Migration, diversity, and the welfare state: Moving beyond attitudes

Abstract

Researchers have fiercely debated whether migration-related diversity is a significant determinant of cross-national differences in states' redistributive role or even a threat to Western welfare states. Studies first considered aggregate or macro-level data, exploring the association between measures of migration/migrants and social spending. The focus then shifted to micro-level analyses scrutinizing the effects of migration-generated diversity on the ties binding societies together. There have been notable variations observed across countries and policies in this relationship, which is held to shape attitudes toward redistribution. No analytical consensus has emerged on the diversity-welfare state nexus, however, and scholarship has only begun to move beyond attitudes to probe the crucial link between attitudes and policy and spending outputs. The next logical step means moving beyond outputs to real-world outcomes: insights into how welfare delivery operates in diversifying societies are gained from comparative analysis of migrants' integration into North American and European health systems.