Public opinion toward immigration reform: The role of economic motivations

Jack Citrin; Donald P. Green; Christopher Muste; Cara Wong

doi:10.2307/2998640

Public opinion toward immigration reform: The role of economic motivations

Jack Citrin
, Donald P. Green
, Christopher Muste
, Cara Wong

Political Science

University of California at Berkeley
Yale University

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

827 Scopus citations

Abstract

This paper tests hypotheses concerning the effects of economic factors on public opinion toward immigration policy. Using the 1992 and 1994 National Election Study surveys, probit models are employed to test diverse conceptualizations of the effects of economic adversity and anxiety on opposition to immigration. The results indicate that personal economic circumstances play little role in opinion formation, but beliefs about the state of the national economy, anxiety over taxes, and generalized feelings about Hispanics and Asians, the major immigrant groups, are significant determinants of restrictionist sentiment. This restricted role of economic motives rooted in one's personal circumstances held true across ethnic groups, among residents in communities with different numbers of foreign-born, and in both 1992 and 1994.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	858-881
Number of pages	24
Journal	Journal of Politics
Volume	59
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.2307/2998640
State	Published - Aug 1997

Funding

An earlier version of this paper is available as a working paper (vol. 1, no. 5, 1995) of the Chicano/ Latino Policy Project. We acknowledge the support of the Chicano/Latino Policy Project and the Institute of Governmental Studies, University of California, Berkeley. We also thank Christine Chen for research assistance.

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 10 Reduced Inequalities

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10.2307/2998640

Cite this

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title = "Public opinion toward immigration reform: The role of economic motivations",

abstract = "This paper tests hypotheses concerning the effects of economic factors on public opinion toward immigration policy. Using the 1992 and 1994 National Election Study surveys, probit models are employed to test diverse conceptualizations of the effects of economic adversity and anxiety on opposition to immigration. The results indicate that personal economic circumstances play little role in opinion formation, but beliefs about the state of the national economy, anxiety over taxes, and generalized feelings about Hispanics and Asians, the major immigrant groups, are significant determinants of restrictionist sentiment. This restricted role of economic motives rooted in one's personal circumstances held true across ethnic groups, among residents in communities with different numbers of foreign-born, and in both 1992 and 1994.",

author = "Jack Citrin and Green, \{Donald P.\} and Christopher Muste and Cara Wong",

note = "Funding Information: An earlier version of this paper is available as a working paper (vol. 1, no. 5, 1995) of the Chicano/ Latino Policy Project. We acknowledge the support of the Chicano/Latino Policy Project and the Institute of Governmental Studies, University of California, Berkeley. We also thank Christine Chen for research assistance.",

year = "1997",

month = aug,

doi = "10.2307/2998640",

language = "English",

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AU - Muste, Christopher

AU - Wong, Cara

N1 - Funding Information: An earlier version of this paper is available as a working paper (vol. 1, no. 5, 1995) of the Chicano/ Latino Policy Project. We acknowledge the support of the Chicano/Latino Policy Project and the Institute of Governmental Studies, University of California, Berkeley. We also thank Christine Chen for research assistance.

PY - 1997/8

Y1 - 1997/8

N2 - This paper tests hypotheses concerning the effects of economic factors on public opinion toward immigration policy. Using the 1992 and 1994 National Election Study surveys, probit models are employed to test diverse conceptualizations of the effects of economic adversity and anxiety on opposition to immigration. The results indicate that personal economic circumstances play little role in opinion formation, but beliefs about the state of the national economy, anxiety over taxes, and generalized feelings about Hispanics and Asians, the major immigrant groups, are significant determinants of restrictionist sentiment. This restricted role of economic motives rooted in one's personal circumstances held true across ethnic groups, among residents in communities with different numbers of foreign-born, and in both 1992 and 1994.

AB - This paper tests hypotheses concerning the effects of economic factors on public opinion toward immigration policy. Using the 1992 and 1994 National Election Study surveys, probit models are employed to test diverse conceptualizations of the effects of economic adversity and anxiety on opposition to immigration. The results indicate that personal economic circumstances play little role in opinion formation, but beliefs about the state of the national economy, anxiety over taxes, and generalized feelings about Hispanics and Asians, the major immigrant groups, are significant determinants of restrictionist sentiment. This restricted role of economic motives rooted in one's personal circumstances held true across ethnic groups, among residents in communities with different numbers of foreign-born, and in both 1992 and 1994.

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ER -

Public opinion toward immigration reform: The role of economic motivations

Abstract

Funding

UN SDGs

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