Research ArticleOpen AccessGoogle Scholar indexed
Voter Beliefs, Electoral Concerns and Undocumented Migration
Department of Economics, HUBrussel (HUB), Brussels, Belgium; LICOS, Centre for Institutions and Economic Performance, Department of Economics, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
LICOS, Centre for Institutions and Economic Performance, Department of Economics, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; FWO—Research Foundation Flanders, Brussels, Belgium
- 1 Department of Economics, HUBrussel (HUB), Brussels, Belgium; LICOS, Centre for Institutions and Economic Performance, Department of Economics, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- 2 LICOS, Centre for Institutions and Economic Performance, Department of Economics, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; FWO—Research Foundation Flanders, Brussels, Belgium
Open Journal of Political Science·Volume 03 (2013)·Pages 143–145·Published 15 October 2013·DOI10.4236/ojps.2013.34020
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Abstract
If voters underestimate the benefits that immigrants bring to their country, policy makers need to campaign for suboptimal migration levels in order to win elections. Once in power, they face a trade-off between keeping electoral promises by restricting immigration and stimulating the economy by favoring immigration. One solution to this trade-off may be maintaining high barriers to legal migration, while keeping a blind eye on undocumented migration.
KeywordsImmigrationBiased BeliefsElectoral Concerns
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