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    The Political Effects of Immigration: Culture or Economics?
    11 Jan 2021Working Paper Summaries

    The Political Effects of Immigration: Culture or Economics?

    by Alberto Alesina and Marco Tabellini
    This paper reviews and explains the growing literature focused on the political effects of immigration, and highlights fruitful avenues for future research. When compared to potential labor market competition and other economic forces, broadly defined cultural factors have a stronger political and social impact.
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    Author 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.

    Paper Information

    • Full Working Paper Text
    • Working Paper Publication Date: November 2020
    • HBS Working Paper Number: 21-069
    • Faculty Unit(s): Business, Government and International Economy
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    Marco E. Tabellini
    Marco E. Tabellini
    Assistant Professor of Business Administration
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