Ranabr.people.stanford.edu



STANFORD UNIVERSITYDEPARTMENT OF ECONOMICSECONOMICS 15Q, THE ECONOMICS OF IMMIGRATION IN THE US: PAST AND PRESENTWINTER 2018Prerequisite: Economics 1.Instructor: Professor Ran Abramitzky, ranabr@stanford.edu. Class time and location: Tuesdays 12:00-2:50pm, room 160-314.Office hours: Just drop me a line and we’ll schedule a meeting. Course Description: The United States is often perceived as a land of opportunity for immigrants. Yet, both in the past and today, policy makers have expressed concerns that immigrants fail to integrate into US society and lower wages for existing workers. There is an increasingly heated debate about how strict migration policy should be. This debate is rarely based on discussion of facts. This class will review the evidence on historical and contemporary migrant flows. We will discuss some of the major issues in the economics of immigration: who chooses to move to the US; who returns home; the lives of immigrants once they enter the US economy and society; the processes of economic and cultural assimilation; and what effects immigration may have on the local economy, including the effect of immigration on native employment and wages. In each case, we will present studies covering the two main eras of US immigration history, the Age of Mass Migration from Europe (1850-1920) and the recent period of renewed mass migration from Asia and Latin America. The course will include two guest lectures from experts on various topics of immigration.The class will focus on positive (objective and fact-based) rather than normative (subjective and opinion-based) questions. That is, we will discuss some important factual questions that we should know the answers to before forming our opinions, and we will present evidence on these questions, acknowledging (and respecting the fact that) different people may reach different conclusions based on the same evidence. Moreover, the questions we will address aren’t the only important ones, and we will surely miss important questions that economics has less evidence or expertise on. Course Requirements: Reading articles, suggesting discussion questions, and participating in class discussion: 50% of grade. A list of relevant articles is included below (with hyperlinks). You are expected to read each article before class and be ready to participate in a class discussion on the readings. Please send me an email by 5:00pm on Sunday of every week with: (1). 2-3 suggested questions for class discussion related to the readings, and (2). 100-200 words on what are the most interesting things you learned from of the readings and your thoughts/reflections about them. I will put together an outline for class discussion based on your questions. Missing three or more class sessions will result in an automatic failure.Leading two class discussions: 15% of the grade. In the second part of each class, I will ask one or two students to help me lead a discussion of the readings. Each “student leader” will talk for 5 minutes about what they have learned from the readings and their thoughts/reflections, and then pose their 1-2 discussion questions for the whole class to weigh in on. Sign-ups for leading discussions will be made available the first day of class (please choose the two classes you would like to lead). Writing a short policy memo: 25% of grade. For the final project, students will write a policy memo (no longer than 5 pages) on an immigration policy topic. You should feel free (in fact encouraged) to work on your policy memo in pairs. The policy memo can take various forms, for example a congressional testimony with a proposed change to US immigration policy, or a policy brief that evaluates the economic logic of a certain historical or current immigration policy, or the lessons from a specific historical immigration episode, or a proposal for original research on an immigration topic. You should come to talk to me about your suggested topic as soon as possible. Please email me your final policy memo by 5:00pm on Sunday March 11. See the end of the syllabus for guidelines on writing the memo and a list of suggested topics.Presenting your policy memo in a “Congressional hearing”: 10% of the grade. In our last class, on March 13, we will have a fun game – we will pretend that we are the Joint Economic Committee of the US Congress in a special panel on “immigration policy in the US”. I will be the Congress Representative who chairs the Committee. You will be called as an expert to testify before congress (i.e. summarizing and discussing your policy memo). Each student (or pair of students) will give a 5-minute oral testimony in class, followed by 5 minutes of questions by the Congress Representative (me…), followed by 10 minutes of questions and discussion from the other panelists (the class…). See the end of the syllabus for guidelines on congressional testimony presentations. Course rules: This course will touch on topics that may be personal and sensitive to many in our community, and