Three Worlds of Welfare Chauvinism? How Welfare Regimes Affect Support for Distributing Welfare to Immigrants in Europe

Disentangling the ‘New Liberal Dilemma’: On the relation between general welfare redistribution preferences and welfare chauvinism

“…As for our control variable of social expenditure per capita, we corroborate the finding of an earlier study that welfare chauvinism is less prevalent in more encompassing welfare states (van der Waal et al, 2011). Furthermore, we assumed that the association between general preferences for welfare redistribution and welfare chauvinism is moderated by the share of foreign-born residents in the national territory.…”

“…3 However, one's perception of immigrants as less deserving does not necessarily imply a desire to categorically exclude them from social welfare provisions. Recent studies (Mewes and Mau, 2012;van der Waal et al, 2010van der Waal et al, , 2011 on European opinions about the timing of and the conditions under which newcomers can make appeal to welfare state provisions find that only a small proportion of Europeans wants to take this step. A larger proportion of Europeans favors granting immigrants social welfare rights, but only after they acquire citizenship or after they made significant tax contributions.…”

Shaping tolerant attitudes towards immigrants: The role of welfare state expenditures

“…The mechanism is rooted in the basic attribute of a generous welfare state to contribute to feelings of security and the reduction of individual status anxieties. Extensive and universal welfare states should thus foster solidarity across different societal groups and promote the sense of a common community (Esping -Andersen 1990;van Oorschot and Uunk 2007;van der Waal et al 2013). According to Crepaz and Damron (2009, 438) an extensive welfare state is capable of bridging the class divide by providing general public goods such as health care, education, and security.…”

“…The relationship between immigrants, immigration, and the welfare state is one of the most frequently discussed issues in the social sciences (Eger, 2010;Emmenegger and Klemmensen, 2013;Finseraas, 2008;Mau and Burkhardt, 2009;van Oorschot and Uunk, 2007;van der Waal et al, 2013). Three main research strands can be identified: First, studies focusing on the 'welfare magnet hypothesis', implying that highly developed welfare states attract a larger number of immigrants than less comprehensive welfare states (e.g.…”

“…Three main research strands can be identified: First, studies focusing on the 'welfare magnet hypothesis', implying that highly developed welfare states attract a larger number of immigrants than less comprehensive welfare states (e.g. Nannestad, 2007); second, research concentrating on the analysis of welfare chauvinism as well as the question of whether immigration and ethnic diversity undermine the majority's support for welfare redistribution (Eger, 2010;Emmenegger and Klemmensen, 2013;Finseraas, 2008;Mau and Burkhardt, 2009;van Oorschot and Uunk, 2007;van der Waal et al, 2013); and third, research on the influence from welfare state institutions and spending on attitudes towards immigrants (Crepaz and Damron, 2009;Kirchner et al, 2011;Marquart-Pyatt and Paxton, 2007). In this paper, we focus on the last point.…”