First Amendment Freedoms: A Reference Handbook offers a comprehensive examination of the discourse on First Amendment freedom issues in an objective and unbiased manner and provides valuable data and documents to guide readers to further research on the subject. First Amendment Freedoms: A Reference Handbook provides a comprehensive, objective, and accessible source of critically important information on the First Amendment freedoms of religion, speech, and assembly, and the post-Civil War Fourteenth Amendment. Geared for high school and college readers, it covers relevant historical events from the adoption of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights to the array of Supreme Court cases that further defined the scope and limits of First Amendment freedoms. Composed of seven chapters, plus a glossary and index, the volume will present the background and history of the First Amendment; problems, controversies, and solutions; a perspectives chapter with nine original essay contributions; profiles of the leading actors and organizations involved in First Amendment politics; governmental data and excerpts of primary documents on the topic; and a resources chapter comprising an annotated list of the key books, scholarly journals, and nonprint sources on the topic. It closes with a detailed chronology of major events concerning First Amendment freedoms. Provides readers with a better understanding of the complexity of First Amendment freedoms and how those freedoms have clashed over time Discusses attempts to "solve" problems concerning the fundamental freedoms defined by the First Amendment and how those attempts have changed and expanded over time Arms readers with a detailed list and analysis of all of the major or "landmark" Supreme Court cases pertaining to each of the fundamental First Amendment freedoms Makes a comprehensive but objective review of more than 50 scholarly books on the topic

This book offers answers to essential questions about the border between the United States and Mexico and connected issues that are accessible to readers interested in immigration, border security, and U.S.-Mexico relations. Comprising seven chapters, The U.S.-Mexico Border: A Reference Handbook surveys the complex topic for students and readers. Chapter 1 discusses the political, social, and economic contexts in which the border came to exist. Chapter 2 discusses problems, controversies, and proposed solutions. Chapter 3 consists of original essays contributed by outside scholars, complementing the perspective and expertise of the author. Chapter 4 profiles major organizations and people who, as stakeholders in border politics, drive the agenda on the issue. Chapter 5 presents data and documents on the topic, giving readers the ability to analyze the facts. Chapter 6 provides additional resources that the reader may wish to consult, such as books, journal articles, and films. Chapter 7 provides a detailed chronology of important events, and the book closes with a useful glossary of key terms used throughout the book and a comprehensive subject index. Helps the reader to better understand the complicated U.S.-Mexico border region Allows different perspectives to be heard from many individuals who are concerned with border issues, from immigration advocates to residents of border towns Aids the general reader who wants to learn more about the history and current events concerning the U.S.-Mexico border in an easy-to-understand fashion Provides an objective perspective in the immigration debate

This book covers civil rights and civil liberties politics in the United States from the ratification of the Bill of Rights to current-day controversies, such as the travel ban and proposals to end birthright citizenship. Civil Rights and Civil Liberties: A Reference Handbook provides a thorough overview of civil rights in U.S. history, detailing all the relevant amendments to the Constitution and reviewing key Supreme Court decisions and landmark cases on the topic. Aimed at general readers as well as high school, college, and university students, it focuses on the role of federal courts in civil rights and civil liberties politics. It also profiles the primary actors in civil rights and civil liberties, both organizations and people. The volume comprises seven chapters. Chapter 1 presents the history and background of the topic, and Chapter 2 discusses problems, controversies, and solutions. Chapter 3 consists of essays by contributors that round out the coauthors' expertise. Chapter 4 profiles important organizations and people, while Chapter 5 offers relevant data and documents. Chapter 6 is composed of an annotated list of important resources. Finally, Chapter 7 offers a useful chronology citing and describing the major events related to the topic from the nation's founding until 2019. Enables a more nuanced understanding of the complexity of politics with respect to civil rights and civil liberties Provides a comprehensive annotated list of resources for further reading and research Lists and describes the landmark Supreme Court decisions that define civil rights and liberties in the United States Clarifies and makes accessible the historical struggle to assure and expand the basic rights and liberties of citizens

