Immigrant Candidates Research Articles

Immigrants Serving in Local Government: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Factors Affecting Candidacy and Election.

Descriptive representation, the extent to which politicians reflect the descriptive characteristics (e.g., ethnicity or gender) of their constituents, has been studied at various scales since it was first introduced in Hanna Pitkin's seminal work several decades ago. In recent years, scholars have also begun to investigate immigrant representation in politics, including at the local, state, and national levels of government. This study evaluates the current research on the factors affecting the election of immigrant candidates to municipal government. In addressing the lack of data-driven reviews in this type of research, the paper employs a scoping review methodological framework. Fifty-six distinct factors are identified as important for immigrants' electoral fortunes. The factors are classified under: Macro-level electoral structures and situational elements, meso-level immigrant group dynamics, and micro-level individual candidate characteristics. The most salient factors are elaborated on, together with a discussion on policy implications and future potential areas of inquiry.

Specyfika systemu pojedynczego głosu przechodniego (PR-STV) na przykładzie wyborów samorządowych w Irlandii i udziału w nich społeczności imigranckich

The aim of the article is a critical analysis of the electoral system of a single transferable vote on the example of local elections in Ireland and its evaluation from the point of view of key participants: voters, political parties and new players – immigrant candidates. The organization of elections, the vote counting methods and the rule of transfer of votes to seats as well as the influence of the electoral system on political parties strategies and voter behavior are presented in detail. In principle, the proportional system should be more friendly to independent candidates and small interest groups, but the case of immigrant candidates running in the elections in Ireland shows that in practice it is difficult for new players to achieve election success without the support of political parties. The analysis is based on a diverse sources, the review of academic literature and statistical data is complemented by the results of qualitative research – the in-depth interviews with Polish candidates running in the local elections in Ireland in the years 2009–2019.

Candidate Supply Is Not a Barrier to Immigrant Representation: A Case–Control Study

AbstractImmigrants are underrepresented in most democratic parliaments. To explain the immigrant–native representation gap, existing research emphasizes party gatekeepers and structural conditions. But a more complete account must consider the possibility that the representation gap begins at the supply stage. Are immigrants simply less interested in elected office? To test this explanation, we carried out an innovative case–control survey in Sweden. We surveyed elected politicians, candidates for local office, and residents who have not run; stratified these samples by immigrant status; and linked all respondents to local political opportunity structures. We find that differences in political ambition, interest, and efficacy do not help explain immigrants' underrepresentation. Instead, the major hurdles lie in securing a candidate nomination and being placed on an electable list position. We conclude that there is a sufficient supply of potential immigrant candidates, but immigrants' ambition is thwarted by political elites.

The Pipeline Is Not the Problem: A Case–Control Study of Immigrants’ Political Underrepresentation

Immigrants are underrepresented in most democratic parliaments. To explain the immigrant--native representation gap existing research emphasizes party gatekeepers and structural conditions. But a more complete account must consider the possibility that the representation gap already begins at the supply stage. Are immigrants simply less interested in elected office? To test this explanation, we carried out an innovative case--control survey in Sweden. We surveyed elected politicians, candidates for local office, and residents who have not run, stratified these samples by immigrant status, and linked all respondents to local political opportunity structures. We find that differences in political ambition, interest, and efficacy do not help explain immigrants’ underrepresentation. Instead, the major hurdles lie in securing a candidate nomination and being placed on an electable list position. We conclude that there is a pipeline of potential immigrant candidates, but immigrants' ambition is thwarted by political elites.

New Americans and the Quest for Political Office

ObjectiveRecord numbers of first‐ and second‐generation immigrants have won elected office over the last few electoral cycles, yet we find immigrants are still underrepresented at all levels of government. What are the perceived barriers to entry into political life among these New Americans?MethodUsing a unique survey data set that includes an oversample of first‐ and second‐generation immigrants who have enrolled in civic leadership trainings, we examine the similarities and differences between immigrant and nonimmigrant leaders.ResultsWe find that immigrants are in many ways similar to their nonimmigrant counterparts in that access to structural resources help shape their political ambition. Yet immigrants, unlike their nonimmigrant counterparts, often have less of these resources and perceive their ability to capitalize on these resources as less feasible.ConclusionsWe find that the traditional barriers to office—lack of professional and political experiences, finances, and monied networks—all contribute to lower self‐perceived qualifications for office among both immigrants and nonimmigrants. Yet, the New American leaders who are highly politically involved, deeply rooted in their communities, and well‐positioned to run for office face the additional psychological barriers posed by their race and ethnicity, immigrant identity, citizenship status, language ability, and acculturation, barriers that are often offered in open‐ended essays as self‐evident and crippling. Leadership training programs play a crucial role in providing training and instilling confidence in would‐be immigrant candidates.

Immigrant Candidates and Politics in the Republic of Ireland: Racialization, Ethnic Nepotism, or Localism?

Recent waves of new immigration distinct from postcolonial-era migrations can be identified in many Western countries. More than 40 such “new immigrant” candidates contested the 2009 local government elections in the Republic of Ireland. This article draws on interviews with just under half of these and on official responses from each of the Republic's five political parties to a study of “new immigrant” participation in Irish politics. It also draws on a specific locality case study of the border town of Dundalk where support for Sinn Féin, Ireland's most distinctly ethno-nationalist political party, is relatively high. Our analysis of “new immigrant” candidate participation in Irish politics suggests that a number of factors influence responsiveness to these; this article focuses on the salience of theories of racialization, ethnic nepotism, and localism. In particular, the findings emphasize how local identities as manifested by immigrant candidates potentially mediate racial and ethnic barriers.

Immigrant entry into the workforce: A research note from New Zealand

Abstract A naturalistic field experiment examined the responses of recruitment agencies to unsolicited resumes from native-born (Brian Miller) and immigrant (Hau-Jie Li) candidates in the technology sector in New Zealand. The findings revealed that immigrant candidates with equivalent educational and occupational experience were significantly less likely to be contacted for further information and significantly more likely to have contact terminated than native-born candidates. The findings are considered in relation to the gap between immigration policy and labor market practices.

Impact of immigrant workers on a regional labour market

This article analyses the ability of a regional labour market to absorb growing flows of immigrant workers with declining levels of skills in relatively high unemployment times. In the short-run, unemployment increases with larger immigration flows, however, in the longer run, unemployment is permanently lowered. The level as well as the composition of skills of immigrant workers matter. Increasing the discrepancy between the skill distribution of immigrants and that of the existing workforce is desirable to mitigate some of the adverse effects on unemployment in the short run as both types of labour appear to be complement. Strengthening the existing screening system for immigrant candidates is then a possibility.

Immigrant candidates in the Netherlands

Immigrant candidates in the Netherlands

Immigrant candidates in the Netherlands

Since the Second World War many people have migrated to the Netherlands, in particular from Indonesia, from Surinam, from the Netherlands Antilles, and from countries in the Mediterranean area. It has become clear by now that the vast majority of them have settled permanently. They have become immigrants, a fact has been admitted by the Dutch government. They pass under the name of “ ethnic minorities ”, and the policy elaborated for them bears this name as well. In the “ Draft Minorities Report ” (1981) and later in the “ Minorities Report ” (1983) too, the government expresses its wish to elaborate the minorities policy with the participation of the immigrants involved. It proposes explicitly to strengthen the general political influence of ethnic groups. The most far-reaching measure on that head is the enfranchisement of non-Netherlands immigrants.