Ethnically homogeneous countries (like traditional Scandinavia) tend to have larger, more generous welfare states because citizens see recipients as 'their own kind' and trust them not to abuse it; therefore increasing ethnic heterogeneity through immigration actually undermines native support for the welfare state, meaning immigration's net political effect on welfare-state size may be negative.
causalpending
Speaker
Bryan CaplanEvidence Quote
“even if the immigrants personally are more in favor of the welfare state immigration reduces native support for the welfare state... empirically it seems to be the net effect is negative”
Created: 6/13/2026, 7:01:44 PM
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