Donald Trump, Bernie Sanders, and the whole crop of 2016 presidential candidates have some big ideas about immigrants. But Prof. Don Boudreaux says they are all wrong. What do you think? Are immigrants stealing your job? Would banning Muslim immigrants make the US safer from terrorists? Should we build a yuge wall on the Mexican […]
In 1954, Dwight D. Eisenhower authorized Operation Wetback, a project that rounded up hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants and deported them. Now policy leader Donald Trump is proposing that we do something similar—on a much larger scale. Think 11 million immigrants deported in two years. Now, many argue that if immigrants are coming to the […]
There is perhaps no public policy issue that has more misinformation around it than immigration. Because immigrants (except for naturalized citizens) can’t vote, they make for a favorite political scapegoat for a stagnant economy, meager job creation, and slow wage growth. Immigrants and Economic Growth In the new Learn Liberty video below, Texas Tech Professor […]
Do Immigrants really steal our Jobs? Join Professor Ben Powell as he explains the top 3 myths about immigration. Let us know what you think in the comments below!
Editor’s Note: This post was first published on the Cato at Liberty blog. The Syrian Civil War has produced about 5.8 million Syrians seeking refuge or asylum elsewhere–a scale of population displacement unseen since World War II. Although the flow into Europe dominates the news, most of the registered Syrian refugees remain in the Middle […]
Today is Cinco de Mayo, which celebrates Mexico’s unlikely victory against its French occupiers in the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. The holiday is usually associated with festivities celebrating Mexico’s incredible culture. But numerous historians believe there’s an added reason to celebrate this day: If Mexico hadn’t won this battle, they argue, the […]
The Supreme Court is currently considering the legality of President Obama’s executive action on immigration that grants legal status to an estimated four million undocumented immigrants who have children who are U.S. citizens and no criminal record. The debate has divided those who love liberty, because while the policy—ending forced deportations of upstanding parents of […]
With presidential contenders like Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders making a fuss about foreign laborers coming to the country and depressing wages or murdering our women and children immigration reform has once again moved to the front lines of presidential politics. Have you ever wanted to cut through the demagoguery and fear-mongering and get plain […]
Below is an excerpt of a post that appeared at Forbes.com on August 28th, 2015. According to an April 2015 symposium on the effects of illegal immigrants in the Southern Economic Journal, illegal immigrants actually raise wages for documented/native workers. Meanwhile, rules preventing illegal immigrants from getting driver’s licenses raise our car insurance premiums and […]
What if we could add trillions of dollars to the global economy and improve the lives of billions of people with a single, unpopular, policy change? Professor Ben Powell explains that the consensus among economists is that free trade between countries creates huge gains in prosperity. The same thing happens when you have free trade […]
Some people say technology is the driver of innovation, but society often takes great steps in prosperity by trading. Like technological shifts over history, trade is a powerful way of creating wealth for all parties. In one example, Professor of Economics Bryan Caplan imagines a machine that turned agricultural products directly into cars: it would […]
The United States has laws in place to limit the number of immigrants granted entry. How many immigrants should be allowed to call America home? Bryan Caplan, professor of economics at George Mason University, argues that the United States should have open borders. Jan Ting, professor of law at Temple University, argues that there need […]
The United States has laws in place to limit the number of immigrants granted entry. How many immigrants should be allowed to call America home? Bryan Caplan, professor of economics at George Mason University, argues that the United States should have open borders. Jan Ting, professor of law at Temple University, argues that there need […]
The United States has laws in place to limit the number of immigrants granted entry. How many immigrants should be allowed to call America home? Bryan Caplan, professor of economics at George Mason University, argues that the United States should have open borders. Jan Ting, professor of law at Temple University, argues that there need […]
The United States has laws in place to limit the number of immigrants granted entry. How many immigrants should be allowed to call America home? Bryan Caplan, professor of economics at George Mason University, argues that the United States should have open borders. Jan Ting, professor of law at Temple University, argues that there need […]
Prof. Ben Powell debunks the following three popular myths about immigration: Immigrants are a net drag on our economy Immigrants steal our jobs Immigrants depress our wages Additionally, Professor Ben Powell examines how immigration is related to foreign aid, prosperity, property rights, crime, welfare, voting, citizenship, and more. Credits: This lecture was delivered in 2009 […]
Prof. Ben Powell and Gov. Richard Lamm discuss the issues of immigration. In their discussion, they cover population growth, prices of goods, displaced workers, depressed wages, job loss, implications for the welfare state, resource depletion, terrorism, and global warming. Credits: This lecture was delivered in 2009 at the Metropolitan State College of Denver School of […]
Prof. Ben Powell explores the top three myths about immigration. After analyzing the data, he finds that immigrants in fact do not have negative effects on the economy, jobs, or wages.
Is it true that immigration raises the U.S. unemployment rate? Is it true that immigration affects U.S. income distribution? The conventional wisdom says that both of these things are true. However, economist Antony Davies says there is evidence to suggest that they are not. Looking at the data, there is no relationship between the rate […]