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Does Access to Citizenship Confer Socio-Economic Returns? Evidence from a Randomized Control Design

Author

Listed:
  • Hainmueller, Jens

    (Stanford University)

  • Cascardi, Elisa

    (Stanford University)

  • Hotard, Michael

    (Stanford University)

  • Koslowski, Rey

    (University at Albany)

  • Lawrence, Duncan

    (Stanford University)

  • Yasenov, Vasil

    (Stanford University)

  • Laitin, David D.

    (Stanford University)

Abstract

Based on observational studies, conventional wisdom suggests that citizenship carries economic benefits. We leverage a randomized experiment from New York where low-income registrants who wanted to become citizens entered a lottery to receive fee vouchers to naturalize. Voucher recipients were about 36 p.p. more likely to naturalize. Yet, we find no discernible effects of access to citizenship on several economic outcomes, including income, credit scores, access to credit, financial distress, and employment. Leveraging a multi-dimensional immigrant integration index, we similarly find no measurable effects on non-economic integration. However, we do find that citizenship reduces fears of deportation. Explaining our divergence from past studies, our results also reveal evidence of positive selection into citizenship, suggesting that observational studies of citizenship are susceptible to selection bias.

Suggested Citation

  • Hainmueller, Jens & Cascardi, Elisa & Hotard, Michael & Koslowski, Rey & Lawrence, Duncan & Yasenov, Vasil & Laitin, David D., 2023. "Does Access to Citizenship Confer Socio-Economic Returns? Evidence from a Randomized Control Design," IZA Discussion Papers 16173, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp16173
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Sajons, Christoph, 2019. "Birthright citizenship and parental labor market integration," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 1-22.
    2. Christina Gathmann & Ole Monscheuer, 2020. "Naturalization and citizenship: Who benefits?," IZA World of Labor, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA), pages 125-125, April.
    3. Hainmueller, Jens & Hangartner, Dominik & Ward, Dalston, 2019. "The Effect of Citizenship on the Long-Term Earnings of Marginalized Immigrants: Quasi-Experimental Evidence from Switzerland," SocArXiv 24qas, Center for Open Science.
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    Cited by:

    1. Fasani, Francesco & Frattini, Tommaso & Pirot, Maxime, 2023. "From Refugees to Citizens: Labor Market Returns to Naturalization," IZA Discussion Papers 16651, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    citizenship; naturalization; immigrant integration;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G51 - Financial Economics - - Household Finance - - - Household Savings, Borrowing, Debt, and Wealth
    • J15 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials

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