The Effects of 9/11 on Attitudes Toward Immigration and the Moderating Role of Education

Simone Schüller (IRVAPP)

Riccardo Faini CEIS Seminars

Riccardo Faini CEIS Seminars
When

Friday, May 8, 2015 h. 12:00-13:30

Where
Room B - 1st floor
Description

The 9/11 attacks have induced an increase in anti-immigrant sentiments, also beyond US borders. Using longitudinal data from the German Socio-Economic Panel and exploiting exogenous variation in interview timing, I find that 9/11 caused a shift of around 40 percent of one within standard deviation to more negative attitudes toward immigration and a considerable decrease in concerns over xenophobic hostility among the German population. The quasi-experiment 9/11 provides evidence on the relevance of non-economic factors in attitude formation and the role of education in moderating the shock. Additional analysis suggests persistence of these effects in the years after the attacks.

VIEW PAPER