Why Does Imigration Divide America?

by Hanson, Gordon H.

• ISBN13: 9780881324006
• ISBN10: 0881324000
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2005-09-30
• Publisher: Peterson Inst for Intl Economics

Summary

Immigration is an issue capable of dividing otherwise like-minded people. Identify a group whose members tend to agree on political issues?liberals, conservatives, isolationists, internationalists, environmentalists, free marketers?and one will tend to find that within the group there is no strong majority opinion about US immigration policy. This important new book examines how public finance shapes individual preferences towards immigration policy in the United States.

Table of Contents

Preface	ix
Executive Summary	xi
Acknowledgments	xiii
1 Introduction	1	(10)
Sources of Political Opposition to Immigration	3	(2)
A Tale of Two Governors	5	(2)
Noneconomic Factors and Attitudes Toward Immigration	7	(4)
2 US Immigration Policy and Recent Immigration Trends	11	(16)
Overview of US Immigration Policy	11	(7)
Recent Trends in US Immigration	18	(9)
3 Immigrant Demands on Public Benefits	27	(14)
Immigrant and Native Use of Welfare Programs	27	(5)
Variation in Welfare Use by State	32	(4)
The Costs and Benefits of Immigration	36	(5)
4 Public Preferences on Immigration Policy	41	(14)
Individual Preferences on Immigration Policy	42	(3)
Public Opinion on Immigration	45	(10)
5 Reforming US Immigration Policy	55	(12)
Proposals for Immigration Reform	56	(2)
A Skills-Based Immigration Policy	58	(2)
A Rights-Based Immigration Policy	60	(1)
Employment-Based Admission and Expanded Temporary Immigration	61	(6)
References	67	(4)
Index	71