“Drug Dealers, Criminals, Rapists”: The Influence of Fear and Risk on Support for Immigration Policy
Additional Funding Sources
The project described was supported by the Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program through the U.S. Department of Education under Award No. P217A170273.
Abstract
Even before being elected in 2016, President Donald Trump became known for his negative rhetoric towards immigration. In 2017, Trump ended the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy, leaving approximately 690,000 DACA recipients in jeopardy. Despite Trump’s actions, public opinion polls show that both Democrats and Republicans seem to support DACA. In fact, a June 2018 Gallup poll reported that approximately 83 percent of respondents support a pathway to citizenship for DACA recipients. Scholars of the public policy process have recognized that public opinion often influences public policy adoption, especially when the issue is salient. Given the high salience of immigration, this project seeks to understand what factors influence support for immigration policy. Utilizing a survey, we analyze the influence of factors such as political knowledge, media, and social contact on support for immigration policy. Preliminary results suggest that fear and risk perceptions are the primary influence on support. These results suggest that the heightened negative rhetoric portraying immigrants as dangerous criminals may be driving public opinion.
“Drug Dealers, Criminals, Rapists”: The Influence of Fear and Risk on Support for Immigration Policy
Even before being elected in 2016, President Donald Trump became known for his negative rhetoric towards immigration. In 2017, Trump ended the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy, leaving approximately 690,000 DACA recipients in jeopardy. Despite Trump’s actions, public opinion polls show that both Democrats and Republicans seem to support DACA. In fact, a June 2018 Gallup poll reported that approximately 83 percent of respondents support a pathway to citizenship for DACA recipients. Scholars of the public policy process have recognized that public opinion often influences public policy adoption, especially when the issue is salient. Given the high salience of immigration, this project seeks to understand what factors influence support for immigration policy. Utilizing a survey, we analyze the influence of factors such as political knowledge, media, and social contact on support for immigration policy. Preliminary results suggest that fear and risk perceptions are the primary influence on support. These results suggest that the heightened negative rhetoric portraying immigrants as dangerous criminals may be driving public opinion.
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