Authors: Antonio M JaimeCastillo Ildefonso MarquésPerales Javier ÁlvarezGálvez
Publish Date: 2015/03/15
Volume: 126, Issue: 3, Pages: 1089-1108
Abstract
There is a growing body of literature dealing with the causes behind antiimmigrant sentiment and xenophobia Based on the literature on the fiscal burden model this paper contends that the differences in attitudes toward immigration between low and high statuses can be explained by the size of the welfare state We argue that the impact of socioeconomic status on attitudes toward immigration is larger in countries where social expenditure is high Since a potential increase in the number of welfare recipients due to new immigrants might lead to a reduction in per capita transfers lowincome individuals in these countries are expected to be more concerned about the effect of immigration on social benefits Using multilevel models and data from the European Social Survey we have found that while the effect of socioeconomic status on attitudes toward immigration is positive there is a great deal of variation between countries The difference in attitudes between high and low socioeconomic statuses increases as social expenditure increases Moreover increases of social expenditure in the short run increases antiimmigrant sentiment as it raises concerns about the impact of immigration on welfare services
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