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Economic Decline and Extreme‐Right Electoral Threat: How District‐Level Factors Shape the Legislative Debate on Immigration

Tzelgov, Eitan and Olander, Petrus LU (2018) In Legislative Studies Quarterly 43(4). p.649-679
Abstract
This research examines the degree to which legislators respond to their districts by analyzing immigration‐related legislative speeches from the Swedish parliament (2005–16). Using a text‐scaling method, we find that the immigration discourse fluctuates between “socioeconomic responsibility” and “cultural difference” poles. We argue that socioeconomic declines and extreme‐right party success serve as an indication to MPs that there is demand for “cultural difference” rhetoric on immigration. Our statistical analyses support the argument and demonstrate that district‐level economic declines can lead to an increase in the salience of cultural framing of migrants, especially in districts with a higher share of foreign residents. We also find... (More)
This research examines the degree to which legislators respond to their districts by analyzing immigration‐related legislative speeches from the Swedish parliament (2005–16). Using a text‐scaling method, we find that the immigration discourse fluctuates between “socioeconomic responsibility” and “cultural difference” poles. We argue that socioeconomic declines and extreme‐right party success serve as an indication to MPs that there is demand for “cultural difference” rhetoric on immigration. Our statistical analyses support the argument and demonstrate that district‐level economic declines can lead to an increase in the salience of cultural framing of migrants, especially in districts with a higher share of foreign residents. We also find that district‐level extreme‐right electoral success has a significant influence on legislative immigration discourse. Overall, the results have implications for studies of legislative texts, dyadic representation, and the impact of the populist right on legislative politics in Europe. (Less)
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author
and
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Legislative Studies Quarterly
volume
43
issue
4
pages
649 - 679
publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
external identifiers
  • scopus:85055284151
ISSN
0362-9805
DOI
10.1111/lsq.12215
language
English
LU publication?
no
id
757305f5-7d0d-4c47-a59c-cdb4ba4fdaa3
date added to LUP
2020-06-01 16:11:50
date last changed
2022-04-18 22:54:10
@article{757305f5-7d0d-4c47-a59c-cdb4ba4fdaa3,
  abstract     = {{This research examines the degree to which legislators respond to their districts by analyzing immigration‐related legislative speeches from the Swedish parliament (2005–16). Using a text‐scaling method, we find that the immigration discourse fluctuates between “socioeconomic responsibility” and “cultural difference” poles. We argue that socioeconomic declines and extreme‐right party success serve as an indication to MPs that there is demand for “cultural difference” rhetoric on immigration. Our statistical analyses support the argument and demonstrate that district‐level economic declines can lead to an increase in the salience of cultural framing of migrants, especially in districts with a higher share of foreign residents. We also find that district‐level extreme‐right electoral success has a significant influence on legislative immigration discourse. Overall, the results have implications for studies of legislative texts, dyadic representation, and the impact of the populist right on legislative politics in Europe.}},
  author       = {{Tzelgov, Eitan and Olander, Petrus}},
  issn         = {{0362-9805}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{4}},
  pages        = {{649--679}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
  series       = {{Legislative Studies Quarterly}},
  title        = {{Economic Decline and Extreme‐Right Electoral Threat: How District‐Level Factors Shape the Legislative Debate on Immigration}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/lsq.12215}},
  doi          = {{10.1111/lsq.12215}},
  volume       = {{43}},
  year         = {{2018}},
}