How adaptive is ideological reasoning? Evidence from acculturation of left–right ideology among immigrants in Western Europe

Abstract The significance and meaning of left–right ideology vary across cultures for both citizens and political elites. This article studies the adaptiveness of left–right ideology when individuals migrate. Drawing on acculturation research, I argue that individuals' economic and cultural orientations become more structured along traditional left–right lines when they migrate from Eastern Europe and countries further east—where left–right distinctions are weaker or have alternative meanings—to Western Europe, where classic left–right politics is more deeply ingrained. Using a sample of more than 400,000 natives and immigrants from 38 countries and a spatial difference‐in‐differences design, I find that immigration to Western Europe does not increase identification with left or right among people of Eastern origin, but it does strengthen the alignment between their economic orientations and ideological self‐identifications. Consistent with acculturation theory, the evidence also shows that both left–right self‐identification and attitude consistency increase with longer residence in Western Europe, particularly among immigrants who are more politically interested and engaged, suggesting that elite cue‐taking is an important mechanism. Results for cultural orientations are mixed. The findings advance our understanding of the dynamics of mass ideology and the political integration of immigrants in Western societies.