Beside the Golden Door

Pia M. Orrenius is senior economist and research officer at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. Madeline Zavodny is professor of economics at Agnes Scott College.

Cutting through the usual hyperbole that surrounds the immigration debate, Orrenius and Zavodny have produced a lucid and an insightful discussion of U.S. policy options that should be required reading for anyone interested in how the nation could design more effective mechanisms to manage our borders. -- Gordon H. Hanson, director, Center on Pacific Economies, and professor of economics, University of California, San Diego What if, instead of 'What's politically possible?,' policymakers asked, 'What's best for the country?' They rarely do, on immigration or any other issue. But if they did, Pia M. Orrenius and Madeline Zavodny's thoughtful and thought-provoking immigration reform proposal would be a good place to start. The authors' case-that U.S. immigration policy should serve U.S. economic interests, and that market mechanisms, not politics as usual, are the best means to determine those interests-is hard to argue with. A smart, timely book that should be the food for much discussion on Capitol Hill. -- Tamar Jacoby, president, ImmigrationWorks USA Orrenius and Zavodny address some of the toughest policy and political issues that surround immigration reform with remarkable poise and clarity. Their intelligent and thoughtful analysis shows that they are among the few analysts who have a sufficient understanding of the topic and command of the facts to make a compelling case for their recommendations. Moreover, they are unburdened by the ideological straightjackets that weaken far too many policy prescriptions. Their passion for making immigration policy do much more to support economic growth and competitiveness comes out loud and clear. -- Demetrios G. Papademetriou, president, Migration Policy Institute The book sweeps quickly through the U.S. history of unregulated and regulated immigration. Orrenius and her co-author, Madeline Zavodny...take the bull by the horns by addressing mass deportation. They are against it. The Dallas Morning News

• Chapter 1 List of Illustrations Chapter 2 Acknowledgments Chapter 3 Introduction Chapter 4 Chapter 1: The Challenge: Picking Up the Pieces Chapter 5 Chapter 2: The Goal: Pro-Growth Immigration Policy Chapter 6 Chapter 3: The Way: Market Based Immigration Reform Chapter 7 Chapter 4: What the Plan Does Not Include and Why Chapter 8 Conclusion Chapter 9 Notes Chapter 10 References Chapter 11 Index Chapter 12 About the Authors