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Globalisation is often associated with a conservative political ideology and it usually finds the opposition of progressive political groups. The present essay contends this idea and tries to illustrate how the process is consistent with a progressive political philosophy. It also argues that the removal of this political bias would allow both the promoters of international trade and the progressive political organisations to be more effective in pursuing their own objectives.

AbstractThis article investigates the heterogeneous effects of international migration on the expenditure of Bangladeshi migrant households. Adopting a counterfactual framework, we estimate the impact of migration on per capita expenditure of left‐behind households according to their position in the counterfactual expenditure distribution and the length of the migration period. The effects on households' social mobility and on inequality are also assessed. The analysis indicates that migration has a positive impact on per capita expenditure and represents an important vehicle of social mobility, but may also be a source of inequality. We also find that only a tiny share of international migrants originates from households belonging to the lowest expenditure quintile and, since most of the characteristics which seem to influence the migration decision cannot be shaped by policy interventions, our results also suggest that pro‐migration policies might not be effective in lifting those most in need out of poverty.

This work discusses and empirically investigates the relationship between labor regulation and robotization. In particular, the empirical analysis focuses on the relationship between the discipline of workers' dismissal and the adoption of indus- trial robots in nineteen Western countries over the 2006{2016 period. We find that high levels of statutory employment protection have been negatively associated with robot adoption, suggesting that labor-friendly national legislations, by increasing adjustment costs (such as firing costs), and thus making investment riskier, provide less favorable environments for firms to invest in industrial robots. We also find, however, that the correlation is positively mediated by the sectoral levels of capital intensity, a hint that firms do resort to industrial robots as potential substitutes for workers to reduce employees' bargaining power and to limit their hold-up opportu- nities, which tend to be larger in sectors characterized by high levels of operating leverage.

AbstractWe study whether and to what extent the electoral dynamics in Italy over the 1994–2008 period can be explained by the development of economic factors associated with globalization. To measure the level of exposure to globalization for local labor markets, our main unit of analysis, we use the intensity of import competition from China and the presence of immigrants. Looking at parties' political positions and employing an estimation strategy that accounts for endogeneity and time‐invariant unobserved effects across local labor markets, we find that both immigration intensity and exposure to import competition from China have contributed positively to the electoral outcomes of far‐right parties, whereas only immigration intensity has increased the vote shares of right‐wing and traditionalist/authoritarian/nationalist parties. Some evidence, albeit not robust, shows that immigration may have also had a positive impact on far‐left parties, thus possibly further contributing toward political polarization. Moreover, electoral turnout has responded negatively to an increased presence of migrants. While the above effects seem to work through the mediation of labor markets, our results, especially those related to immigration, suggest that other mechanisms at the level of local communities are also at play.

We study whether and to what extent the electoral dynamics in Italy over the 1994-2008 period can be explained by the development of economic factors associated with globalization. To measure the level of exposure to globalization for local labor markets, our main unit of analysis, we use the intensity of import competition from China and the presence of immigrants. Looking at parties' political positions and employing an estimation strategy that accounts for endogeneity and time-invariant unobserved effects across local labor markets, we find that both immigration intensity and exposure to import competition from China have contributed positively to the electoral outcomes of far-right parties, whereas only the former has produced a positive effect on the votes of right-wing and traditionalist/authoritarian/nationalist parties. On the other hand, neither of them has had an effect on far-left parties. Moreover, electoral turnout has responded negatively to an increased presence of migrants. While the above effects seem to work through the mediation of labor markets, the results suggest that other mechanisms at the level of local communities are also at play.