Gary Freeman

Immigration and Comparative Politics Gov 365N, 38058

This course explores some of the profound global developments that threaten the future of liberal democratic societies. Among these are unprecedented mass population movements, alarming demographic trends, growing awareness of environmental pressures, simmering religious/cultural conflicts, and the scientific earthquake taking place in biology and related scientific fields that challenge long-held beliefs about human nature and undermine cherished assumptions about the possibility of democracy, social peace, and the idea of progress itself.

Public debate on immigration policy in the USA and elsewhere tends to be narrowly constrained in both available policy options and the language in which the issue is discussed. Should immigration be freer or more tightly controlled, should immigration policy select for skill, or give preference to the kin of immigrants already in Europe? Policy makers and elites have tended to assume (or simply hope) that the new residents of their countries can be integrated in such a way as to preserve major elements of their cultures while at the same time inculcating respect for democratic values: this, despite the fact that the vast majority of migrants have scant acquaintance with the norms of liberal democracy.

The migration of populations from the third world into the rich democracies of Europe, North America, and Australasia is bringing about enormous changes that are rarely appreciated or even noted in public discussions of the rights and wrongs of immigration.  When today’s migration is conjoined with declining birth rates in the West and exploding fertility in the Non-Western immigrant source countries, it is fundamentally altering the ethnic, religious, cultural, and political composition of the populations of Western democracies.

Requirements:

Attendance: Students are required to attend class and class attendance and participation will account for 20 percent of your grade.

Exams: There will be NO exams.

Writing Assignments: Students are asked to write four papers. Each will deal with the subjects of the readings required and suggested for the last four of the five sections of the course. The specific topics from which you will select just one for your essays are included in the syllabus just after the required and suggested readings. This is meant to help you select which, if any, of the suggested readings you wish to explore. Papers will be no more than 3 pages long and will be graded according to how seriously you dig into the questions the topic poses. Excellent papers will deal with the required readings but use of the suggested readings is purely optional.

Extra Credit: Students may earn extra credit on their final course average by submitting a one page report on a public lecture you attend whose topic is salient to the course material and has been either designated by the instructor as eligible for extra credit or approved by the instructor upon your request. One point will be rewarded for each report up to a total of just three points.

Grades will be computed in the following manner:

Paper 1                       20

Paper 2                       20

Paper 3                       20

Paper 4                       20

Class participation        20

Total                           100

Total possible with 3 extra credit points:  103

TEXTS:

There are no texts to be purchased. All required and suggested readings will be posted on Canvas and can be read there or downloaded and printed. 

Description:

Major changes are taking place in the Western world. The end twenty-five ago of the cold war and the disappearance of the Soviet Union and the Eastern bloc over which it held sway gave birth to what now appear to be absurdly premature celebrations of the End of History, the victory of liberal democracy, and the commencement of an era of peace and prosperity in which alternatives to liberal capitalism no longer existed.

 This course explores only a few but profound developments that threaten to give the lie to these more optimistic scenarios of our future. Among these are mass population movements, demographic trends, and religious/cultural conflicts that promise to intensify old cleavages and sharpen new ones. Briefly, migration of populations from the third world into the rich democracies of Europe, North America, and Australasia are bringing about enormous changes that, when conjoined to declining birth rates in the West and exploding fertility in immigrant source countries, amount to “replacement migration” that inevitably will result in the fundamental alteration of the ethnic, religious, cultural, and political composition of Western democracies. The common assumption that Western nations were embarked on an irreversible journey to secularism and the marginalization of religion has run up against a religious revival among Christians and a serious challenge from Islam that has flourished in the wake of immigration and demographic realities. Immigrants to the west bring with them political traditions that bear scant resemblance to democratic institutions considered the highest achievement of Western governance.

These developments undermine many cherished assumptions about the nature of modernity, which in their own way both soviet communism and liberal capitalism had claimed as their own.

Grading criteria:  3 exams, a mix of short answer and essay, each accounting for 25% of your grade; a term paper that accounts for the remaining 25%.

Texts: there will be no texts for this course. Instead, excerpts available on line will be assigned so that text expenses should be nil.

