The Political Impact of Immigration in Chile: Evidence by Immigrants’ Skill Level

Abstract

This study examines the impact of Chile's recent immigration wave on political outcomes, with a specific focus on how different skill levels among immigrants influence voting preferences for right-wing parties. Using data from the National Immigration Service and Chile's electoral records, this research identifies a significant relationship between low-skilled immigration and increased right-wing voting, while high-skilled immigration is associated with decreased rightwing support, being this effect most pronounced in presidential and deputies elections. A twoway fixed effects and a instrumental variable shift-share approach is used, taking advantage of the historical immigrant settlement patterns. These findings contribute to the literature on immigration and political behavior by emphasizing the role of immigrant skill levels in shaping native political preferences, with implications for understanding electoral shifts in response to demographic changes in Latin America.

Keywords: Chile, education, shift-share, immigration

JEL Classification: D72, F22, J61, O15