TY - JOUR
T1 - The rationality behind immigration policy preferences
AU - van Dalen, Hendrik P.
AU - Henkens, Kène
N1 - Copyright:
Copyright 2008 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2005/3
Y1 - 2005/3
N2 - What drives stated policy preferences about the number of foreigners? Is it self-interest, as stressed by the political economy of immigration? Does social interaction affect this preference, or is the immigration policy preference completely in line with the preference for the aggregate population size? In this paper we distinguish each of these categories and show, for the case of the Netherlands, that each of these elements applies, although the effect of population size preference and self-interest are the most important elements. There is a clear divide across educational levels, as the less educated are more strongly opposed to immigration than the highly educated: the less educated are more likely to think there are too many foreigners. Experience with foreigners arising from social contact matters in positively appreciating immigrants, especially if people meet non-Western foreigners at work and school. Contact with foreigners while going out decreases people's preference for immigrants. The ethnic concentration of the neighbourhood in which people live does not exert a noticeable effect on the evaluation of the number of foreigners present. The biggest effect on immigration policy preferences is, however, the aggregate population size preference of respondents.
AB - What drives stated policy preferences about the number of foreigners? Is it self-interest, as stressed by the political economy of immigration? Does social interaction affect this preference, or is the immigration policy preference completely in line with the preference for the aggregate population size? In this paper we distinguish each of these categories and show, for the case of the Netherlands, that each of these elements applies, although the effect of population size preference and self-interest are the most important elements. There is a clear divide across educational levels, as the less educated are more strongly opposed to immigration than the highly educated: the less educated are more likely to think there are too many foreigners. Experience with foreigners arising from social contact matters in positively appreciating immigrants, especially if people meet non-Western foreigners at work and school. Contact with foreigners while going out decreases people's preference for immigrants. The ethnic concentration of the neighbourhood in which people live does not exert a noticeable effect on the evaluation of the number of foreigners present. The biggest effect on immigration policy preferences is, however, the aggregate population size preference of respondents.
KW - Immigration
KW - Population preferences
KW - Social interaction
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=16244420092&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s10645-004-7130-3
DO - 10.1007/s10645-004-7130-3
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:16244420092
SN - 0013-063X
VL - 153
SP - 67
EP - 83
JO - Economist
JF - Economist
IS - 1
ER -