there will surely be a diversity of opinions by members of the class. I encourage you to be open to multiple perspectives and expect that everyone’s opinions be respected. Inflammatory language or personal attacks will not be tolerated. I want everyone to feel comfortable sharing their ideas in this class and am always available to talk during office hours if any personal concerns arise during class discussions. Economics Department Common Course Policies: All courses taught in the Stanford Department of Economics are governed by a common set of course management rules. A document explaining these rules is included on our coursework website, and on the Economics Department website at . Class schedule: Class 1 (January 9)Part I: Introductions; course goals and overviewPart II: Lecture on “why studying the economics of immigration in the US?”Class 2 (January 16)Part I: Lecture on “immigration in historical perspective: International migration patterns since 1600”Who were the first settlers to the United States? What were the driving factors behind the Age of Mass Migration from Europe in the early 20th century? How has US immigration policy changed over time? We will cover the timeline of historical immigration policies and discuss the reasoning behind immigration policy decisions as well as the impact immigration policy has had throughout US history. Part II: Student-led discussion of readingsAbramitzky Ran and Leah Boustan “Immigration in American History,” with Leah Boustan, Journal of Economic Literature (2017), pages 1-11 [link]Holt, H. (Ed.). (1906).?The life stories of undistinguished Americans as told by themselves. J. Pott. [PDFs of these readings will be made available]The life story of an Italian bootblack (pg. 47 – 62) The life story of a Greek peddler (pg. 63 – 79) The life story of a French dressmaker (pg. 99 – 124) Optional readings:“Past Immigrants Had It Easier Than Today’s Newcomers,” Voice of America (2015) [link]“Americans think immigrants used to pull themselves up by their bootstraps. That’s wrong,” VOX (2015) [link]Class 3 (January 23)Part I: Lecture on “immigration today: Recent period of renewed migration from Asian and Latin America” Who immigrate to the US today? What is the process of immigrating to the US? What are the different types of immigration visas? How has immigration policy changed in the US since 1950? We will cover current US immigration policy, including recent policy changes and ongoing debates on undocumented immigrants and refugees. Part II: Student-led discussion of readingsNational Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, “The economic and fiscal consequences of immigration,” National Academies Press (2017), pages 1-13 [link] [note: you will have to insert your email to download this report]Jens Krogstad, Jeffrey Passel and D’vera Cohn, “5 facts about illegal immigration in the U.S.,” Pew Research Center (2017) [link]Tepperman, Jonathan, “Canada’s Ruthlessly Smart Immigration Policy.” The New York Times, (2017). [link]Optional reading:“Immigrants to America are better educated than ever before.” The Economist, (2017). [link]Class 4 (January 30)Part I: Lecture on “who chooses to immigrate?” How is the migration decision made? Who chooses to return back home? We will explore economic research on these questions and discuss how factors such as income inequality and returns to skills influence the immigration decisions. Part II: Student-led discussion of readingsAbramitzky Ran and Leah Boustan “Immigration in American History,” with Leah Boustan, Journal of Economic Literature (2017), pages 11-16 [link]Abramitzky, Ran, Leah Boustan, and Katherine Eriksson, “Europe’s Tired, Poor, Huddled Masses: Self-Selection and Economic Outcomes in the Age of Mass Migration,” American Economic Review (2012) [link] [note: feel free to skip the technical parts and focus on the introduction, conclusions, figures, and other non-technical parts] Listen (or read) to two interviews of your choice with immigrants who passed through Ellis Island in the early 1900s [link]Optional readings:“Immigrants Shouldn’t Have to Be ‘Talented’ to Be Welcome,” New York Times (2017) [link]“New Stanford research explores immigrants’ decision to return to Europe during historical Age of Mass Migration,” Stanford News (2017) [link]Chiquiar Daniel and Gordon Hanson, “International Migration, Self‐Selection, and the Distribution of Wages: Evidence from Mexico and the United States,” Journal of political economy (2005) [link]Part III: writing a policy memo and testifying in CongressProfessor Mark Duggan, who was a Senior Economist for Health Care Policy at the White House Council of Economic Advisers and has testified about Social Security Disability Insurance before the House Ways and Means and Senate Budget Committees, will share with us his experience writing a testimony and testifying, in preparation for our Congressional hearing simulation. In preparation, please read Mark’s written testimony [link], and watch Mark’s answer to a question