Hannah Paul

Refuge and Representation: The Political Integration of Refugees and Immigrants in Democracies

Avery Lord — Thu, 18 Jun 2026 17:41:07 +0000

Refuge and Representation: The Political Integration of Refugees and Immigrants in Democracies Avery Lord Thu, 06/18/2026 - 11:41

Refuge and Representation: The Political Integration of Refugees and Immigrants in Democracies

By: Hannah L. Paul

Abstract:

What explains variation in the political integration of immigrants and refugees in established,
democratic countries? Post-resettlement, people with refugee backgrounds must find ways to work,
cultivate social ties, and adapt to a new political system. In order for immigrants and refugees to
experience meaningful representation in politics, they must find ways to become involved and get
the political system to respond to their preferences. Across four stand-alone chapters, I examine
the factors that increase support for immigrants and refugees in host country populations and test
the factors that promote refugee engagement in politics in their host country. In Chapter 2, I
analyze a survey of young adults in Sweden, which shows that the psychological trait of empathy
is associated with support for immigrants. Addressing the possible mediating effect of partisan
leaning, results from a mediation analysis suggest that natural empathy directly affects attitudes
towards immigrants. In Chapter 3, I test an intervention designed to trigger empathy and support
for refugees using an original survey experiment administered in the United States. I find that
personalizing language about a refugee’s forced migration experience, similar to the testimonials
shared by pro-refugee groups and advocates, has no effect on people’s feelings of empathy for
refugees and does not change their support for refugees compared to the control group. In Chapter
4, I examine the political attitudes of refugees themselves using a mixed methods approach that
utilizes group interview data and a survey experiment. I find that refugees view politics through
a personalized lens. Across groups, participants expressed the importance of political leaders’
characteristics in making decisions about whom to support. Using a survey experiment administered
to Bhutanese refugees in Michigan, I explore the effects of perceptions of the character of political
leaders on refugees’ political trust and find that personalizing the Governor of Michigan leads to
a modest increase in trust for the Governor compared to the control group. The personalizing

treatment does not influence other forms of political trust or different types of attitudes, suggesting
that personalizing a political leader has a narrow effect and does not lead to diffuse trust or increased
political efficacy. In Chapter 5, I examine the factors that increase support for political institutions
among refugees. Pitting three explanations for political engagement against each other, I test
whether refugee party support is primarily formed by the state, the market, or society. I find that
refugees who participate in a state-run integration course are more likely to support a political
party compared to refugees who have not taken the course. Integration course participation also
leads to increases in political interest, political knowledge and fewer reports of discrimination.
Taken together, this research informs our understanding of ways to accommodate the political
integration of growing involuntary migrant populations across Europe, the United States and other
refugee-receiving places.

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The dynamics of issue salience: immigration and public opinion

Avery Lord — Tue, 16 Jun 2026 20:10:32 +0000

The dynamics of issue salience: immigration and public opinion Avery Lord Tue, 06/16/2026 - 14:10

The dynamics of issue salience: immigration and public opinion

By: Hannah L Paul, Jennifer Fitzgerald

Abstract:

Issue salience is an important dimension of public opinion and democratic politics. When mass publics are deeply concerned about particular societal issues, they can shape political debates, contests, agendas, and outcomes. Given the shifting politicization of certain issues in advanced democracies and the heightened importance of people’s issue positions for their vote choices, fresh insights into the dynamics of issue salience are increasingly valuable. A review of existing research reveals that we have a great deal to learn about the way salience emerges and shifts among regular people in democratic societies. Compounding the need for knowledge about issue salience is the growing diversity of advanced democratic societies.

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Congratulations to GIPS Paper Prize awardees Matthew Harvey, Brendan Connell and Hannah Paul!

Anonymous — Tue, 12 Jan 2021 17:27:56 +0000

Congratulations to GIPS Paper Prize awardees Matthew Harvey, Brendan Connell and Hannah Paul! Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 01/12/2021 - 10:27

Congratulations to Matthew Harvey, Brendan Connell, and Hannah Paul on their GIPS Paper Prize awards!

The Graduates in Political Science (GIPS) Paper Prize is a department-level prize designed to provide graduate student participants with funding and feedback on their ongoing research projects. The goal of the GIPS Paper Prize is to recognize the development and encourage the publication of scholarly research by graduate students in the Political Science department.

First Place: Matthew Harvey, “The Sublime and The Pale Blue Dot: Optimism in an Era of Ecological Crisis”
Second Place: Brendan Connell, “A ‘Diplomatic Advantage?’ Diplomacy, Ideas, and State Access to Capital”
Third Place: Hannah Paul, “Personalizing Politics: An Experimental Examination of the Effects of a Refugee’s First-Person Narrative on Political Attitudes”

Thank you to everyone who participated! We had several very good submissions and hope for even more next year!

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