Inter-marriage, Ethnic Mixing, and Ethnic Voting in Africa ∗

Inter-marriage is rapidly altering the ethnic landscape across Africa. Estimates from the most recent Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) show that the median country-level rate of inter-marriage is over 20% across a large sample of countries. This paper explores how the blurring of ethnic lines affects voter behavior. We focus on the electoral choices of mixed individuals who descend from parents with different ethnic backgrounds. Drawing on two large surveys from Malawi and Kenya, we find that individuals of mixed ethnic heritage are less likely to engage in ethnic voting than mono-ethnics. We explore the empirical and theoretical implications of this finding and investigate potential mechanisms.

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