The Judicial System: A Reference Handbook provides an authoritative and accessible one-stop resource for understanding the U.S. judicial system and its place in the fabric of American government and society. The American judicial system plays a central role in setting and enforcing the legal rules under which the people of the United States live. U.S. courts and laws, though, are complex and often criticized for bias and other alleged shortcomings, The U.S. Supreme Court has emerged as a particular focal point of political partisanship and controversy, both in terms of the legal decisions it hands down and the makeup of its membership. Like other books in the Contemporary World Issues series, this volume comprises seven chapters. Chapter 1 presents the origins, development, and current characteristics of the American judicial system. Chapter 2 discusses problems and controversies orbiting around the U.S. justice system today. Chapter 3 features a wide-ranging collection of essays that examine and illuminate various aspects of the judicial system. Chapter 4 profiles influential organizations and people related to the justice system, and Chapter 5 offers relevant data and documents about U.S. courts. Chapter 6 is composed of an annotated list of important resources, while Chapter 7 offers a useful chronology of events. Explains the responsibilities and authority of the United States' many different types of courts and how they fit together Explores major controversies surrounding the U.S. judicial system, including politicization of the courts and bias in the criminal justice system Provides wide-ranging perspectives on the judicial system from reformers, court employees, and scholars Provides a comprehensive annotated list of resources for further reading and research

Elections in America provides a thorough and objective explanation of American elections at the local, state, and national levels. It discusses laws and practices that govern elections, the history of elections and voting rights, and contemporary voting controversies. Elections in America is an all-in-one resource for understanding the many facets of elections and voting trends since the United States came into being. It explains how, when, and why the franchise expanded in fits and starts after America's founding and the various controversies over voting rights and vote counting that swirl around elections today. It reviews the major landmark court decisions that have impacted electoral politics, discusses how America's two-party system has shaped elections, and provides information on major organizations, groups, and people battling over voting rights and election laws. In addition, this resource provides a suite of original essays from election scholars on different aspects of U.S. electoral politics, as well as a carefully curated selection of primary documents illuminating important developments in American election history. The book also contains a comprehensive annotated list of academic resources to guide the reader towards further research on topics of interest. Provides clear overviews of how local, state, and federal elections work in the United States Includes coverage of present-day voting controversies and challenges related to voting rights, voter fraud, and election results Details important laws and court decisions that have expanded or reduced access to the ballot box in American history Presents a range of perspectives on voting issues, practices, and laws

Party and Nation examines immigration as a means to understand party competition in American history. The rise of Donald Trump reflects an ongoing regime change in the U.S., in which multiculturalism and nationalism have emerged as central aspects of the major parties' ideological and coalitional bases. This phenomenon of a multiculturalist Democratic Party and a nationalist Republican Party, the authors suggest, is a dramatic departure from the first American political regime. That older regime was grounded in the Founding generation's commitment to the principle of natural rights and the shaping of a national culture to support that principle. Partisan debates over immigration set into relief the tensions inherent in that commitment. The authors present the permutations of that first regime amidst the territorial expansion of the country and the tragic conflicts over slavery and segregation. With industrialization, the great immigrant wave at the turn of the 20th century, and the rise of the progressive administrative state, the parties began their century-long transformation into the plebiscitary institutions they are today. This new political reality, it is argued, brought with it a situation in which the debate over immigration not only illuminates party differences, but has begun to define them.

