The Evolution of Citizenship: Economic and Institutional Determinants

Graziella Bertocchi and Chiara Strozzi ()

Center for Economic Research (RECent) from University of Modena and Reggio E., Dept. of Economics "Marco Biagi"

Abstract: We investigate the evolution of the legal institution of citizenship from a political economy perspective. We first present a median voter model of citizenship laws determination. Next we test the implications of the model on a new data set on citizenship laws across countries of the world. We show that they have responded endogenously to economic and institutional determinants. Migration pushes national legislation in the direction of jus sanguinis. Moreover, the impact of migration interacts with that of the legal tradition. In particular, countries with a jus soli origin tend to restrict when facing an increase in immigration, while in jus sanguinis countries migration has a negligible impact. The welfare burden proves not to be an obstacle for a jus soli legislation, while demographic stagnation encourages it. A high degree of democracy promotes the adoption of jus soli elements, while the instability of state borders determined by decolonization impedes it. Religion and ethnic diversity have no residual impact.

Keywords: Citizenship Laws; International Migration; Legal Origins; Democracy; Borders (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: F22 K40 O15 P16 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: pages 53
Date: 2007-11
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (8)

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Related works:
Journal Article: The Evolution of Citizenship: Economic and Institutional Determinants (2010)
Working Paper: The Evolution of Citizenship: Economic and Institutional Determinants (2007)
Working Paper: The Evolution of Citizenship: Economic and Institutional Determinants (2006)
Working Paper: The Evolution of Citizenship: Economic and Institutional Determinants (2006)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:mod:recent:009

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