The Long Reach of Campaigns: Americans in Canada Respond to the 2020 US Election (Pre-Recorded)

• In Event: Diasporic Engagements (Pre-Recorded)

Abstract

Dozens of democracies around the world allow expatriates to participate in elections via absentee ballot. As a consequence, expatriates may be targeted for mobilization by candidates and parties from their country of origin. Little is known about how expatriates respond to transnational campaign stimuli, and how remote engagement in sending-country elections influences attitudes towards politics in the receiving country. In this paper, we examine these questions through an original survey of Americans living in Canada that was conducted during the 2020 US election cycle. A randomized political mobilization experiment demonstrates that brief exposure to images of American campaign rallies can have significant positive effects on expatriates’ willingness to participate in the election. We further find that exposure to US campaign stimuli can increase interest in Canadian politics, particularly for Americans who intend to remain in Canada indefinitely. These findings suggest that transnational engagement in election campaigns can help foster the political incorporation of immigrants in the receiving country.

Authors

• James A. McCann, Purdue University

• Ronald B. Rapoport, College of William & Mary