This book offers an accessible reference on epidemic and pandemic diseases that provides background information and history, explains why pandemics are a newly emerging threat, identifies the difficulties in coping with them, and provides hope in the form of modern medicine. Global Pandemic Threats: A Reference Handbook provides all-encompassing coverage that introduces key concepts and traces the history of pandemics, enabling readers to grasp the complexity of the global problem and the difficulties of executing effective solutions. Written in an easy-to-understand manner, it provides a "go-to" resource that systematically addresses dozens of diseases of the past as well as re-emergent or newly emerging pathogens that have the potential of becoming pandemics. The book's extensive coverage of past pandemics includes bubonic plague, cholera, influenza, measles, smallpox, tuberculosis, typhoid fever, and yellow fever, and the re-emergence of malaria, measles, pertussis (whooping cough), poliomyelitis, and other contagious diseases. It discusses a broad range of newly emerging viral threats, such as AIDS/HIV, avian flu, anthrax, botulism, Ebola, E. coli, Gulf War syndrome, hanta virus, Lassa virus, Lyme disease, Marburg virus, MERS, MRSA, Ricin, Sin Nombre virus (SNV), and West Nile virus. The work offers perspectives from individuals interested and involved in the fight, including medical professionals and health care workers; profiles of key organizations and persons; a helpful timeline of past and present pandemic outbreaks; and a glossary of key terms and concepts.

Party and Nation examines immigration as a means to understand party competition in American history. The rise of Donald Trump reflects an ongoing regime change in the U.S., in which multiculturalism and nationalism have emerged as central aspects of the major parties' ideological and coalitional bases. This phenomenon of a multiculturalist Democratic Party and a nationalist Republican Party, the authors suggest, is a dramatic departure from the first American political regime. That older regime was grounded in the Founding generation's commitment to the principle of natural rights and the shaping of a national culture to support that principle. Partisan debates over immigration set into relief the tensions inherent in that commitment. The authors present the permutations of that first regime amidst the territorial expansion of the country and the tragic conflicts over slavery and segregation.

National security has always been an integral consideration in immigration policy, never more so than in the aftermath of September 11, 2001. This is the first history of American immigration policy written in the post-9/11 environment to focus specifically on the role of national security considerations in determining that policy. As LeMay makes clear, this is not the first time America has worried about letting "foreigners" through our "gates." By the time readers reach the final chapter, in which current policies regarding the interplay between immigration and national security are discussed, they have the historical perspective necessary to assess the pros and cons of what is happening today. They are able to more clearly answer questions such as: Does putting the Immigration and Naturalization Service under the Department of Homeland Security make the country more secure? Do vigilantes improve border security? How are we handling the balance between national security and civil liberties compared to the ways in which we handled it during World Wars I and II and the Cold War? LeMay does not advocate a specific policy; rather, he gives citizens and students the tools to make up their own minds about this enduringly controversial issue.

This invaluable resource investigates U.S. immigration and policy, making links the ethnic and religious affiliations of immigrants to the United States to trends in immigration, both legal and unauthorized. U.S. Immigration Policy, Ethnicity, and Religion in American History is rich with data and document excerpts that illuminate the complex relationships among ethnicity, religion, and immigration to the United States over a 200-year period. The book uniquely organizes the flow of immigration to the United States into seven chapters covering U.S. immigration policy making; the Open Door Era, 1820–1880; the Door Ajar Era, 1880–1920; the Pet Door Era, 1920–1950; the Dutch Door Era, 1950–1985; the Revolving Door Era, 1985–2001; and the Storm Door Era, 2001–2018. Each chapter analyzes trends in ethnicity or national origin and the religious affiliations of immigrant groups in relation to immigration policy during the time period covered.

Most policy books confine their historical discussions to a relatively short time frame. This book offers a long-term historical analysis of American immigration policy. "From Open Door to Dutch Door" details current policy and its shortcomings. In addition, the book describes the four distinct phases of U.S. immigration policy since 1820, why these shifts occurred, and their impact on decisions being made today. Written in a clear and readable style, the book combines a historical approach with an assessment of a timely and topical area of public policy.

