Immigration, Prejudice, and the Redistribution of Wealth: A Study of Public Opinion

• In Event: 2154 - Political Tolerance and Bias

Abstract

Income inequality has continually risen over the past several decades. Alongside this, public discourse surrounding use of social programs has continued to focus on immigrants and racial minorities, casting such beneficiaries as undeserving. Past studies have examined the relationship between racial prejudice and attitudes towards redistributive policies in the United States, but have not examined whether or not attitudes towards immigrants may play a role. This study uses data from the 2016 General Social Survey to examine associations between anti-immigrant attitudes and support for wealth redistribution and various social programs. While this relationship is mediated by partisanship for support for healthcare, unemployment and redistribution in the abstract, this was not the case regarding support for welfare spending. This suggests that anti-immigrant attitudes may have a role in public opinion for some social programs but not others. Further, this calls into question the decision making process involved when individuals determine whether or not to support certain social programs, particularly the role of who a respondent envisions as a potential beneficiary.

Author

• Michael Gene Lenmark, State University of New York-Stony Brook