and Immigration Public Policy, Fall, 2005
Immigration and Public Policy 3 credits Instructor: Katherine Fennelly Grading Basis: A/F or S/N Anticipated Audience: MPP, MPA and MSW students Prerequisites: Graduate student or instructor consent Cross Listings: Family policy minor with School of Social Work and Human Rights Minor Course Description: Issues of international migration and the integration of immigrants and refugees are among the most important public policy questions of our age. The purpose of this course is to teach students to employ an analytical framework to the analysis of a current immigration policy proposal. The framework to be applied is Eugene Bardachs Practical Guide for Policy Analysis (Chatham House Publishers, 2000). Particular immigration topics will vary. For fall, 2005 the topic will be an analysis of the Presidents Guest Worker proposal and Democratic alternative proposals. Course outcomes: After taking this course students will be able to: 1. Define and research a current public policy issue related to immigration 2. Assemble and evaluate the evidence supporting opposing views on the issue 3. Design and defend a policy proposal that addresses the selected issue 4. Make a clear and convincing public presentation of their policy proposal Course Outline and readings Course outcomes: After taking this course students will be able to: 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Define and research a current public policy issue related to immigration Assemble and evaluate the evidence supporting opposing views on the issue Write a policy brief on an aspect of the issue Design and defend their policy brief Make a clear and convincing public presentation of a policy proposal
Course Text: Bardach, Eugene (2000) A Practical Guide for Policy Analysis: The Eightfold Path to More Effective Problem Solving. Chatham House Publishers, New York. Packet Readings: Course packets will be available for purchase at the Bookstore. Some other readings will be distributed in class.
Assignments and Grading:
Grading Basis: A/F (including + or grades) or S/N Incomplete Grade: To receive an "I", the student must contact the instructor before the last day of class to request permission. The instructor and student should discuss specific guidelines, conditions, and/or time limits for course completion, and the consequences of failure to complete outstanding coursework. (See HHH Student Manual for more detail). Grading weights: Class participation: 25% Class participation means class attendance and participation in discussions. Contributions to the discussion are assessed based upon relevance, grounding in the readings, and respect for the class norms. Weekly posted comments on reading: 35% Each week students are required to post a brief paragraph on the course web site commenting on one of the weeks assigned reading (note that readings and the corresponding postings are to be completed by noon on the day before they are listed on the syllabus). This assignment refers to readings in the required and the course packets, but not to the Bardach text or to other assigned readings. The articles for which a posted comment is due are designated with an asterisk before the authors name in the syllabus below. They are also listed on the WebCT Vista Discussions page Posted comments may address any of the following: an idea that intrigued you, a related experience or a suggestion of good, related sources. The most important thing to remember about the postings is that they are not mini-papers they are brief comments to spark discussion and to demonstrate reflection. Please be sure to read the comments of your classmates before you come to class each week, and feel free to write a brief reply to one or two that interest you. Because we have a relatively large class and many comments to read on the web site, it is important to keep your postings brief and relevant. Postings will be grades on relevance, clarity, evidence of reflection on the reading (rather than repeating or summarizing what was in the article) and whether the assignment was posted on time (no later than noon on the day before each class). Testimony for the Mock Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing: 10% At the beginning of the semester students will be randomly assigned to one of four interest groups that have stated positions on immigration reform: the National Border Patrol Council, the US Chamber of Commerce, the AFL-CIO, or
The Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR). At the end of the term, we will hold a mock hearing of the Senate Judiciary Committee on immigration reform. (see attached detailed schedule of the December 7 hearing). Only one representative from each student interest group will serve as a spokesperson at the hearing, but all group members should contribute to written testimony. Testimony should be written from the perspective of your interest group; for example, it might begin I represent x members of ___ organization, and on behalf of our members . However, the testimony should not be copied verbatim from the organizations actual testimony or publications. Group members grades for the hearing are based on the written testimony and the oral presentation. Although only one student makes the presentation, it is the responsibility