Thread by @DKThomp

Fascinating, sobering paper about immigration, politics, and news.

papers.nber.org/tmp/1024-w2662…

Three key points.

1. Across Europe + US, ppl vastly overestimate the share of immigrants and believe them to be less educated, more unemployed, more reliant on welfare than they are.

2. Those with the largest misperceptions tend to have lower level of education, work in sectors more exposed to immigrants, and are right-wing.

And being primed to think about immigrants reduces their support for the welfare state overall.

3. More information—even true stories —about immigrants does nothing. "If anything, it makes the immigration issue more salient, which reduces support for redistribution."

Once again, more news != smarter views.

Ideology drives the car, and information hitchhikes for a ride.