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The marked growth in the number of immigrants annually in the US since the 1980s was accompanied by a sharp growth in anti-immigrant feelings of Americans. The negative attitudes are partly due to reductions in social budgets. Some immigration trends in California are discussed.

The U.S. has experienced a steady increase in immigration since the end of World War II, with dramatic growth after the 1965 passage of the Hart-Celler Amendments to the Immigration and Nationality Act, resulting in a change from 380,000 legal immigrants per year in the 1960s to 950,000 a year in the 1980s. The sharp increase in the number of immigrants during the last decade was accompanied by a distinct increase in negative attitudes toward immigration levels. Although public opinion has been split on legal immigration, the vast majority of Americans are concerned about illegal immigrants and wish to stop their entry into the U.S. While public opinion has not treated all foreigners, there are noticeable differences in opinion toward the level of European immigration as contrasted with immigration from Asia and Latin American countries. Americans, would therefore, hold various nationalities in unequal esteem. As other have observed, Americans seem to distinguish between immigration at the national level and immigrants at the personal level. Another observation is the fact that public opinion toward immigration seems to be related to the general economic climate. Americans have shown strong strong economic concerns over immigration, but cultural issues also loom large. Debates over immigrants' impact on American culture focuses on the use of language. Cultural issues combined with economic concerns described above, appear to have depressed Americans' approval of the way federal government addresses immigration.

Presents information on the theory of Cognitive Madisonianism as it is accountable for voters decisions in the ticket-splitting and for the existence of divided government of 1992. Definition of Cognitive Madisonianism; Methodology used from the 1992 American National Election Study; Description of the results.