Readings will come from sources of the following sort:

Huntington, The Clash of Civilizations

Kaufmann, Shall the Religious Inherit the Earth?

Jenkins, God’s Continent: Christianity, Islam, and Europe’s Religious Crisis

Caldwell, Reflections on the Revolution in Europe

Scheffer, Immigrant Nations

Hampshire, The Politics of Immigration

Kenworthy, Social Democratic America

Collier, Exodus: How MIgration is Changing the World

Wright, The Moral Animal

Wright, Non-Zero: The Logic of Human Destiny

Wright, The Evolution of God

Gray, Al Quedda and What it Means to be Modern

Gray, The Silence of Animals: On Progress and Other Modern Myths

Gray, False Dawn

Gray, Straw Dogs

Gray, Black Mass

Clark, The Son Also Rises: Surnames and the History of Social Mobility

Siedentop, Democracy in Europe

Lacorne, Religion in America: a Political History

Flannery, The Future Eaters

Scruton, The West and the Rest

Sruton, England: An Elegy

Salter, On Genetic Interests: Family, Ethnicity, and Humanity in an Age of Mass Migration

Minogue, Alien Powers: The Pure Theory of Ideology

Minogue, The Servile Mind: How Democracy Erodes the Moral Life

Savianio, Gommorah

Dyson, Disturbing the Universe

Fallaci, The Rage and the Pride

Houellebecq, The Elementary Particles

Kagan, Of Paradise and Power

Leonard, Why Europe will run the 21st Century

Ramadan, Western and athe Future of Islam

Hirsi Ali, Nomad

Goodhart, The British Dream

Piketty, Capital

Emmott, 10 Billion

Phillips, The World Turned Upside Down: The Global Battle over God, Truth, and Power

Course Description

This course concentrates on the politics of immigration in two continental settings:  Western Europe and North America. We will focus on Western Europe in the period after the Second World War when millions of foreigners moved to Britain, France, Germany and other European countries to take jobs during the great economic expansion that lasted for nearly 40 years. Since the mid-seventies European states have sought to discourage most immigration for work and permanent residence and have been grappling with the consequences of previous movements. In recent years considerable responsibility for immigration policy has been transferred from states to the European Union, a development with major implications.

The leading country of immigration in the world, the US has experienced major demographic changes and considerable political conflict over immigration for the last several decades. This section of the course, in addition to giving you factual background on US migration flows, will focus on arguments for and against current policies and discussion of major policy reform proposals.

Grading Policy

1. Attendance:  5%
2. Two Exams: 70%
3. Writing Assignments: 25%

Texts

Readings, posted on blackboard or available in a printed course booklet.

Please check back for updates.

Prerequisite: Six semester hours of lower-division coursework in government.

Description:

This course will concentrate on the politics of immigration in two continental settings:  Western Europe and North America. We will focus on Western Europe in the period after the Second World War when millions of foreigners moved to Britain, France, Germany and other European countries to take jobs during the great economic expansion that lasted for nearly 40 years. In Europe more than America, the rapid growth of the Muslim population poses troubling issues. Secondly, we will look at immigration policy and politics in the USA. The leading country of immigration in the world, the US has experienced major demographic changes and considerable political conflict over immigration for the last several decades. This section of the course, in addition to giving you factual background on US migration flows, will focus on arguments for and against current policies and discussion of major policy reform proposals.

In sum, this class deals with the political and cultural consequences of immigration, religion, and demography.

Requirements:  

Attendance: Attendance is worth up to 5 points out of the one hundred possible on your final course average.

Exams: There will be two multiple choice  exams during regular class periods spaced at about the end of the first half of the course and on May 4 the last day of class.

Writing Assignments: Two short essays will be required.

Extra credit: Students may earn extra credit on their final course average by attending and submitting a page to page and a half report on a public lecture given on campus whose topic is salient to the course material and either designated by the instructor as eligible for extra credit or approved by the instructor upon your request. One point will be rewarded for each report up to a total of just two points.

