Date of Award
Fall 12-2018
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Ph.D.
Degree Program
Political Science
Department
Political Science
Major Professor
Christine L. Day
Second Advisor
Daniel C. Lewis
Third Advisor
Marc R. Rosenblum
Abstract
Since the mid-1970s, partisan polarization has been increasing in Congress and the Presidency, and, although most voters lack a stable, consistent ideology, non-ideological forms of partisan polarization have emerged in the mass public in recent decades. Moreover, ideological polarization among elites is highly asymmetrical, with increased Republican conservatism accounting for most of the increased ideological distance between the parties. Here, I develop a racial-threat backlash theory and argue that increased rates of immigration are associated with increased asymmetrical ideological polarization among elites and in the mass public. Tests of this theory on voters, the mass public in the states, state legislators, and Senators provide support for my theory. In addition, when accounting for the effects of immigration, I do not find support for the alternative explanation that increased income inequality leads to increased asymmetrical partisan polarization.
Recommended Citation
Worth, Robert M., "Seeing Red: Immigration and Asymmetrical Partisan Polarization in the United States" (2018). University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations. 2537.
https://scholarworks.uno.edu/td/2537
Rights
The University of New Orleans and its agents retain the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible this dissertation or thesis in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. The author retains all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis or dissertation.