Voter Beliefs, Electoral Concerns and Undocumented Migration

Ruxanda Berlinschi, Mara Pasquamaria Squicciarini

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.

DOI: 10.4236/ojps.2013.34020                

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.

Keywords

Immigration; Biased Beliefs; Electoral Concerns

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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