Chiara De Lazzari - Transnational Politics, Citizenship and Elections

This book examines the reasons for which political parties engage with transnational communities and consider the engagement of expatriate communities to be of value or, otherwise, for domestic politics. Centred on Italy, and offering comparative analyses of external voting policies in other countries, such as Turkey and Romania, it draws on interview material with representatives of major political parties and members of state institutions to consider why parties value the political engagement of citizens living abroad. With attention to citizenship policies and the motivations that guide policy makers to introduce external voting policies in countries of origin, the author raises questions about the legitimacy of political engagement on the part of diasporic communities and asks how we should best understand the implementation of certain types of domestic citizenship policy. As such, Transnational Politics, Citizenship, and Elections will appeal to scholars of sociology and politics with interests in transnationalism and the engagement of expatriate populations in the domestic politics of their countries of origin.

Chiara De Lazzari is Teaching Associate in the School of Social and Political Sciences at the University of Melbourne and Research Associate at Swinburne University of Technology, Australia.

Routledge Research in Transnationalism

30 Transnational Agency and Migration

Actors, Movements, and Social Support

Edited by Stefan Kngeter and Wendy Smith

31 Languages and Identities in a Transitional Japan

From Internationalization to Globalization

Edited by Ikuko Nakane, Emi Otsuji and William S. Armour

32 Transnational Aging

Current Insights and Future Challenges

Edited by Vincent Horn and Cornelia Schweppe

33 Transnational Migration and Home in Older Age

Edited by Katie Walsh and Lena Nre

34 Transnationalizing Inequalities in Europe

Sociocultural Boundaries, Assemblages and Regimes of Intersection

Anna Amelina

35 Ethnomorality of Care

Migrants and Their Aging Parents

Agnieszka Radziwinowiczwna, Anna Rosiska-Kordasiewicz and Weronika Kloc-Nowak

36 Cultures of Transnationality in European Migration

Subjectivity, Family and Inequality

Karolina Barglowski

37 Transnational Politics, Citizenship and Elections

The Political Engagement of Transnational Communities in National Elections

Chiara De Lazzari

First published 2020

by Routledge

2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN

and by Routledge

52 Vanderbilt Avenue, New York, NY 10017

2020 Chiara De Lazzari

The right of Chiara De Lazzari to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by him/her/them in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.

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A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

A catalog record has been requested for this book

ISBN: 978-0-367-14447-0 (hbk)

ISBN: 978-0-429-03208-0 (ebk)

The completion of this manuscript is the result of a long and turbulent journey that started many years ago with the decision to relocate to the other side of the world to undertake my research, leaving family and friends behind and starting a new chapter of my life. Many are the people who had an impact on my life over the past seven years and have contributed to my development as a researcher and as a person.

I would like to thank my supervisor, Prof. Bruno Mascitelli, for his support, patience, and trust during this long Ph.D. journey, and Swinburne University of Technology for awarding me a prestigious scholarship to complete my research in Melbourne.

I would also like to thank Prof. Alperhan Babacan who supported me and encouraged me to publish my thesis into a book. His guidance and experience helped me to be successful in my first major publication as a sole author.

I would like to thank all the participants in this study. They have shown great interest in this project and their contribution has been crucial for conducting the research. They have shared their knowledge and experience, providing useful insights and perspective on such an important topic.