Alexander W. Schmidt and Dennis C. Spies
Comparative Political Studies, 47(4), pp. 519 - 549. DOI: 10.1177/0010414013488542.
Abstract
In this article we address the question of whether the policy statements of political parties with regard to migration affect the link between individual anti-immigrant sentiment and support for redistributive policies. While the effect of political parties "playing the race card" is well-documented and repeatedly discussed in the American context, it has received little attention in comparative studies. We test our measurements of issue-salience with regard to migration and welfare-related matters by conducting multi-level models for a sample of 14 European countries. We also control for the potential effects of the countries' welfare regimes - which is so far the most prominent contextual variable. Our results strongly indicate a moderating party-effect: The more parties accentuate crucial migration issues, the less general support there is for welfare programs by native anti-immigrant groups. In contrast, we find no effect of the repeatedly discussed welfare regime on this relationship, once controlled for party statements.
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