Research led by University of Rhode Island Political Science Professor Ping Xu and Political Science student, Erika Danielson, has been featured by the London School of Economics’ USAPP blog, highlighting the international reach of URI’s work on public opinion and social policy.

The feature research project examines how immigrants’ participation in public assistance programs affects Americans’ support for those programs. The article was coauthored by Ping Xu, Belinda Davis, James Garand, and Erika Danielson, and draws on national and state-level data to better understand how immigration attitudes shape welfare politics in the United States.

The study shows that Americans who hold less favorable views of immigration are less likely to support welfare spending in states where immigrant participation in these programs is higher. The authors describe this connection as the “immigrationalization” of welfare politics–the growing overlap between public debates on immigration and social welfare.

This research sheds light on how perceptions of immigration can influence broader policy preferences, especially at a time when immigration and social spending remain central issues in American politics. By examining these relationships at both the state and national level, the study provides new insight into how local demographic contexts and individual attitudes intersect to shape political behavior.

The appearance of this research in the LSE USAPP blog, a publication known for translating academic research into accessible analysis for policymakers and the public, represents a meaningful milestone for the Department of Political Science in URI’s College of Arts and Sciences. The recognition highlights the department’s growing contributions to national and international policy conversations.

The full article can be read on the LSE USAPP Blog here.

Feature written by Political Science Professor Ping Xu, and student Erika Danielson.