Diversity, Segregation, and Support for Brexit

• In Event: Inequality and Voting Behavior

Abstract

What effect does local ethnic diversity and economic inequality have on voting behavior? This question is of increasing importance as many cities in the US, UK and other developed countries experience rising inequality and immigration. Using Brexit as a case study, and exploiting unique, hyper-localised data on economic inequality and migration, I explore the impact of neighbourhood composition on attitudes and voting outcomes. I find evidence that diversity, both in terms of ethnicity and economic classes, promotes more tolerant views and reduces support for Brexit. However, this effect is moderated by segregation: neighborhoods that are more highly segregated tend to foster more intolerance and greater support for Brexit.

Author

• Joel Suss, London School of Economics