Working Paper: CEPR ID: DP16808
Authors: Giovanni Facchini; Timothy Hatton; Max Steinhardt
Abstract: The Immigration Act of 1965 marked a dramatic shift in policy and one with major long term consequences for the volume and composition of immigration to the United States. Here we explore the political economy of a reform that has been overshadowed by the Civil Rights and Great Society programs. We find that public opinion was against expanding immigration, but it was more favorable to abolishing the old country of origin quota system. Votes in the House of Representatives and the Senate were more closely linked to opinion on abolishing the country of origin quotas than to public opinion on the volume of immigration. Support for immigration reform initially followed in the slipstream of civil rights legislation both among members of Congress and their constituents. The final House vote, on a more restrictive version of the bill, was instead more detached from state-level public opinion on civil rights and gained more support from those whose constituents wanted to see immigration decreased.
Keywords: US Immigration Policy; 1965 Immigration Act; Congressional Voting
JEL Codes: N12; F22; J68
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| Congressional votes in favor of reform (K16) | Proportion of constituents favoring the abolition of country of origin quotas (F13) |
| Anti-immigration sentiment (K37) | Congressional votes on the bill (D72) |
| Public opinion supporting civil rights act of 1964 (K16) | First house vote on immigration reform (K37) |