Background
This simple yet fundamental question goes to the heart of the boundaries of democracy: who is included in, and who is excluded from, the political community?
In contemporary Finland, an increasing share of the population participates in society, pays taxes, raises families, and contributes to the economy, yet remains without full political rights.
Although migration has become a central feature of demographic and social change, the right to vote in national elections remains tied to citizenship. In practice, this divides the population into those who have a voice in national decision-making and those who do not.
Finnish democracy therefore operates on a partial political community, leaving a large number of long-term residents outside electoral participation.
Aim
The aim of the study is to examine the political values and preferences, party and candidate choices, attitudes towards democracy, political participation, and experiences of belonging and discrimination among five different migrant groups.
The study addresses these themes through the following research questions:
Under what conditions are migrants with and without Finnish citizenship similar to or different from the native population in their political preferences and democratic attitudes?
How do origin-specific factors, such as prior exposure to democratic or authoritarian regimes, refugee versus labour migration, and religious background, influence political preferences and democratic attitudes, and how do these patterns compare across countries?
What are the consequences of having full political rights or being excluded from them for political preferences, democratic attitudes, and electoral participation?
The MIG-FNES research project expands the perspective of national election studies while also strengthening the international visibility of and network surrounding electoral research.
Funding
The research project is funded by the Research Council of Finland (2026–2030).
Partners
The research project has several partners nationally and internationally. More information about our partners can be found here.