Migration Policy Restrictiveness and Regime Change: An Empirical Inquiry into Latin America

Since Latin America’s liberal democratization in the 1980s there has been a growth in academic attempts to assess its impact on the restrictiveness of migration policies. Thus, this thesis aims to uncover whether change in liberal democracy rank explains change in restrictiveness of Latin American migration policies. This thesis uses historical institutionalism as a theoretical lens to expose the role of domestic institutions in shaping state policymaking. A proportional odds logistic regression was conducted and revealed strong evidence that when there is an increase in liberal democracy ranking, there is a lower probability of restrictive migration policy implementation. Additionally, national gross domestic product and the political ideology of the party in power were shown to offer some explanatory power for change in migration policies. The analysis concluded that change in liberal democracy rank offers a convincing explanation for change in migration policy restrictiveness....Show moreSince Latin America’s liberal democratization in the 1980s there has been a growth in academic attempts to assess its impact on the restrictiveness of migration policies. Thus, this thesis aims to uncover whether change in liberal democracy rank explains change in restrictiveness of Latin American migration policies. This thesis uses historical institutionalism as a theoretical lens to expose the role of domestic institutions in shaping state policymaking. A proportional odds logistic regression was conducted and revealed strong evidence that when there is an increase in liberal democracy ranking, there is a lower probability of restrictive migration policy implementation. Additionally, national gross domestic product and the political ideology of the party in power were shown to offer some explanatory power for change in migration policies. The analysis concluded that change in liberal democracy rank offers a convincing explanation for change in migration policy restrictiveness. Although the scope of this analysis means results can only speak for trends in Latin America, this thesis highlights the importance of viewing liberal democracy as ranked and not an ideal type when understanding it’s impact on policymaking. Further research should consider a broader scope of analysis as data collection in the region becomes more extensively available.Show less

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Migration Policy Restrictiveness and Regime Change: An Empirical Inquiry into Latin America