TY - JOUR
T1 - Countering public opposition to immigration
T2 - The impact of information campaigns
AU - Facchini, Giovanni
AU - Margalit, Yotam
AU - Nakata, Hiroyuki
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 Elsevier B.V.
PY - 2022/1
Y1 - 2022/1
N2 - Is opposition to immigration deeply entrenched or is it open to updating in the face of new information? We explore this question by examining how attitudes of native citizens shift following exposure to information that points to potential upsides of immigration. We do so using a large-scale randomized experiment embedded in a text-comprehension study administered in Japan. As part of the study, participants were subtly presented with information on social and economic problems that immigration could help address (e.g., growing elderly population that requires care, labor shortage in certain sectors). Depending on the treatment, information exposure increased support for a more open immigration policy and motivated pro-immigration political action. Notably, effects persisted 10–12 days after the intervention. The results suggest that information campaigns can lessen public opposition to immigration.
AB - Is opposition to immigration deeply entrenched or is it open to updating in the face of new information? We explore this question by examining how attitudes of native citizens shift following exposure to information that points to potential upsides of immigration. We do so using a large-scale randomized experiment embedded in a text-comprehension study administered in Japan. As part of the study, participants were subtly presented with information on social and economic problems that immigration could help address (e.g., growing elderly population that requires care, labor shortage in certain sectors). Depending on the treatment, information exposure increased support for a more open immigration policy and motivated pro-immigration political action. Notably, effects persisted 10–12 days after the intervention. The results suggest that information campaigns can lessen public opposition to immigration.
KW - Experiment
KW - Immigration
KW - Information campaigns
KW - Japan
KW - Public opinion
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85119267961&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.euroecorev.2021.103959
DO - 10.1016/j.euroecorev.2021.103959
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AN - SCOPUS:85119267961
SN - 0014-2921
VL - 141
JO - European Economic Review
JF - European Economic Review
M1 - 103959
ER -