The study looked at how U.S. immigration policy in the 1930s affected German and Austrian immigrants' economic status. They wanted to see if a certain rule made a difference in the quality of immigrants. The results showed that the rule didn't really change the economic quality of immigrants who came before or after it was in place. This means that immigrants who arrived while the rule was in effect were just as likely to earn money and not rely on public assistance as those who came after the rule was removed.