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International Labor Mobility, Redistribution, and Domestic Political Liberalization
Author(s) -
Bearce David H.,
Laks Hutnick Jennifer
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
economics and politics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.822
H-Index - 45
eISSN - 1468-0343
pISSN - 0954-1985
DOI - 10.1111/ecpo.12041
Subject(s) - emigration , redistribution (election) , liberalization , democratization , democracy , economics , politics , immigration , international economics , development economics , developing country , labour economics , international trade , political science , market economy , economic growth , law
Do international labor flows influence the prospects for democratization both in the countries that export their excess workers and in the countries that import them? This paper argues that emigration should have a positive effect on political liberalization in net source countries because it decreases the amount of redistribution that would occur in a more democratic regime. Conversely, immigration should have a negative effect on political liberalization in net destination countries through the same causal channel: by increasing the amount of redistribution that would occur in a more democratic regime. South Korea and Singapore are considered as illustrative examples, and the paper provides statistical evidence to support the hypothesis that emigration (immigration) has been positively (negatively) related to future political liberalization.