Migration in the Era of Retrenchment: How Rising Ethnic Diversity Shapes Attitudes toward the Welfare State
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Date
2014-05
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The Ohio State University
Abstract
The welfare state has long been sustained by public opinion. For ethnically-diverse countries like the United States, however, the literature points to a waning support due to an increasing racialization of welfare. In this view, the lack of homogeneity in American society diminishes preferences for redistribution among the majority of the citizenry, who associate such programs with transfers to ethnic minorities. In contrast, European countries—specifically Denmark—have for decades held the welfare state to be a pillar of society, enjoying high levels of public support. Yet, the high levels of ethnic homogeneity that have also characterized the Danish population have in recent years begun to diminish. At the same time, recent years have seen a decline in public support base for the generous welfare state. The purpose of this research is to discern whether or not a causal relationship exists between the changes in homogeneity within a society and the changes in public support for the welfare state. The methodology employed in this study is two-pronged: First, a quantitative, cross-national analysis of public opinion data from 18 advanced industrial democracies between 1996 and 2006 tests the paper’s principal arguments. The quantiatative analysis is coupled with a qualitative case study based on interview research in Denmark to examine the complex, qualitative factors linking the observed statistical correlations to macro political outcomes. Findings suggest that on average, countries with a higher foreign-born population report a lower level of support for redistribution. However, additional exploration further suggests that that immigration plays a more nuanced role in a larger conversation on citizenship.
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Keywords
welfare, europe, immigration, ethnic identity