In the previous chapter, I linked immigration phobia to perceptions of anarchy, intent, and group distinctiveness. However, these factors are not the only ones that affect threat perception and hostility. Interacting with the political and intergroup logic of immigration phobia is a substantively different logic of economic valuations. While it is rarely disputed that economic perceptions have an effect on interethnic attitudes and relations, the exact nature of these effects is highly contested. It is, in fact, at the heart of some of the most entrenched debates in the study of international relations and comparative politics. While some scholars have provided case studies showing that economic growth favors acceptance of other ethnic groups by engendering a social climate of optimism and generosity, others have countered with cases in which economic growth accentuates and aggravates ethnic grievances by generating a perception of relative deprivation.