PECN 497:

The Political Economy of Migration

Immigration is one of the premier policy issues of our time. While this is true throughout the world, in both rich and poor countries and at the international level, it is a particularly difficult issue in the United States. On the one hand, the US is a nation of immigrants, not just as a matter of fact, but as an essential part of its national ideology (“give us your tired, your poor, ...). With the exception of the indigenous people of North America, we are all something-Americans. On the other hand, a large influx of migrants, especially from a small number of places, especially when those places are different than the places earlier groups of migrants came from, create economic, social, and political stress. Current concerns with migration (especially in the Southwest) find strong parallels the with 19^th century politics of migration. Thus, in an attempt to see the contemporary relevance of our economic history and to gain historical perspective on a difficult current issue, we will study both the late-19^th and late-20^th century migration waves. In the first part of the course we will focus on the economics of migration and turn to the political-economy of migration in the second part of the course.

Although this is not a course on international economics, microeconomic tools will be used extensively in our analysis. Thus, Economics 301 is a prerequisite. While not required, a course on the application of microeconomics to the study of international trade (e.g. Econ 433) will make your life easier.

The main readings for this course will be drawn from:

National Research Council (1997). The New Americans: Economic, Demographic and Fiscal Effects of Migration. Washington, DC: National Academy Press. [NRC]

T. Hatton and J. Williamson (1998). The Age of Mass Migration: Causes and Economic Impact. New York: Oxford University Press. [Hatton/Williamson]

M.A. Jones (1992). American Immigration. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. [Jones]

A. Portes and R. Rumbaut (1990). Immigrant America: A Portrait. Berkeley: University of California Press. [Portes/Rumbaut]

N. Miller (1994). Arguing Immigration: Are New Immigrants a Wealth of Diverstiy ... or a Crushing Burden? New York: Touchstone. [Arguing Immigration]

Evaluation of Performance: This course is a seminar. That means active participation from all students in every class. So that you will be able to discuss the issues and the readings, every member of the seminar is responsible for having read all of the reqired material by the class in which it is to be discussed. There is a substantial amount of reading, so it is essential that you keep current with the reading. In addition to class participation, your performance in this course will be evaluated on the basis of:

1) One Mid-term examination (100 points);

2) Three short papers (100 points, each paper weighted 1/3); and

3) A final essay–question distributed on the last day of class and due final date here. (60 points).

To receive an A, you must earn at least 270 points out of the total of 300 points available. To pass the course you must earn at least 120 total points. Grades between these limits will be determined on the basis of your performance relative to that of the class as a whole.

With regard to the midterm examination. The midterm examination will be made up of a number of identification and short-answer questions, and an essay question that asks you to synthesize material from the part of the course immediately preceding the examination. The midterm examination will be given only on Thursday, date here at 2:00 pm. Do not make travel or other plans that conflict with either date.

With regard to the short papers. The first writing assignment will be discussed in detail the first day of class. The other two will be reaction papers. A reaction paper is a short paper discussing some aspect of the relevant debate. In the reaction paper you must explicitly discuss all of the readings for that topic and evaluate some aspect of their discussion. Note: “evaluate” does not mean “agree or disagree with” but, rather, means identify the source of some disagreement between authors, explain why you think the disagreement is interesting/important, and explain why (given the arguments and evidence developed in the readings) one of the positions dominates the other. The reaction papers are due in class on the date we discuss the readings, late papers will not be accepted and will earn a grade of zero.

With regard to the final essay. Instead of an in-class final examination, I will distribute an essay question dealing with the material covered in the second part of the course. The topic will be broadly synthetic, and will contain parts that require you to draw on all main sections in that poart of the course. The question will be distributed on 10 December, your essays will be due in class on 19 December, late papers will not be accepted and will earn a grade of zero. I expect the essay to be in the 5 to 7 page range, and definitely not to exceed 10 pages.

Syllabus: PECN 497

I. Introduction and Background

Week 1: Course Introduction

•NRC, Chapter 1 and 2

•Hatton/Williamson, Chapter 2

•Arguing Immigration, Section 1

Week 2: Early History of US Migration

•Jones, Chapters 1-6

II. The Decision to Emmigrate

Week 1: Some General Issues in Emmigration

•Portes/Rumbaut, Chapters 1 and 2

Week 2: Detailed Analysis of the 19^th Century Case

•Hatton/Williamson, Chapters 3-6

III. The Effects of Economic Effects of Immigration

Week 1: Some Basic Analytics

•NRC, Chapter 4

Week 2: Labor Market Effects in the 19^th Century

•Jones, Chapters 7-9

•Hatton/Williamson, Chapters 7 and 8

Week 3: Evidence on Contemporary Labor Market Effects

•Jones, Chapters 10 and 11

•NRC, Chapter 5

•Portes/Rumbaut, Chapter 3

IV. Political Economy of Migration

Week 1: Fiscal Effects of Migration

•NRC, Chapters 6 and 7

Week 2: Cultural Consequences of Migration, continued

•Arguing Immigration, Sections III and 4

Week 3: Cultural Consequences of Migration

•NRC, Chapter 8

•Portes/Rumbaut, Chapters 4-7

Week 4: Making Migration Policy

•C. Goldin (1994). “The Political Economy of Immigration Restriction in the US”. In C. Goldin and G. Liebcap, eds. The Regulated Econom y: A Historical Approach to Political Economy. Chicago: University of Chicago Press/NBER, pp. 223-257.

•A. Timmer and J. Williamson (1997). “Racism, Xenophobia or Markets? The Political Economy of Immigration Policy Prior to the Thirties”. NBER Working Paper, #5867.

•W. Shughart, R. Tollison, and M. Kimenyi (1986). "The Political Economy of Immigration Restrictions". Yale Journal of Regulation; V.4-#?, pp. 79-97.

•B.L. Lowell, F. Bean and R. de la Garza (1986). “Undocumented Immigration: An Analysis of the 1984 Simpson-Mazzoli Vote”. Social Science Quarterly; V.67-#1, pp. 118-127.

V. Trade, Migration, and the World Economy

•Hatton/Williamson

Final Essay due:

Week 2: Comparative Political Economy of Migration Policy–US v. Canada

•H. Duleep and M. Regets (1991). “Some Evidence on the Effect of Admission Criteria on Immigrant Assimilation: The Earnings Profiles of Asian Immigrants in Canada and the US”. in B. Chiswick, ed. Immigration, Language and Ethnicity: Canada and the US. Washington, DC: AEI.

•G. Borjas (1993). “Immigration Policy, National Origin, and Immigrant Skills: A Comparison of Canada and the US”. In D. Card and R. Freeman, eds. Small Differences That Matter: Labor Marekt and Income Maintenance in Canada and the US. Chicago: U of C Press/NBER, Pp. 21-43.

•A. Green and D. Green (1995). “Canadian Immigration Policy: The Effectiveness of the Point System and Other Instruments”. CJE; V.28-#4b, pp. 1006-1041.