Public Opinion on Immigration in Europe: Preference Versus Salience

36 Pages Posted: 13 Jun 2017

See all articles by Timothy J. Hatton

Timothy J. Hatton

University of Essex - Department of Economics; Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR); IZA Institute of Labor Economics

Multiple version iconThere are 2 versions of this paper

Date Written: June 2017

Abstract

There is growing interest among economists in public opinion towards immigration, something that is often seen as the foundation for restrictive immigration policies. Existing studies have focused on the responses to survey questions on whether the individual would prefer more or less immigration but not on his or her assessment of its importance as a policy issue. Here I distinguish between preference and salience. Analysis of data from the European Social Survey and Eurobarometer indicates that these are associated with different individual-level characteristics. At the national level these two dimensions of public opinion move differently over time and in response to different macro-level variables. The results suggest that both dimensions need to be taken into account when assessing the overall climate of public opinion towards immigration. Finally, there is some evidence that both preference and salience are important influences on immigration policy.

Keywords: Attitudes to Immigration, Public Opinion, salience

JEL Classification: D72, F22, J61

Suggested Citation

Hatton, Timothy J., Public Opinion on Immigration in Europe: Preference Versus Salience (June 2017). CEPR Discussion Paper No. DP12084, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2984780

Timothy J. Hatton (Contact Author)

University of Essex - Department of Economics ( email )

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Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR)

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IZA Institute of Labor Economics

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