"The GatekeeperS" examines the politics and policy of immigration in six countries: the United States, Australia, Great Britain, Germany, Israel, and Venezuela. Each chapter is authored by a noted specialist who analyzes his or her country's experience by focusing upon how social and economic trends over time have helped to shape and explain national immigration policies. This unique comparative politics approach to the subject offers students of public policy and comparative government important new insights into the policy process in general and the dynamics of immigration politics in particular.

The countries included in the study vary considerably in their fundamental approach to the question of immigration. Some have relied upon a 'guestworker' approach, others have developed policies aimed at permanent settlement. Some have formulated religious-based policies, while others have attempted to recruit foreign labor. And, as the contributors demonstrate, each of the countries has experienced international migration on a scale which was largely unforeseen and for which they were poorly prepared. Many, too, have evidenced profound shifts in immigration policy over time. The contributors fully address all of these issues, offering a wealth of information about the similarities and differences in national immigration policies and the dramatic social, economic, and political impact of shifts in these policies.

The influx of millions of immigrants into the United States has profoundly impacted the nation's economy, culture, and politics. Since the founding of our country, our government has worked to control this migration by enacting different policies to deal with immigration and naturalization. Students can trace the history and development of issues surrounding these policies, as well as the reactions to them, through this unique and comprehensive collection of over 100 primary documents. Court cases, opinion pieces, and many other documents bring to life the controversies surrounding the subject of immigration. Explanatory introductions aid users in understanding each document and help to illuminate its significance to the reader.

The major laws on immigration and naturalization are included in this useful volume, and have been edited to include the principal provisions in each, thereby making them more accessible to students without compromising their quality and accuracy. These key primary documents are arranged chronologically to help the user discover what has and has not changed over the centuries. The introductory and explanatory texts help readers understand the issues being litigated, the social and cultural pressures that shaped each deate, and the ways in which biases of individual Justices and Presidents affected immigration and naturalization laws in this country.

An expert examination of U.S. immigration law and its various reforms from 1965 to the present. U.S. Immigration: A Reference Handbook is an authoritative, timely, and balanced review of immigration law in the United States. This title ranges from the "Kennedy" law of 1965 to the recent restructuring of the Immigration and Naturalization Service as a part of the creation of the new Department of Homeland Security. The work offers a clear look at historic and ongoing immigration problems in the United States and the reforms enacted to address them. It provides insightful summaries of key statutes and landmark court cases, as well as biographical profiles of the principal players in U.S. immigration policy. Coverage includes problems within our borders such as legal and political attempts to control illegal immigration, to global concerns including terrorism, epidemics, and economic and trade issues. Provides biographical sketches of both governmental and nongovernmental figures involved in U.S. immigration policy reform such as Doris Meissner and Lydio Tomasi Summarizes every key U.S. law and court decision concerning immigration since 1965 including the Immigration Acts of 1990 and 1996 as well as the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986

A unique resource for the general public and students interested in immigration and public health, this book presents a comprehensive history of public health and draws 10 key lessons for current immigration and health policymakers. The period of 1820 to 1920 was one of mass migration to the United States from other nations of origin. This century-long period served to develop modern medicine with the acceptance of the germ theory of disease and the lessons learned from how immigration officials and doctors of the United States Marine Hospital Service (USMHS) confronted six major pandemic diseases: bubonic plague, cholera, influenza, smallpox, trachoma, and yellow fever. This book provides a narrative history that relates how immigration doctors of the USMHS developed devices and procedures that greatly influenced the development of public health. It illuminates the distinct links between immigration policy and public health policy and distinguishes ten key lessons learned nearly 100 years ago that are still relevant to coping with current public health policy issues. By re-examining the experiences of doctors at three U.S. immigration/quarantine stations-Angel Island, Ellis Island, and New Orleans-in the early 19th century through the early 20th century, Doctors at the Borders: Immigration and the Rise of Public Health analyzes the successes and failures of these medical practitioners' pioneering efforts to battle pandemic diseases and identifies how the hard-won knowledge from that relatively primitive period still informs how public health policy should be written today. Readers will understand how the USMHS doctors helped shape the very development of U.S. public health and modern scientific medicine, and see the need for international cooperation in the face of today's global threats of pandemic diseases. Addresses many "hot topics" regarding public health, such as how to best cope with mass migration of legal and illegal immigrants; concern about pandemics like the Ebola crisis in West Africa, the Enterovirus-D68 outbreak, and the recent avian flu and swine flu epidemics; and the threat of bioterrorism within the United States Examines the history of the mass migration of the 1820-1920 era to provide insight into how to better cope with mass migration and the public health threats of today Demonstrates how more lives are saved through public health campaigns than any other approach to medicine, and that only a national approach to public health can adequately thwart the threats of pandemic disease to our entire country Presents information derived from original research from records at the National Archives and Records Administration and at the National Museum of Health and Medicine

