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The Political Economy of International Migration in a Ricardo-Viner Model

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  • de Melo, Jaime
  • Müller, Tobias
  • Grether, Jean-Marie

Abstract

Determinants of national policies towards immigration are analysed in the context of an economy open to international trade. Arguments for the existence of an ?immigration surplus? are reviewed and followed by an interpretative survey of the principal contributions of the political economy literature, emphasising the role of the determinants of individual preferences in a direct democracy framework. A median voter model is grafted on several variants of a specific-factor open-economy model to discuss several recent changes in attitudes towards immigration (a stiffened stance, especially towards the unskilled) and in national policies (?melting-pot? vs. guest-worker programs, coexistence of legal and illegal immigrants, lax enforcement towards illegals).

Suggested Citation

  • de Melo, Jaime & Müller, Tobias & Grether, Jean-Marie, 2001. "The Political Economy of International Migration in a Ricardo-Viner Model," CEPR Discussion Papers 2714, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    • Handle: RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:2714
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    Cited by:

    1. Gordon H. Hanson, 2009. "The Economic Consequences of the International Migration of Labor," Annual Review of Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 1(1), pages 179-208, May.
    2. Schiff, Maurice, 2007. "Optimal Immigration Policy: Permanent, Guest-Worker, or Mode IV?," IZA Discussion Papers 2871, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    3. Giordani, Paolo E. & Ruta, Michele, 2013. "Coordination failures in immigration policy," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 89(1), pages 55-67.
    4. Harry P. Bowen & Jennifer Pédussel Wu, 2013. "Immigrant Specificity and the Relationship between Trade and Immigration: Theory and Evidence," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 80(2), pages 366-384, October.
    5. Nikolova, Milena & Graham, Carol, 2015. "In transit: The well-being of migrants from transition and post-transition countries," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 112(C), pages 164-186.
    6. Gil S. Epstein & Odelia Heizler (Cohen), 2008. "Illegal migration, enforcement, and minimum wage," Research in Labor Economics, in: Work, Earnings and Other Aspects of the Employment Relation, pages 197-224, Emerald Group Publishing Limited.
    7. Arye L. Hillman & Ngo Long, 2022. "Immigrants as future voters," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 190(1), pages 149-174, January.
    8. Francesco MAGRIS & Giuseppe RUSSO, 2005. "Voting on Mass Immigration Restriction," Rivista Internazionale di Scienze Sociali, Vita e Pensiero, Pubblicazioni dell'Universita' Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, vol. 113(1), pages 67-92.
    9. Gordon Hanson, 2010. "The Governance of Migration Policy," Journal of Human Development and Capabilities, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 11(2), pages 185-207.
    10. Spiros Bougheas & Douglas R. Nelson, 2012. "Skilled Worker Migration and Trade: Inequality and Welfare," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 35(2), pages 197-215, February.
    11. Foders, Federico, 2003. "Long-run determinants of immigration to Germany 1974 - 1999: A Ricardian framework," Kiel Working Papers 1187, Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel).
    12. Harry P. Bowen & Jennifer Pedussel wu, 2004. "Does IT matter where immigrants work? Traded goods, non-traded goods, and sector specific employment," Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School Working Paper Series 2004-14, Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School.
    13. Alexander Kemnitz, 2006. "Immigration as a commitment device," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 19(2), pages 299-313, June.
    14. Paolo E. Giordani & Michele Ruta, 2016. "Self-confirming immigration policy," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 68(2), pages 361-378.
    15. Weng-Tat Hui & Aamir Rafique Hashmi, 2007. "Foreign Labor And Economic Growth Policy Options For Singapore," The Singapore Economic Review (SER), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 52(01), pages 53-72.
    16. Noel Gaston & Douglas R. Nelson, 2013. "Bridging Trade Theory And Labour Econometrics: The Effects Of International Migration," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(1), pages 98-139, February.
    17. Schiff, Maurice, 2010. "Small state regional cooperation, south-south and south-north migration, and international trade," Policy Research Working Paper Series 5297, The World Bank.
    18. Giuseppe Russo, 2011. "Voting over selective immigration policies with immigration aversion," Economics of Governance, Springer, vol. 12(4), pages 325-351, December.
    19. Artjoms Ivlevs, 2006. "Migration and Foreign Direct Investment in the Globalization Context: the Case of a Small Open Economy," Development Working Papers 209, Centro Studi Luca d'Agliano, University of Milano.
    20. de Melo, Jaime & Müller, Tobias & Miguet, Florence, 2002. "The Political Economy of EU Enlargement: Lessons from Switzerland," CEPR Discussion Papers 3449, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Direct democracy; International migration;

    JEL classification:

    • D72 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Political Processes: Rent-seeking, Lobbying, Elections, Legislatures, and Voting Behavior
    • F22 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - International Migration
    • J61 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Geographic Labor Mobility; Immigrant Workers

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