Inequality and Xenophobia

Speaker: Sascha Riaz Abstract: Why do some communities strongly resist the influx of immigrants, while others condone or even welcome their arrival? In this study, I examine the role of economic inequality between natives. Drawing on German tax registry data from more than 500 million individual-level tax returns filed between 1992 and 2017, I precisely estimate inequality at the municipality level. Using a difference in differences design, I then compare the reaction of egalitarian and unequal communities to the sharp influx of refugees starting in 2015. I consider xenophobic backlash along four dimensions: i) right-wing voting, ii) hate crimes, iii) anti-immigration protests, and iv) petitions against immigration. The project sheds light on the nexus between intergroup and within-group relations.