This comprehensive resource explains six eras of immigration law, how and why immigration law has changed, who the major actors and organizations shaping immigration law are, and in what direction immigration law is likely to proceed in the near future. The United States has the most diverse population of any country in the world and is widely thought of as a nation of immigrants. U.S. immigration has been and continues to be a contentious political, cultural, and social issue. Much of current immigration policy is based on the Immigration and Naturalization Act of 1965, a law advocated by former President John F. Kennedy to establish a preference system of legal immigration. This book provides an authoritative analysis of current U.S. immigration law and the 1965 Act. It explains the precursor laws to the 1965 Act and their failure to resolve many critical problems, and details how and why the law was passed. It describes and profiles all the major actors and organizations that determine the politics of US immigration policy and details the impact-both foreseen and unanticipated-that the 1965 Act has had on the American economy, culture, demographics, and societal diversity. It offers an objective source for accessing an extensive list of the most important documents, governmental data, and scholarly discourse on U.S. immigration. A timeline highlights key events related to U.S. immigration Chapters discuss the precursors of the 1965 act, the act itself, and the evolution of U.S. immigration policy since 1965 Profiles of key people and organizations provide fundamental information about the chief creators of the act Primary source documents help readers understand the creation and significance of the act A bibliography directs readers to additional sources of information about the act and U.S. immigration policy

This volume thoroughly examines the operations and politics of the U.S. Congress. It guides readers to their own assessment of congressional politics and provides them with the basis for future reading and study of the subject. The American Congress: A Reference Handbook covers Congress from its inception to the present day, discussing the constitutional functions of Congress and how they have evolved over time. It presents a detailed discussion of 15 problems with which Congress copes, some associated concerns with those problems, and how they might be resolved. The book opens with a brief history of Congress and how it has changed over time. It discusses a series of problems and concerns, and proposed solutions to those problems. It also comprises nine original essays by other scholars and persons involved in congressional politics as well as profiles of the major organizations and actors involved. Data and documents and a detailed chronology of Congress from 1789 to 2018 allow readers to situate significant legislation within the history of Congress, while an annotated list of sources-the major books and scholarly journals concerned with Congress in addition to a number of feature-length films and videos-provide readers with vetted resources for further study. Presents the major functions of Congress and how they have evolved Discusses proposed solutions to more than a dozen major problems facing Congress and enables readers to judge for themselves whether or not such solutions are likely to work or may have unforeseen consequences Synthesizes a comprehensive body of scholarly discussion on Congress, providing readers with a foundation for additional reading and research Explains why hyper-partisan politics, also known as "tribalism," has developed in Congress and why it leads to a stalemate in lawmaking Provides readers with an understanding of the checks and balances system, and why Congress often fails to exercise those powers

