POLITIKENS SPRÅK En experimentell studie om hur tillgång till politisk information på arabiska påverkar röstbenägenhet

Abstract

This study explores the impact of providing political information in Arabic on the voting propensity of Arabic-speaking immigrants in Sweden. Using a survey experiment with 32 participants in Gothenburg, with backgrounds in Arabic-speaking countries, the study compares a control group, which received information only in Swedish, with an experimental group that had access to the information both in Swedish and Arabic. It also examines two potential mechanisms, one instrumental and one symbolic, to help explain the effect. No statistically significant differences were found between the groups, mainly due to the limited number of participants. However, the results suggest a small positive effect of linguistic accessibility on voting propensity among the participants. The experimental group also demonstrated a slight improvement in understanding and sense of belonging, providing some support for the instrumental and symbolic mechanisms. The findings highlight the potential benefits of providing accessible political information to groups with low voting-propensity, to eventually increase voting turnout. It also emphasizes the challenges of engaging hard-toreach populations. The study underscores the need for further research on this topic.