Grades will be computed in the following manner:

Attendance        05

Exam 1              25

Exam 2              25   

Essay 1              20

Essay 2              25

Total                 100

Possible extra credit for attending and reporting on outside lectures, 02

TEXTS:

Christopher Caldwell, Reflections on the Revolution in Europe: Immigration, Islam, and the West, Doubleday, paper  Robert Koulish, Immigration and American Democracy: Subverting the Rule of Law, Routledge, paper

Please check back for updates.

Prerequisite: Six semester hours of lower-division coursework in government.

Course Description:
This course will focus on the political sources and consequences of global migration. It will concentrate on the politics of immigration in two continental settings:  Western Europe and North America. We will focus on Western Europe in the period after the Second World War when millions of foreigners moved to Britain, France, Germany and other European countries to take jobs during the great economic expansion that lasted for nearly 40 years. Secondly, we will look at immigration policy and politics in the USA. The leading country of immigration in the world, the US has experienced major demographic changes and considerable political conflict over immigration for the last several decades.  

Grading Policy and Requirements:  
Attendance: Students are expected to:  (1) keep up with the reading as it is assigned and (2) attend class. Students will be asked to sit in the same seat each day to facilitate the learning of names by the instructor and class members. To encourage class attendance roll will be taken. Attendance is worth up to 5 points out of the one hundred possible on your final course average.

Exams: There will be three exams during regular class periods spaced at about the end of the first and second thirds of the course and on December 8, the final scheduled class for the semester. Each exam will cover only the material since the previous exam. Exams will be a mixture of multiple choice items and essay, with some choice as to the exact mix.

Writing Assignment: Each student is required to prepare four short (two pages) essays that address one of the issues the instructor will provide at specified dates in the syllabus. These essays are meant to lay out normative arguments about nettlesome issues in immigration politics.
Extra credit: Students may earn up  to two points extra credit on their final course average by attending and submitting a page to page and a half report on a public lecture given on campus.

Grades will be computed in the following manner:
Attendance         05
Exam 1        25                    
Exam 2        25            
Exam 3    25
Essays (5pts ea)    20
Total    100

Provisional Texts:
Terry Givens, Gary P. Freeman, and David L. Leal, eds., Immigration Policy and Security: U.S., European, and Commonwealth Perspectives. New York: Routledge, 2008.

Anthony M. Messina, The Logics and Politics of Post-WWII Migration to Western Europe. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2007.

Please check back for updates.

Prerequisite: Six semester hours of lower-division coursework in government.

Government 312L satisfies the second half of the mandated six hours of government that every UT student must take.  Course covers analysis of varying topics concerned with American political institutions and policies, including the United States Constitution, and assumes basic knowledge of government from GOV 310L, which is a prerequiste. May be taken for credit only once.

Europe has experienced a remarkable transformation in the last century: from the mass destruction of World War II to the emergence of prosperous multiparty democracies, from the erection of the Iron Curtain to the fall of the Berlin Wall, from centuries-long divisions to a European Union of 28 states that stretches from Lisbon to Bucharest to Helsinki. Many of us know this recent past from history books, others have visited the other side of the Atlantic for vacation or study. But despite our apparent familiarity with our transatlantic neighbors, the governments and politics of Europe often remain unfamiliar. How exactly does a parliament work? Why are there so many political parties? How can governments just call new elections? How do European democracies compare with one another, and with the United States? European politics becomes even more mystifying when discussing the European Union, an entity encompassing 28 member states, over 500 million people, and one of the world’s largest economies. What is the European Union exactly? Is it an international organization, a federation of countries, or something else entirely? Who actually makes the decisions for Europe today?

This course will seek to answer to all of these questions by focusing on the major political, social, and economic dynamics shaping contemporary European politics. In the first part of the course, we will examine the historical origins of contemporary European politics, the features of parliamentary government, multiparty democracy and electoral systems, and other essentials of European politics today. We will highlight how these operate in a number of country contexts, but especially Great Britain, France, and Germany. The second half of the course will provide students with a detailed introduction to the European Union, including its tumultuous history, its decision-making institutions, and its relations with member states and the international community. Finally, the course will conclude with an investigation of some major policy issues and challenges in Europe today, notably the Euro crisis, European integration and enlargement, immigration, and European foreign policy.