This volume presents a comprehensive, unbiased, and easily accessible review of U.S. immigration reform, and explains why reform efforts have resulted in the current state of political deadlock over the issue in the United States Congress. Comprising seven chapters, Immigration Reform: A Reference Handbook surveys the complex topic for high school, undergraduate, and general readers. Chapter 1 gives the historical background to current immigration reform efforts, concentrating on the period from 1965 to date. Chapter 2 discusses problems and controversies, and the proposed solutions to them. Chapter 3 consists of eight original essays contributed by other scholars, complementing the perspective and expertise of the author. Chapter 4 profiles major organizations and people who, as stakeholders in the politics of immigration reform, drive the agenda on the issue. Chapter 5 presents data and documents on the topic, giving readers the ability to analyze the facts. Chapter 6 provides additional resources that the reader may wish to consult, such as books, journal articles, and films. Chapter 7 provides a detailed chronology of important events from 1965 to 2017 that propel the politics and establish the policy of U.S. immigration reform. The book closes with a useful glossary of key terms used throughout the book and a comprehensive subject index.

LeMay offers an insightful examination of the enactment of the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 and the Immigration Act of 1990. Using the enactment of immigration policy reform--the most substantial since 1965--he illustrates the various stages of the public policy process. He shows how problems, such as the illegal alien influx, become perceived of as public problems and get on the policy agenda of government. He illustrates the interaction of interest groups and political leadership in the branches of government in the formulation and enactment of policy reform.

By examining this area of public policy--one rich in human interest as well as substantive importance to American politics and public policy--LeMay provides useful insights into the policy process, Congressional decision-making, and the complexity of regulatory policy. This book will be of value to scholars of the immigration process, lawyers and practitioners involved in immigration, students of Congressional decision-making and of the public policy process, and general readers.

What historical factors transformed American politics into the institution we know today? This in-depth look at America's party system traces its efficacy, sustainability, and popularity through six influential presidencies spanning 1790 to the present day. Did President Obama's election serve as the impetus to the development of a seventh political party system? This compelling text sheds light on the American political process as seen through the lens of six pivotal presidencies that shaped America's culture, politics, and society and considers how our current president may be the latest transformative leader in this lineage. Covering two centuries of politics, the work offers insight into the American political machine and reveals how and why the two-party system became so dominant in American politics. Topics include the media's focus on the horse-race aspect of elections, the declining importance of party identification, and the impact of the geographical split that results in swing-states and gerrymandered districts. The work begins by dividing 200 years of politics into 6 periods influenced by a transformative president and discussing the profile of the party system in each era. The next section presents essays contributed by activists across a myriad of political parties and profiles leading political actors and organizations. The final section includes tables, primary source documents, reference lists, a detailed glossary, and a timeline of the development of American political parties that help elucidate the text and show the role political parties have played throughout history. Theorizes how the presidencies of Jefferson, Jackson, Lincoln, McKinley, FDR, and Ronald Reagan marked the beginning of a new political party system at the time and considers how Obama's election might signal the latest transformation Contains essays that explain how political beliefs affect party identification, examine each party's platform on national security issues, and identify the effects the Trump campaign has on the Republican Party Features 15 primary documents including excerpts from the Federalist Papers and relevant sections of the U.S. Constitution Includes maps, bar and line graphs, and pie charts to illustrate key elements of the party system

This book provides a comprehensive summary of the creation of the Department of Homeland Security and efforts to protect the United States from international terrorism. Homeland Security: A Reference Handbook covers the precursor events and laws from 1965 to 2000 that set the stage for the 2002 law that established the Department of Homeland Security. It identifies and discusses a dozen problems associated with homeland security policy objectively, allowing readers to come to their own conclusions. Additionally, it addresses all of the major units and agencies within the department. Comprehensive in scope and accessible in style, it discusses 46 organizations and profiles 50 actors. Unlike many books on the topic, it provides excerpts and summaries of data, presented in figures and tables and as documents from court decisions, presidential actions, and key laws to implement homeland security policy. It also annotates key secondary sources on the topic, including books, scholarly journals, films, and videos to guide the reader to further research on the subject.

