Migration Background and Voting Behavior in Switzerland: A Socio‐Psychological Explanation

Abstract

Research on electoral choices of citizens with migration background has remained largely descriptive. What is missing is a systematic test of theories that can explain individuals with migration background's voting behavior. This article provides such a test on the basis of a post-electoral survey from the 2011 Swiss general election. It is the first study on the electoral behavior of the first and second generation in Switzerland. And it shows that specific migration background impacts considerably on vote choice. In particular, individuals with migration background belonging to outgroups have a higher propensity to vote for the Left than natives. This relationship is partly explained by the party identifications adopted by the citizens with migration background belonging to outgroups.

The impact of social networking sites on socialization and political engagement: Role of acculturation

“…Understanding immigrants' political engagement is much debated in political science (e.g., Strijbis, 2014;Wass et al, 2015). The present study adds to that debate by applying its principles to the effect of social media and cultural orientation on immigrants' voting intentions.…”

Political Regimes and Immigrant Party Preferences

“…Recognizing this limitation, most studies of immigrant party preferences focus on immigrant experiences in their adopted homeland, while controlling for standard explanations of party choice. They find, for example, that immigrants prefer left-wing parties (e.g., Bergh & Bjørklund, 2011;Bird et al, 2011, Chapter 3;Heath, Fisher, Sanders, & Sobolewska, 2011;Sobolewska, 2005;Strijbis, 2014;Teney, Jacobs, Rea, & Delwit, 2010), particularly among those who feel discriminated against in their host country (Sanders, Heath, Fisher, & Sobolewska, 2014). Key explanations of this pattern focus on low socioeconomic status of most newcomers, but also leftwing parties' commitment to protect and promote minority interests, such as combating discrimination and xenophobia as well as nominating minority candidates on party lists at the time of elections.…”

Switzerland – Really Europe's Heart of Darkness?

“…This interpretation is further supported by the increasing literature on immigrants' political attitudes and behaviour which shows that ‐ although immigrants are far from being a homogeneous group in this respect ‐ immigrant voters are often inclined to favour leftist parties (cf. Dancygier and Saunders , Strijbis ). In line with this inclusive orientation, the initiative on “mass immigration” was massively rejected by adherents to the SP (Sciarini et al.…”