Please check back for updates.

Prerequisite: Six semester hours of lower-division coursework in government.

Government 312L satisfies the second half of the mandated six hours of government that every UT student must take.  Course covers analysis of varying topics concerned with American political institutions and policies, including the United States Constitution, and assumes basic knowledge of government from GOV 310L, which is a prerequiste. May be taken for credit only once.

Please check back for updates.

Government 312L satisfies the second half of the mandated six hours of government that every UT student must take.  Course covers analysis of varying topics concerned with American political institutions and policies, including the United States Constitution, and assumes basic knowledge of government from GOV 310L, which is a prerequiste. May be taken for credit only once.

Please check back for updates.

Government 312L satisfies the second half of the mandated six hours of government that every UT student must take.  Course covers analysis of varying topics concerned with American political institutions and policies, including the United States Constitution, and assumes basic knowledge of government from GOV 310L, which is a prerequiste. May be taken for credit only once.

Europe has experienced a remarkable transformation in the last century: from the mass destruction of World War II to the emergence of prosperous multiparty democracies, from the erection of the Iron Curtain to the fall of the Berlin Wall, from centuries-long divisions to a European Union of 28 states that stretches from Lisbon to Bucharest to Helsinki. Many of us know this recent past from history books, others have visited the other side of the Atlantic for vacation or study. But despite our apparent familiarity with our transatlantic neighbors, the governments and politics of Europe often remain unfamiliar. How exactly does a parliament work? Why are there so many political parties? How can governments just call new elections? How do European democracies compare with one another, and with the United States? European politics becomes even more mystifying when discussing the European Union, an entity encompassing 28 member states, over 500 million people, and one of the world’s largest economies. What is the European Union exactly? Is it an international organization, a federation of countries, or something else entirely? Who actually makes the decisions for Europe today?

This course will seek to answer to all of these questions by focusing on the major political, social, and economic dynamics shaping contemporary European politics. In the first part of the course, we will examine the historical origins of contemporary European politics, the features of parliamentary government, multiparty democracy and electoral systems, and other essentials of European politics today. We will highlight how these operate in a number of country contexts, but especially Great Britain, France, and Germany. The second half of the course will provide students with a detailed introduction to the European Union, including its tumultuous history, its decision-making institutions, and its relations with member states and the international community. Finally, the course will conclude with an investigation of some major policy issues and challenges in Europe today, notably the Euro crisis, European integration and enlargement, immigration, and European foreign policy.

Government 312L satisfies the second half of the mandated six hours of government that every UT student must take.  Course covers analysis of varying topics concerned with American political institutions and policies, including the United States Constitution, and assumes basic knowledge of government from GOV 310L, which is a prerequiste. May be taken for credit only once.

Please check back for updates.

Please check back for updates.

Government 312L satisfies the second half of the mandated six hours of government that every UT student must take.  Course covers analysis of varying topics concerned with American political institutions and policies, including the United States Constitution, and assumes basic knowledge of government from GOV 310L, which is a prerequiste. May be taken for credit only once.

Please check back for updates.

Please check back for updates.

Government 312L satisfies the second half of the mandated six hours of government that every UT student must take.  Course covers analysis of varying topics concerned with American political institutions and policies, including the United States Constitution, and assumes basic knowledge of government from GOV 310L, which is a prerequiste. May be taken for credit only once.

Please check back for updates.

Government 312L satisfies the second half of the mandated six hours of government that every UT student must take.  Course covers analysis of varying topics concerned with American political institutions and policies, including the United States Constitution, and assumes basic knowledge of government from GOV 310L, which is a prerequiste. May be taken for credit only once.

Please check back for updates.

Please check back for updates.

Government 312L satisfies the second half of the mandated six hours of government that every UT student must take.  Course covers analysis of varying topics concerned with American political institutions and policies, including the United States Constitution, and assumes basic knowledge of government from GOV 310L, which is a prerequiste. May be taken for credit only once.

Please check back for updates.

Please check back for updates.