This book provides the answers to controversial questions about religious liberties in the United States and connected issues through balanced, thorough, and nonjudgmental coverage of the issues in a reference format. The subject of religious freedom is important to all American citizens, regardless of religious affiliation or ethnicity. Are the rights of religious individuals being eroded, or is religion being unfairly used to deny basic secular rights to individuals? How will religious institutions adapt to changes in legislation that have an impact on how they operate? Does the Supreme Court have the right to enforce these changes? Finally, how can the precarious separation of church and state be maintained while simultaneously respecting both institutions? This single-volume work provides an introduction that addresses the historical background of religious freedom in America, accurately explains the latest legal developments in religious freedom in the United States, and presents an unbiased account of the probable impact of the new Freedom of Religion laws in the continuing culture war. Readers will gain insight into key controversies such as prayer in public schools, creationism versus evolution, abortion, religious objections to medical care, religious displays in public places, same-sex marriage and LGBT rights, and state and federal religious freedom acts. The book also includes perspective essays by outside contributors, a selection of useful primary documents, a listing of print and nonprint resources, a chronology, and a glossary of terms. Ideally suited for students and general readers who want to learn more about the history and current events concerning religious freedom in an easy-to-understand fashion Includes a Perspectives chapter that allows readers to "hear" opposing voices from individuals who are concerned with religious freedom in America Presents the facts about religious freedom so that readers can reach their own conclusions Highlights the challenge of reaching an agreement on the line of church/state separation that exempts some individuals from obeying laws because of their religious beliefs in an increasingly pluralistic society comprising members of diverse faiths

A valuable resource for high school, college, and general readers, this book provides an up-to-date, comprehensive examination of illegal immigration in America, addressing its complex history, comparing its occurrence today with the past, and explaining why a solution is so difficult to enact. Who is coming into the United States illegally and why? What compels people to leave their country of origin? Is the United States responsible for taking care of the more than 11 million individuals who are here illegally? Are illegal immigrants helping or harming our nation's economy and infrastructure? Should our borders be "secured" as called for by many politicians? This book examines the history of illegal immigration in the United States, addressing the tough questions about the issue and describing in detail the most significant issues and events in recent decades. It succinctly tackles the topic of illegal immigration without bias, explores the myriad of problems and controversies that have arisen due to illegal immigration, and explains how lawmakers have historically tried-and continue to try-to solve these issues. This thoroughly revised and updated second edition ofIllegal Immigration: A Reference Handbook covers the debate over the vexing and seemingly intractable illegal immigration problem from all angles and updates the discussion to 2015. It covers the key court, executive, and legislative-branch actions on the matter and examines both state and national-level government attempts to cope with illegal immigration. The book also contains a variety of primary source documents in summary format that cover all the key laws enacted, presidential or state governor's executive actions taken, and key court decisions since 1985. These documents not only provide factual data but also give context that allows readers to better grasp the complexity of the problem and the difficulty in trying to improve the situation through regulation. Discusses in detail all of the proposed solutions to the illegal immigration problem in the United States Enables the reader, on an objective and factual basis, to compare illegal immigration of today with the immigration of the past, and to assess for themselves whether today's immigrants are any more or less likely to be able to successfully assimilate into American society and economy Provides perspective essays by a range of scholars, "think-tank" subject experts, and advocacy activists that give voice to various sides of the issue in a contrasting point/counterpoint fashion Documents how the U.S. federal system of three levels and three branches of government complicates any effort and approach to resolving the illegal immigration problem Includes an extensive, annotated bibliography of print and nonprint resources that directs readers toward further reading on the topic

Most policy books confine their historical discussions to a relatively short time frame. This book offers a long-term historical analysis of American immigration policy. "From Open Door to Dutch Door" details current policy and its shortcomings. In addition, the book describes the four distinct phases of U.S. immigration policy since 1820, why these shifts occurred, and their impact on decisions being made today. Written in a clear and readable style, the book combines a historical approach with an assessment of a timely and topical area of public policy.