Political Socialization and Immigrants' Support for Progressive Politics: The Case of Green Parties

Progressive parties often advocate pro-immigration policies but do not attract equal support from all immigrant groups. Why is this the case? This study examines immigrant behavior and their support for Green parties, a key progressive party family in Western Europe. Our findings reveal that immigrants from established democracies are more likely to support Green parties compared to those from (post-)authoritarian regimes. We attribute this disparity to socialization: Individuals from established democracies, where post-materialist values and environmental politics are more prominent, are more attuned to green issues. This heightened salience influences their political preferences after migration. Using entropy balancing on cross-national European surveys, we identify such a Green support gap and provide evidence for our proposed mechanism. These results inform debates on how cultural norms travel across political contexts and the socialization effects of political institutions.