Trust beyond borders : immigration, the welfare state, and identity in modern societies /

Building on questions raised by books such as Immigration and Welfare (2001) by Michael Bommes and Andrew Geddes, political scientist Crepaz (Univ. of Georgia) examines comparative attitudes toward the immigration and social policy in Western Europe and the US. This constructive book challenges the view that increased immigration has sparked a nativist backlash against the welfare state. Different kinds of trust powerfully affect citizens' views of public welfare programs. "Postmaterialists," who care about people who are different from them, display a "universal" trust; they are likely to support multiculturalism and the welfare state for all. But those who trust only a narrow range of people tend to be more nativist; though they support the welfare state they tend to cheat on taxes, thus undermining the revenue it requires. Education and inclusive social policy seem to encourage universal trust. Crepaz includes case studies of Germany (where citizenship based on law has superseded citizenship based on blood), Sweden, and the US to illustrate his argument. The book presents statistical results clearly and understandably, and includes a useful bibliography. This book is suitable for scholars and graduate students in political science, public policy, sociology, economics and population studies. Summing Up: Recommended. Graduate, research, and professional collections. D. B. Robertson University of Missouri--St. Louis