Trade and Immigration

Elite Model: public policy is a reflection of the interests and values of the elites

-they may determine the direction of public policy while the massses are apatetic/disengaged

International trade has expanded rapidly

In 2022, imports and exports were about 27% of US GDP

Leading trading partners of the US include China, Canada, Mexico, Japan, Germany, and Great Britian

Changing Elite Prefrences for World Trade

Tarrifs: Taxes on Forieng Imports

Before WWII tarrifs of 30-50%

-Protected US manufactueres and elminated foreign competition

-American consumers paid higher prices and had less choice

Less competitve firms were able to sruvive and even prosper

Us Steel, automobile, and electrical appliance industries grew powerful, economically,and politically

Quotas: specific amount of a good that is allowed to be sold in the US market

Also protect domestic manufactuers

Do not bring any revenuse to US governemnt

Foreign firms with permits to sell from State Department reap benefts

Protectionism: barriers to trade like tarrifs and quotas

Critics: raise prices for Americans, directs capital and labor away from most productive uses: other nations may reatliate

US Multinationals:

After WWII, US firms had dominant position and sought to lower barriers to tradae; lobbied for reduced tarrifs

Elite Gains from Trade

Comparative Advantage: advantage in producing a certain good; specialization in goods with lower relative cots allows for mutually beneficail trade; trade shifts resouces in each nation towards what it does best

Benefits from Trade: cheaper goods available to consumers in US; export industries directly benefit from opening of markets to them and indirectly benefit from foreigners selling goods in US as they now have US dollars to spend; competition makes markets more efficient; allows for faster flow of ideas and techonology; access to more goods

competition leads to the biggest economic pie possible

The World Trade Organization

GATT- Multinational General Agreement on Tarrifs and Trade, created after WWII: successfull in opening in the US to trade big reduction in Tarrifs

Series of GATT rounds developed rules and regulations around trade - some 30,000 pages

the world trade organization described itself as a “democratic“ organization that works to improve welfare through trade but highest decision making body is made up of nations trade representatives

anti globalization groups() demonstrate at WTO meetings and criticize failuares to protect labor, environment, and human rights

-currently 166 members nations including Russia and China

International Monetary Fund and World Bank

IMF: facilities international trade by allowing nations to borrow money to stabilize their balance and trade payments IMF may condition loans for economically weak countries on certain requirements(reduced spending, higher tax)

North American Free Trade Agreement: US, Canada, and Mexico signed in 1993; removed nearly all tarrifs over 10-15 years and allowed for banking/insurance/financial servies to cross borders; increased trade

Central America Free Trade Agreement; attempt to get free trade area of the Americas failed opponents argued would drive down wage, lower environmental and labor protections, increase poverty, etc. in a race to the bottom so instead us worked to form CAFTA in 2008

Anti Dumping Policy

-the sale of foreign goods in the US market at prices below those charged in home market, selling well below the home market price

It is a way to introduce a new product in the market and also a way to undercut other producers; once other producers are forced to shut down, the firm raises their prices and it becomes a monopoly

Elite Gains from Trade

Trade Deficits: difference between imports and exports; made up of transfer of American dollars, government bonds etc to foreign fimrs; us banks and the treasury benefit from trade deficit(it means that foreign firms/govts/etc are accepting US currency) and make it easier for US government to fund it’s deficit; interest payments on this part of the antional debt flow out of the country

Retreat form Free trade

Fast Track

commitment from Congress to vote on negotiatied with trade agreements

Trans Pacific Partnership

-trade agreement with eleven Asian and Pacific countries; US Signed but did not ratify; Trump withdrew US in 2017

Mass Losses from Trade

Global trade has raised aggregate income for the nation but simultaneously worsened inequality

Trade espically with less developed nations, creates competition for American workers - US firms can raise captial and tech investments, but eventually cannot compete with low wages of other countires

Elite Mass Differece Over Immigration

Immigrants tend to take jobs in industries that Americans do not want; are
more likely to start their own business

