POLS 295 Topics in Politics

Topics in Politics. Can be repeated once for credit if topics differ.

Politics of Immigration

Immigration is one of the most hotly contested issues in American politics, and has been for some time. Much of the debate about how to craft immigration policies has come from politicians at the national level in the U.S. Congress, which has the responsibility to create policy, but important voices in the debate also come from state legislatures and community organizations. In this class, we will learn about the central issues regarding immigration that have emerged in both the body politic and in scholarly discourse. Topics addressed will include: why people migrate, why anti-immigrant sentiment is prevalent, the politics of immigration control policies, demographic trends, and notions of exclusion and inclusion. Our goal in the class is to come to a better understanding of the political process regarding immigration and why it matters.