Abstract
In this thesis I propose to analyze the effects of remittances on political participation in the recipient countries. I test two opposing hypotheses. The first hypothesis argues that dependence on remittances results in a passive citizenship and decline in political involvement. The second hypothesis argues that dependence on remittances has the opposite effect – it results in an increase in political participation. The results of the regression analyses provide support for the first hypothesis - dependence on remittances leads to withdrawal from political participation. While these results demonstrate the correlation that I expected, they do not provide a convincing case for causality. In order to reveal the causal theoretical linkages and gain more nuanced understanding of the relationship between remittance dependency and political participation, I undertake two case studies.|This research fills the gap in literature, which has been focused on the economic effects of remittances and has thus far ignored potential political effects. By analyzing the relationship between remittance dependency and political participation, this research presents a perspective on a larger issue; it emphasizes the potential effects of remittances on democratization. The answers to these puzzles should be of interest to both policy makers and academics. Policy makers could utilize the insight offered to amend immigration policies, to develop policies for more constructive use of remittance funds, and to increase their leverage in the processes of democratization. Scholars should find this study interesting insofar as it adds to our understanding of political participation. Furthermore, it opens a new research agenda focusing on the effects of remittances beyond the purely economic.