When does immigration shape support for a universal basic income? The role of education and employment status

Abstract

Does immigration naturally undermine public support for the welfare state? To what extent -and under what circumstances -should we expect to see such an effect? This chapter explores these questions by studying attitudes toward a Universal Basic Income (UBI), examining the interactive effects of education, employment status, and the size of the immigrant population. It begins by laying out why the impact of immigration on social policy preferences is likely to vary not only across countries and individuals, but also based on welfare program type. It then presents the results of an empirical investigation using 2016European Social Survey data from 21 countries. Findings suggest that the (negative) immigration effect is concentrated among the less educated, though the scope of this concentration varies by employment status. Results thus suggest that larger immigrant populations may weaken support for a UBI, but only among a relatively small, lowereducated subset of the population.