A roadmap to understanding restrictive immigration policy outcomes

Abstract

Objective: Extant studies have sought to determine which factors most significantly affect changes in state-level restrictive immigration policies. However, the effects of individual independent variables on restrictive immigration policy outputs have been considered in isolation, independent of one another. Our study seeks to address this limitation. Methods: We employ qualitative comparative analysis to examine how various combinations of factors lead to the same outcome. This study offers both, methodological and theoretical contributions to the literature on restrictive immigration policy outcomes. Results: We uncover the combinations of factors (i.e., public opinion, anti-welfare attitudes, unemployment, poverty, demographics, governor's party identification, state and citizen ideology, region) that are likely to lead states to pass a high number of restrictive immigration policies relative to other states. Conclusion:Our results revealed 11 distinct combinations of such factors. Moreover, our findings indicate that a state's government ideology is a necessary present condition for anticipating immigration policy outcomes.