What do Americans want from immigration policy and why? In the rise of a polarized and acrimonious immigration debate, leading accounts see racial anxieties and disputes over the meaning of American nationhood coming to a head. The resurgence of parochial identities has breathed new life into old worries about the vulnerability of the American Creed. This book tells a different story, one in which creedal values remain hard at work in shaping ordinary Americans' judgements about immigration. Levy and Wright show that perceptions of civic fairness - based on multiple, often competing values deeply rooted in the country's political culture - are the dominant guideposts by which most Americans navigate immigration controversies most of the time and explain why so many Americans simultaneously hold a mix of pro-immigrant and anti-immigrant positions. The authors test the relevance and force of the theory over time and across issue domains.

'In recent years, immigration has become a front-burner political issue in the US. A growing body of research argues that Americans' attitudes about immigration are fundamentally about their views on different ethnic and racial groups, but in this far-reaching and illuminating book, Levy and Wright provide a sweeping challenge to group-oriented accounts of public opinion on immigration and demonstrate convincingly that values play a central role. This book methodically builds a timely, compelling alternative to group-centered accounts of attitudes, one that will reshape how scholars and citizens alike think about immigration and public opinion in general.'

Daniel J. Hopkins - University of Pennsylvania

'In this theoretically subtle and carefully crafted empirical work, Levy and Wright advance a more complete analysis of Americans’ immigration attitudes than is common in scholarship and public discourse. They make important, provocative, even controversial, claims: ‘ideas’ or ideals often trump ‘interests’ in attitudes toward immigrants and ‘civic fairness’ is as (or more) important than group-centrism. This is a significant contribution that deeply informs and challenges our understanding of enduring issues in American politics.'

Rodney E. Hero - Arizona State University

'This book provides crucial new evidence that helps explain Americans' complex opinions on immigration.'

John Sides - Vanderbilt University

‘The book is extensively researched and the authors' contentions are well founded …’

R. F. Zeidel Source: Choice

‘Immigration and the American Ethos is a must-read.’

Tom K. Wong Source: American Politics