The use of the abuse policy narrative in asylum debates and its effects on citizens’ opinion formation

Dados Bibliográficos

ID6296554
AutoresDorothy Kaufmann (0000-0002-4185-4550, ETH Zurich, autor correspondente), Ludwig Bernhard (0000-0002-5910-2859, University of Zurich)
Ano2023
Volume43
Fascículo2
Páginas307-325
Data de publicação2023-06-01
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessSim
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoJournal of Public Policy (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 0143-814X • E-ISSN: 1469-7815
EditoraCambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1017/s0143814x22000356
OpenAlexW4312125849
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas3
Referências citadas53

Asylum seekers are often portrayed as “bogus refugees” who try to abuse a destination country’s generosity and protection. We scrutinise the use and effect of such a constructed abuse policy narrative in Swiss asylum referendums by examining the conveyance of this narrative by political elite actors (meso-level) and its effect on citizens’ opinion formation (micro-level). On the meso-level, our analysis shows that political organisations rely more strongly on the abuse policy narrative (1) if a referendum proposal contains more tightening as opposed to streamlining policies and (2) if their political ideology is to the right. While the first finding also applies at the micro-level, voters from both the right and the centre are likely to base their decision on the abuse policy narrative. The fact that this narrative is convincing for centrist voters is particularly important as they usually play a decisive role in the outcome of asylum referendums

Criminology · Generosity · Narrative · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Referendum · Refugee · Sociology · Electoral Systems and Political Participation · Law · Migration, Refugees, and Integration · Populism, Right-Wing Movements