of the group to brief and coach him or her so that the presentation is realistic and effective. The group must post an outline of Congressional Testimony on the web site. The complete written testimony must also be posted on the course website, with a paper copy to be handed in to the course instructor. Policy Brief on Immigration Reform (30%) In addition to the group work, each student is required to do individual work, writing a 10-16 double-spaced page policy brief in which you present your own proposal for immigration reform. Note that in this paper you are no longer roleplaying, but are presenting your own analysis of the problem and recommended policies. The final paper is YOUR proposal for immigration reform. It's a chance to propose what you think should occur. It should be informed by (and justified by) data and arguments, but ultimately it can be any proposal that you would like to put forward and can justify. The brief should include: 1. A summary of one of the problems related to undocumented immigration that we have discussed or read about this semester (eg. border security, threats to the jobs of U.S.-born workers, employer exploitation of undocumented workers, etc.). Define the problem in terms of deficits and excesses (see Bardach). This is a brief summary that does not include supporting detail, but should include footnotes to sources that justify your statements. (2-3 pages) 2. Brief summary of the solutions that have been tried in the U.S. or elsewhere to address the problem. Which seem to be most and least promising? (2-3 pages) 3. Description of your proposal. (2-3 pages) 4. What are the likely pitfalls of your proposal (what Bardach calls generic vulnerabilities)? These should be likely policy failures, rather than failures because of political opposition (1-2 pages)
5. How would you try to persuade political or interest groups likely to oppose your proposal? (1-2 pages). 6. Put on a political lens and imagine what it would take for your proposal to pass in Congress, i.e. realistically, what support, alliances and concessions would you need from the White House and the majority party in Congress, and how might you achieve that? (2-3 pages) Class Norms: In this class we will be discussing a number of controversial topics. The purpose of the discussions is to examine and evaluate a wide range of viewpoints. In order to maintain a positive learning environment both the students and the instructor are expected to adhere to the following norms:
Respectful dialogue. You will be encouraged to enter into debates that challenge facts, ideas and underlying assumptions in a respectful manner, without engaging in personal criticism Everyone is expected to participate in class discussions; it is the instructors role to insure that everyones voice is heard. Please assist me by encouraging your quieter classmates to participate, and helping to avoid domination of the conversation by a few. Please do not assume that a students ethnicity or national origin defines his or her position on topics related to immigration, or requires that he or she automatically serve as an ethnic spokesperson. Decisions to voice personal comments and experiences regarding the topics that we discuss should be the result of personal choice, not obligation. Some of the readings and a/v materials that we will be discussing may include offensive statements or assumptions about immigrants. It is important for students to recognize that these materials are included because they form an important part of contemporary political discourse about immigration in the United States. It is our role as public policy professionals to examine the underlying assumptions and to identify distortions and misrepresentations.
Mock Hearing of the US Senate Committee on the Judiciary regarding the SOLVE ACT (Kennedy, Gutierrez,Menendez Immigration Reform Bill) Judiciary Committee Members (HHH faculty members will take these roles names to be announced) Orrin Hatch, Chair Arlen Spector, Rep. Patrick Leahy (ranking Democrat) Edward Kennedy, Dem. Invited testimony from student interest groups: National Border Patrol Council US Chamber of Commerce AFLCIO FAIR Pre-Hearing Process: Each student interest group must post an outline of their testimony on the class website, as well as the complete testimony (8-10 pages). The complete testimony must include a 1-page summary that will be distributed to the Judiciary Committee for the Hearing. Hearing Process: Each group interest should select one spokesperson to give a 3-5 minute summary of the testimony before the Judiciary Committee hearing on 12/7/04. (Students should dress as if they were testifying before the actual Senate Judiciary Committee). Remember that your own testimony will need to be written from the perspective of your interest group, although it should not be copied verbatim from their actual testimony or publications.After the oral presentations, Republicans and Democrats on the Judiciary Committee will pose questions to the speaker. After the testimony and questioning for each of the four groups has been completed, the hearing will be adjourned, and the Judiciary Committee members will take off their Committee hats and comment as faculty memberson the hearing. This will be followed by open comments from the class.
