There has been a lot of discussion of the conference on “national conservatism” that was held last month. Many of the commentators have said that nationalism is something that has existed in other nations, but not in the United States. Part of the idea behind this is that America has been open to immigration, so we don’t have a common ethnic heritage, and most Americans don’t have many generations of family attachment to a particular place (“blood and soil”). One of the strongest statements of this kind came from Bret Stephens. Among other things, he said “conservatives used to believe in the overwhelming benefits of immigration. Most nationalists want to restrict even legal immigration.”
Since 2004, the General Social Survey has had a question about “Do you think the number of immigrants to America nowadays should be increased a lot, increased a little, remain the same as it is, reduced a little, or reduced a lot.” …
Conservative opinions stayed almost the same for the whole period: overwhelmingly in favor of reducing the number of immigrants. … So on immigration, Trump did not change conservatives: he gave them what they had been wanting to hear. CONT.
David Weakliem, U. of Connecticut
