slight negative relationship between identification with a Mexican party and familiarity with U.S. governing institutions. This relationship, however, is statistically insignificant. On the whole, the empirical results demonstrate that transnational partisanship can facilitate the incorporation of immigrants into American politics, at least within the Mexican community.

Author

• James A. McCann, Purdue University