Shanker Satyanath (NYU) will present," Fascist Ideology and Migrant Labor Exploitation" (with Mario Carillo and Gemma Dipoppa).
Abstract: Forced labor is increasing in advanced economies, driven by the coercion of undocumented migrants vulnerable to exploitation. We study the far-right ideological determinants of this phenomenon, including racist beliefs. Leveraging a historical shock from the Mussolini era that ingrained a far-right racist ideology in certain parts of Italy, we show that forced labor is higher in affected areas, and rises with migrant influxes from discriminated ethnicities. Supporting the ideological mechanism, we show that this practice intensifies with Fascist propaganda, enabling institutions (far-right mayors), and supportive societies (far-right voters). Our findings underscore the political foundations of exploitative labor practices
