Template-Type: ReDIF-Paper 1.0

Author-Name: Tommaso Colussi
Author-X-Name-First: Tommaso
Author-X-Name-Last: Colussi
Author-Email: tommaso.colussi@unicatt.it
Author-Workplace-Name: Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore
Author-Workplace-Name: Dipartimento di Economia e Finanza, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore

Author-Name: Ingo Isphording
Author-X-Name-First: Ingo
Author-X-Name-Last: Isphording

Author-Name: Nico Pestel
Author-X-Name-First: Nico
Author-X-Name-Last: Pestel




Title: Minority Salience and Political Extremism.


Abstract: We investigate how changes in the salience of a minority group affect the majority
group’s voting behavior. Specifically, we focus on Muslim communities and their increased
salience in daily life during Ramadan. To estimate a causal effect, we exploit
exogenous variation in the distance of German federal and state elections to the month
of Ramadan over the 1980–2013 period. Our findings reveal an increased polarization
of the electorate: vote shares for both right- and left-wing extremist parties increase
in municipalities where mosques are located when the election date is closer to Ramadan.
We use individual-level survey data to provide evidence on potential mechanisms.
During Ramadan respondents perceive the share of foreign-born people living in
their country as larger and reveal more negative attitudes towards Muslims. We complement
these findings with evidence on increased numbers of violent attacks against
Muslim communities shortly after Ramadan.
Length: 83
Creation-Date: 2019-03
File-URL: http://dipartimenti.unicatt.it/economia-finanza-def080.pdf
File-Format: Application/pdf
File-Function: First version, 2019
Number: def080
Classification-JEL: D72, D74, J15, D91. 
Keywords: Salience, Muslims, Behavioral Political Economy, Right-Wing Extremism.
Handle: RePEc:ctc:serie1:def080