U.S. Immigrants’ Attitudes Toward Libertarian Values

9 Pages Posted: 16 Mar 2013 Last revised: 18 Mar 2013

See all articles by Hal Pashler

Hal Pashler

University of California, San Diego (UCSD) - Department of Psychology

Date Written: March 15, 2013

Abstract

While there has been much discussion of libertarians' (generally although not universally favorable) attitudes toward liberal immigration policies, the attitudes of immigrants to the United States toward libertarian values have not previously been examined. Using data from the 2010 General Social Survey, we asked how American-born and foreign-born residents differed in attitudes toward a variety of topics upon which self-reported libertarians typically hold strong pro-liberty views (as described by Iyer et al., 2012). The results showed a marked pattern of lower support for pro-liberty views among immigrants as compared to US-born residents. These differences were generally statistically significant and sizable, with a few scattered exceptions. With increasing proportions of the US population being foreign-born, low support for libertarian values by foreign-born residents means that the political prospects of libertarian values in the US are likely to diminish over time.

Keywords: Immigration, Libertarianism, Political Science

Suggested Citation

Pashler, Hal, U.S. Immigrants’ Attitudes Toward Libertarian Values (March 15, 2013). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2234200 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2234200

Hal Pashler (Contact Author)

University of California, San Diego (UCSD) - Department of Psychology ( email )

9500 Gilman Drive
Mail Code #0109
La Jolla, CA 92093-0112
United States

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