TY  - RPRT
        AU  - Casarico, Alessandra
AU  - Facchini, Giovanni
AU  - Frattini, Tommaso
        TI  - What Drives the Legalization of Immigrants? Evidence from IRCA
        PY  - 2016/Jan/
        PB  - Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)
        CY  - Bonn
        T2  - IZA Discussion Paper
        IS  - 9666
        UR  - https://www.iza.org/publications/dp9666
        AB  - We develop a model to understand the trade-offs faced by an elected representative in supporting an amnesty when a restrictive immigration policy is in place. We show that an amnesty is more desirable the more restricted are the occupational opportunities of undocumented immigrants and the less redistributive is the welfare state. Empirical evidence based on the voting behavior of U.S. Congressmen on the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 provides strong support for the predictions of our theoretical model.
        KW  - migration policy
KW  - amnesties
KW  - democracy
KW  - roll call votes
        ER  -