Unauthorized Immigration, Fiscal Conservatism, and Partisan Support for the Republicans

Baerg, Nicole Rae and Hotchkiss, Julie L. and Quispe-Agnoli, Myriam (2014): Unauthorized Immigration, Fiscal Conservatism, and Partisan Support for the Republicans.

Abstract

Using a unique methodology for identifying unauthorized immigrants across counties in the state of Georgia in the United States, we show that an increase in unauthorized immigrants is associated with natives holding more restrictive views against social welfare provision. We also find a positive relationship between the population share of unauthorized immigrants and the share of votes going to the Republicans in elections. Furthermore, we show that this effect is more pronounced for the presence of unauthorized immigrants than Hispanics; is stronger in counties with higher median household income; and is substantively larger in U.S. Congressional elections.

• Item Type: MPRA Paper
• Language: English
• Keywords: voting behavior; ethnic threat; economic threat; unauthorized; undocumented; illegal; immigration
• Subjects: J - Labor and Demographic Economics > J1 - Demographic Economics > J15 - Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants ; Non-labor Discrimination

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