Residential Isolation and Immigration Attitudes in the United States: The Role of Information Environment

This thesis examines how residential isolation relates to immigration attitudes in the United States and explores the role of information environments in this relationship. These dynamics are important for understanding how social conditions mold the sources of information that shape public opinion. I combine Cooperative Election Study surveys with American Community Survey estimates and demographic separation data from Stanford for the years 2010 to 2024. Using pooled cross-sectional and panel regressions, I find that higher levels of isolation are consistently associated with more conservative immigration attitudes. Secondary results suggest that media consumption and conservative views on race strengthen this relationship. To ensure that opinions are based on lived, local experiences, counties should consider policies that promote community integration.