The Mobilizing Potential of Mass Emigration: Experimental Evidence from Honduras
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Abstract
Does mass emigration affect the political attitudes among those who stay in the country? Emigration, being a personal decision made by households, can accumulate into a collective expression of discontent against the status quo. This paper examines whether large-scale emigration affects protest support and participation. Using a survey experiment conducted in Honduras, we assess how the salience of emigration affected public opinion about anti-government demonstrations in 2021. Our findings reveal that respondents primed with information about mass emigration expressed more favorable views toward protests and showed a greater propensity to participate in demonstrations. Estimated effects are larger for respondents residing farther from caravan routes. This supports an information‑saturation mechanism and suggests that emigration information acts as a coordination signal that reduces uncertainty about the scope of shared grievances. These findings show that mass emigration can strengthen political dissent among those who remain.