The psychology of separation: Border walls, soft power, and international neighborliness

Abstract

Significance Studies to date have focused on the impact of border walls on national security, transborder crime, and the environment. This study addresses how border walls affect the way a country is viewed by the citizens of other countries, all else being equal. Using an experimental design that is replicated in the United States, Ireland, and Turkey, we find that the presence of walls on borders harms countries’ international image. This is especially true if the country is known to have been the builder of the wall. Walls also lower evaluations of the bordering countries’ bilateral relationship. Although the presence of a wall increases perceptions of a country’s border security, paradoxically it lowers the perceived security of people within the country.