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  • 2020
  • Working Paper
  • HBS Working Paper Series

The Political Effects of Immigration: Culture or Economics?

By: Alberto Alesina and Marco Tabellini
  • Format:Print
  • | Language:English
  • | Pages:53 
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Abstract

We review the growing literature on the political effects of immigration. After a brief summary of the economics of immigration, we turn to the main focus of the paper: how immigrants influence electoral outcomes in receiving countries, and why. We start from the "standard'' view that immigration triggers political backlash and raises support for nativist, anti-immigrant political parties. We present evidence from a variety of studies that the causes of natives' political discontent are unlikely to have (solely) economic roots, but are instead more tightly linked to cultural and social concerns. Next, we discuss works that paint a more nuanced picture of the effects of immigration, which, in some cases, can move natives' preferences in a more liberal direction. We also consider the factors that can explain a seemingly puzzling empirical regularity: the anti-immigration rhetoric has become a banner of right wing parties. We conclude by outlining what, to us, are promising avenues for future research.

Keywords

Political Backlash; Cultural Beliefs; Immigration; Political Elections; Outcome Or Result

Citation

Alesina, Alberto, and Marco Tabellini. "The Political Effects of Immigration: Culture or Economics?" Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 21-069, November 2020.
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About The Author

Marco E. Tabellini

Business, Government and the International Economy
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    Hate Crime Increases with Minoritized Group Rank

    By: Mina Cikara, Vasiliki Fouka and Marco Tabellini
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    Faith and Assimilation: Italian Immigrants in the U.S.

    By: Stefano Gagliarducci and Marco Tabellini
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    Partisanship, Information, and Policy Preferences

    By: Marco Tabellini and Jaya Y. Wen
More from the Authors
  • Hate Crime Increases with Minoritized Group Rank By: Mina Cikara, Vasiliki Fouka and Marco Tabellini
  • Faith and Assimilation: Italian Immigrants in the U.S. By: Stefano Gagliarducci and Marco Tabellini
  • Partisanship, Information, and Policy Preferences By: Marco Tabellini and Jaya Y. Wen
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