# Does Immigration Impact Institutions? 

May 6, 2014 • Working Paper No. 19 

By J. R. Clark, Robert A. Lawson, [Alex Nowrasteh](https://www.cato.org/people/alex-nowrasteh), Benjamin Powell, & Ryan Murphy 

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The economics literature generally finds a positive, but small, gain in income to native-born populations from immigrants and potentially large gains in world incomes. But immigrants can also impact a recipient nation’s institutions. A growing empirical literature supports the importance of strong private property rights, a rule of law, and an environment of economic freedom for promoting long-run prosperity. But little is known about how immigration impacts these institutions. This paper empirically examines how immigration impacts a nation’s policies and institutions. We find no evidence of negative and some evidence of positive impacts in institutional quality as a result of immigration.

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##### Does Immigration Impact Institutions? 

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