Proposed Course on Immigration and Public Policy: Sessions and Readings 1. Course Overview - class 1 2. Introduction to Bardach Defining the Problem class 2 Reading: Bardach : Introduction and Part I For background on the Congressional Committee process see http://edsitement.neh.gov/view_lesson_plan.asp?id=284 Begin searching for testimony on the SOLVE Act by your interest group and others. This search need not be completed by the next class it should continue over the next few weeks as you begin to plan for the Mock Judiciary Committee Hearing and your written testimony. Some useful sources include the newspaper The Hill, Congressional Weekly, websites of your interest group and a search of the media on Lexis Nexus. Remember that your own testimony will need to be written from the perspective of your interest group, although it should not be copied verbatim from their actual testimony or publications. 3. Proposals for Immigration Reform class 3 Speaker: Steven Thal, Immigration Attorney and Member, AILA and National Board of Trustees of the American Immigration Law Foundation Reading: Jachimowicz, Maia. 2004. Bush Proposes New Temporary Worker Program Migration Information Source. February 1. http://www.migrationinformation.org/Feature/display.cfm?ID=202 Jachimowicz, Maia. 2004. Democrats Introduce Immigration Reform Bill. Migration Information Source. June 1 http://www.migrationinformation.org/feature/display.cfm?ID=232 ALSO OPEN LINK TO READ THE FULL PROVISIONS OF THE SOLVE ACT: go to http://judiciary.senate.gov/hearing_search.cfm and search both testimony and committee member statements on immigration. Read testimony and statements related to President Bush proposal for a Temporary Guest Worker Proposal 4. Defining the Problem Background on US Immigration class 4
Readings:
*Articles from The Economist in the Required Course Packet Bardach: Part II
5. Overview of U.S. Immigration class 5 Reading: *Zhou, Min. Contemporary Immigration and the Dynamics of Race and Ethnicity in: Smelser, Neal, William Julius Wilson and Faith Mitchell (eds). 2001America Becoming: Racial Trends and Their Consequences. National Research Council, National Academy Press, Washington, DC (available in webbased packet and at National Academy Press website: http://books.nap.edu/books/030906838X/html/200.html#pagetop 6. Continued Discussion of U.S. Immigration Reading: Note: you may post a paragraph on any of the following three MPI/MIS articles: MPI Staff. 2004. A New Century: Immigration and the U.S. Migration Information Source. http://www.migrationinformation.org/Profiles/display.cfm?ID=6 MPI Staff. 2003. Unauthorized Immigration to the United States. Migration Information Source. October 1. http://www.migrationpolicy.org/pubs/USImmigrationFacts2003.pdf Papademetriou, Demetrius. 2002 Converging Realities of the US-Mexico Relationship Migration Information Source, July 1 http://www.migrationinformation.org/USfocus/display.cfm?ID=35
7. Mexican Immigration to the U.S. Reading:
chapter 2 in Massey, Douglas S., Jorge Durand and Nolan J. Malone. 2002. Beyond Smoke and Mirrors. New York: Russell Sage Press. (required course packet)
8. Best Practices Research: Guest Worker Proposals Reading: Bardach: Part III *Martin pp. 2-56 on Guest Worker Policies in Martin, Philip: Challenge Paper on Population and Migration Prepared for the Copenhagen Consensus Challenges and Opportunities, March 21. (In web-based reading packet) http://www.copenhagenconsensus.com/Files/Filer/CC/Papers/Population__Migration_070504.pdf 9. Defining Problems Anti-immigrant Perspective *Reading: Huntington http://www.foreignpolicy.com/story/cms.php?story_id=2495 (to be handed out) Also search for reactions to the Huntington article. One example is: http://www.asanet.org/public/immigration.html Peruse the websites of F.A.I.R. http://www.fairus.org/ and Representative Tancredo of Colorado http://www.house.gov/tancredo/ 10. Immigrant Perspective Reading: *Introduction: Crossing Over by Rubn Martnez Metropolitan Books, New York, 2001 (in required packet) 11. Defining the Problem Border Security Issues Reading: *Cooper: 9/11 Comission Urges Immigration and Border Reform In: Migration Information Source, 8/1/04 (in web-based reading packet) http://www.migrationinformation.org/feature/display.cfm?ID=243 AILA Summary of 9/11 Commission Recommendations
http://www.aila.org/fileViewer.aspx?docID=13657 Tamar Jacoby article in NYT http://www.manhattan-institute.org/html/_nyt-immigration_reform.htm 12. Defining Problems Pro-immigrant Perspective Reading: *Practical Politics by Briand, chapters 1&2 (in required packet) 13. Quantifying Problems Reading: *George J. Borjas's Heaven's Door: Immigration Policy and the American Economy (in required packet) Stuart Anderson Muddled Masses http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1568/is_9_31/ai_59199813/print 14. Selecting Criteria: Impacts-- Increase in Undocumented Population Reading: *Orrenius, Pia M. and Madeline Zavodny. 2001. Do amnesty programs encourag...