How ethnic religious organisations influence immigrants’ assimilation in host societies has been surprisingly understudied. This column looks at the effect of Italian Catholic churches in the US between 1890 and 1920 when four million Italians moved to America and anti-Catholic sentiments were widespread. Italian churches reduced social assimilation of Italian immigrants,
The war in Ukraine is having immediate and stark humanitarian and economic impacts, yet its long-term consequences are challenging to predict. This column revisits the evidence on the long-term impact of conflict and presents preliminary evidence for the continued invasion of Ukraine by Russia. The after-effects of bombing campaigns and those of violence against civilians can
Successful state formation processes are a crucial element for the development of well-functioning institutions. However, there are many instances of state building encountering resistance by local communities. This column uses Italian unification as a historical case study to investigate how cultural proximity to the new ruler may promote successful state building. The
The response of EU member states to war in Ukraine has been significant and largely coordinated. Will this outside threat have lasting effects on common identity and cooperation? This column shows that the 2014 Russian invasion of Ukraine had a persistent positive effect on a EU common identity, translating into greater trust in EU institutions and greater support for