during the hearing [link]Class 5 (February 6)Part I: Lecture on “immigrants in the US economy”How do immigrants perform in the US labor market? What explains wage gaps between native- and foreign-born workers? Was wage convergence faster in the past? What role does labor market discrimination play in the earnings of immigrants? What challenges arise when measuring wage convergence? We will look into research on the labor market outcomes of immigrants with an eye towards how the economic outcomes of immigrants during the Age of Mass Migration compares with the economic conditions facing immigrants today. Part II: Student-led discussion of readingsAbramitzky Ran and Leah Boustan “Immigration in American History,” with Leah Boustan, Journal of Economic Literature (2017), pages 16-23 [link]Abramitzky Ran, Leah Boustan and Katherine Eriksson, “A Nation of Immigrants: Assimilation and Economic Outcomes in the Age of Mass Migration” (2014) [link] [note: feel free to skip the technical parts and focus on the introduction, conclusions, figures, and other non-technical parts]Oreopoulos Philip, “Why Do Skilled Immigrants Struggle in the Labor Market? A Field Experiment with Six Thousand Resumes,” American Economic Journal: Economic Policy (2009) [link] [note: feel free to skip the technical parts and focus on the introduction, conclusions, figures, and other non-technical parts]Optional readings:“Expelling Immigrant Workers May Also Send Away the Work They Do,” The New York Times (2017) [link] “Trump Is Making Canada Great Again.” Politico (2017) [link]National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, “The economic and fiscal consequences of immigration,” National Academies Press (2017), pages 85-119 [link] [note: you will have to insert your email to download this report]Part III: RefugeesA guest lecture by my graduate student Thomas Ginn on the economics of refugeesClass 6 (February 13) Part I: Lecture on “immigrants in US society”What are the tradeoffs between retaining identity and adopting behaviors common to those born in the US? How do immigrants integrate into US society? These questions are an important component of current policy discussion in the US, and while there is no shortage of opinions on these issues, the policy debate rarely incorporates empirical evidence. We will discuss recent research on how immigrants trade off maintaining their cultural identity with adopting the customs of US locals, both during the Age of Mass Migration and today. Part II: Student-led discussion of readingsAbramitzky Ran, Leah Boustan, and Katherine Eriksson, “Cultural Assimilation During Two Ages of Mass Migration,” NBER working paper (2017) [link] [note: feel free to skip the technical parts and focus on the introduction, conclusions, figures, and other non-technical parts] Edin PA, Fredriksson P, ?slund O, “Ethnic enclaves and the economic success of immigrants—Evidence from a natural experiment,” Quarterly Journal of Economics (2003) [link] [note: feel free to skip the technical parts and focus on the introduction, conclusions, figures, and other non-technical parts]“Immigrant Shock: Can California Predict the Nation’s Future?” The New York Times (2017) [link]Optional readings: “What History Tells Us about Assimilation of Immigrants,” Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research Policy Brief (2017) [link]“Immigrants do not need to speak English before they arrive,” The Economist (2017) [link]Part III: guest lecture on The Political Economies of Immigration LawMariano-Florentino Cuéllar, a?Justice of the Supreme Court of California, a former Stanford Professor, and a former official in the?Clinton?and?Obama?administrations. He is an expert in?administrative law,?criminal law,?international law, public organizations, and the law of public health and safety.?Class 7 (February 20)Part I: Guest lecture by Melanie Morten, Economics Department, Stanford on “immigration and economic development” Part II: Student-led discussion of readingsClemens Michael, “Economics and Emigration: Trillion-Dollar Bills on the Sidewalk?” Journal of Economic Perspectives (2011) [link]Cortes KE. “Are refugees different from economic immigrants? Some empirical evidence on the heterogeneity of immigrant groups in the United States,” Review of Economics and Statistic (2004) [link] [note: feel free to skip the technical parts and focus on the introduction, conclusions, figures, and other non-technical parts]Optional readings:“A world of free movement would be $78 trillion richer,” The Economist (2017) [link]“Drain or gain?” The Economist (2011) [link]“Migrants’ billions put aid in the shade,” The Guardian (2013) [link]Class 8 (February 27)Part I: Guest lecture by Vicky Fouka, Political Science Department, Stanford, on “the political economy of immigration” Part II: Student-led discussion of readings Tabellini Marco, “Gifts of the Immigrants, Woes of the Natives: Lessons from the Age of Mass Migration” (2018) [link]“The Immigration Debate We Need,” New York Times (2017) [link]“In rural America, fewer immigrants and less tolerance.” The Washington Post (2017) [link] Optional reading:“The progressive case for immigration,” The Economist (2017) [link] Goldin, Claudia, “The political economy of immigration restriction in the United States, 1890 to 1921,” In?The regulated economy: A historical approach to political economy, University of Chicago Press (1994) pages 223-258. [link]Class 9 (March 6)Part I: Lecture on “the effects of immigration on the US economy”Does immigration effect the wages of native-born workers? Why don’t immigrants reduce natives’ job opportunities? What are the economic benefits of immigration? How much have immigrants contributed to US innovation? How does immigration influence the development of cities? We will discuss economic research (both theoretical and empirical) on these questions and compare the findings for recent immigrants and immigrants during the Age of Mass Migration. Part II: Student-led discussion of readingsNational Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, “The economic and fiscal consequences of immigration,” National Academies Press (2017), pages 197-227 [link] [note: you will have to insert your email to download this report]Akcigit, Ufuk, John Grigsby, and Tom Nicholas, “Immigration and the Rise of American Ingenuity,” American Economic Review Papers and Proceedings (2017) [link] [note: feel free to skip the technical parts and focus on the introduction, conclusions, figures, and other non-technical parts]“Fewer Immigrants Mean More Jobs? Not So, Economists Say.” The New York Times (2017) [link] Optional reading: “The Great Mariel Boatlift Debate: Does Immigration Lower Wages?” Wall Street Journal (2017) [link] “The Danger From Low-Skilled Immigrants: Not Having Them,” The New York Times, (2017) [link] “Yes, Immigration Hurts American Workers.” Politico. (2017) [link] Burchardi, Konrad, Thomas Chaney, and Tarek A. Hassan, “Migrants, ancestors, and foreign investments” (2017) [link]Class 10 (March 13) Congressional hearing simulationGuidelines for writing and presenting your policy memoOral testimony (presentation)Remarks should be limited to 5 minutes. State your policy recommendations (or main point of your memo) clearly, followed by qualitative and quantitative evidence supporting your position. Prepare your remarks as though you were addressing the House of Representatives Judiciary Committee, who may not have background knowledge of specific economic concepts or immigration policies. Examples of expert testimony: Dr. Peter Hotez on the Zika virus [link]Professor Mark Duggan on Social Security Disability Insurance [link]Written testimony (policy memo)Your written testimony should cover all the points addressed in your oral testimony, but may go into more detail and include further evidence. Summarize your main point and any policy recommendations in your introduction. Include empirical evidence to back up each point. Your writing should be clear and succinct. Include footnotes with the source of any empirical evidence you reference. Examples of written testimony: Mark Duggan on Social Disability Insurance [link]Professor J. Alex Halderman on Russian interference in the 2016 election [link] Professor Ed Lazear on the declining of economic opportunity in the US [link]Nicholas Colucci on the Investor Visa Program [link]James McCament on the decision to end DACA [link]Examples of economic policy briefs that are not testimonies.Suggestions for policy memo (but I will be very open to other ideas):Examples of policy proposals you could write about in your policy memo: Should the US increase immigration? Should the US move to a point-based immigration system?Should the US increase restrictions on its current border security policy? Should the US increase or decrease the amount of temporary work visas for high-skilled immigrants (H1B)? Should working undocumented immigrants be given temporary amnesty?Should family reunification continue to be a main channel for lawful permanent residence? Should the diversity lottery program be ended? Examples of lessons from history you could write about in your policy memo: What are the lessons from the historical Age of Mass Migration to today’s immigration policy?What are the lessons from the closure of the US borders in the 1920? What are the lessons from the Dillingham Commission Report?of 1911?Examples of other immigration topics you could write about in your memo (and will mention others during classes): Climate refugees History of a specific refugee group (e.g. refugees from the former Soviet Union, WWII, Vietnam, Iraq, Myanmar) Discrimination against immigrants in the job market History of forced assimilation of Native Americans Information on a specific immigrant enclave or immigrant group in the USImmigration to California during the Gold Rush History of a specific group of immigrants (e.g. Jewish, Russian, Spanish, Mexican, Italian, Irish, Scandinavian ................
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