Cultural Conflict: elites tend to view immigration in economic terms while middle class tend to view it in cultural terms; most Americans themselves are descendants of immigrants, but many believe today’s immigrants are “diffrent”

Elite Support of Immigration

Industry groups that benefit from availability of immigrants have led fight to perserve immigration

Ex: large agri/business benefits from flow of cheap labor to harvest crops, including other sectors like clothing, construction, resturants, etc. all industries that benefit from cheap labor

National Immigration Policy

Immigration is the responbility of the national government, congress did not pass legislation restricting entry into the US until 1882

Anti immigration sentiment led to the comprehensive Immigration Act of 1921 which set a max number of immigrants per year and quotas by country

-directed at large wave of southern and eastern European, Catholic, and Jewish immigrants that entered US Prior to WWI

-national origin quota aboished with the Immigration Act of 1965, replaced with prefrence catergoies

Simpson Mazzoli Act put responsiblity on employers with fines and hring unauthorized immigrants; allowed employes to accept

Catergories of Immigrantion Policy

Legal Immigrants

-lawful permanent residents or permamnet residents, admitted to US on basis of job skills or most coming as family members of people legally residing in US

Refugees and Aslyees

-persons admitted to the US because of well founded fear of persecution due to race, religon, nationality, poltiical opinion or membership in a social group, may work in US and are eligble

Parolees

-temporary protected status, persons admitted to US for humanitatrian for medical reasons

Legalized Aliens

-formely unathourized immigrants given amnest under the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986

-may work in US are eligble

Nonimmigrants

-people awareded visatas to enter the US for business or pleasure, time limits on visas, students, temporary workers, trainees

Illegal Immigration

around 11 million unauthorized immigrants in US

cross border or enter ports with false documentation; overstay tourist or visitor visas

fifth and fourteeth amedments require every person be afforded due process of law; ICE can turn people back at border, coast guad intercept at sea

Entitled to a fair hearing before being deported

Immigration and Federalism

-although federal government has power over immigration policy, immigrations have important impact on states

Legal and Illegal immigration is concetrated in a few states: california, hawaii, new york, florida, and texas have highes proportions

The supreme court mandated that sate and local governments cannot exclude legal or illegal immigrants from public education

In 2010 Arizona passed its own illegal immigration law making it state crime to be in the country illegally; superme court agreeed with US justic department that federal immiration laws preempt any state laws; thus, states cannot make illegal immigration a state crime, cannot arrest unathorized immigrant, cannot

Border Enforcement: no program of immigration reform can be successfull without securing borders

Involves controversial measures; policy of catch and release transformed into a policy of catch and return; unauthorized immigrants convicted of a crime deported immediately after serving prison sentences

Workplace Enforment: to deter illegal immigration, additional measures should be put into place to deter business from hiring unauthorized immigrants

Reform efforts envisions making E verify required for all employes

DREAM ACT: congress failed developemtn relief and education for Alien Minors Act of 2010

popular; would have provided permanent residency to children who arrie in the US illegaly

-would have been required to have arrived in the US before age 16 reside in the US for five

Comprehensive Immigration Return: US sentate passed bipartisan comprehensive reform bill in 2013

Path to Citzenship: path to eventual citzenship for unauthorized immigrants

Stronger broder control and law enforcment: double CBP, additional fencing along border

Merit Based Visas: reorient visa granting away from family relationships and toward employment qualitfications

Agricultural guest worker program: temprary visas for seasonal work

Opposition: legal status to unauthorized immigrants amounts to amnesty; fear that obama admin would not enforce stronger border control; border must come under control before congress considers any legalization efforts

Personal Statement

I remember my first day at Jacksonville University, I was sitting in my first geography class and we we’re asked to introduce our major, year, where we were from. I spoke what I thought was my speaking voice “My name is Belle and I am from Long Beach California, freshman and I am studying Enviornmental Science.“ To my suprise, the professor said “we don’t have that here,