The role of social capital in the political participation of immigrants : evidence from agent-based modelling

Research commonly finds that immigrants are less likely to participate in politics than members of the mainstream society. The reasons for this difference are not well understood, and this paper uses agent-based modelling to examine participation in politics. Political participation is conceptualized in a more extensive way than the common focus on elections by including different levels of participation in a hierarchical manner. The simulation provides valid results, and it is suggested that social capital and contacts in the community may be a relevant mechanism to account for differences in political participation observed between immigrants and the mainstream society.