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August 12, 2009
| Author: | Edward Alden, Bernard L. Schwartz Senior Fellow |
|---|
This module features teaching notes by CFR Senior Fellow Edward Alden, author of The Closing of the American Border: Terrorism, Immigration, and Security Since 9/11, along with other resources to supplement the text. In this book, Mr. Alden examines the complicated interplay between the United States' need for homeland security and economic openness in the wake of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
What is a CFR Academic Module?
Academic Modules—featuring teaching notes by the authors of CFR publications—are designed to assist educators in creating or supplementing a course syllabus. The modules are customized packages built around a primary CFR text, such as a book or report, and include teaching notes; additional readings; video, audio, and transcripts of CFR meetings; Foreign Affairs articles; and other online resources. Use of these modules is free of charge. They may be used in part or in their entirety.
September 2008
In this book, Edward Alden goes behind the scenes to tell the story of the Bush administration’s struggle to balance security and openness in the wake of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
Updated: July 7, 2009
A look at the basics of the North American Free Trade Agreement, its overall economic impact, and its effect on workers in the United States.
Updated: February 3, 2009
Janet Napolitano, experienced in federal law enforcement and immigration issues, has been selected for secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.
Updated: May 8, 2007
Counterterrorism and security professionals say homegrown terrorism emanating from U.S. Muslims is a growing threat in the United States. Yet American Muslims have been invaluable assets in helping prevent the kinds of attacks seen in London and Madrid.
February 13, 2007
Backgrounder: The new Congress shares President Bush's reform approach but new legislation is by no means assured.
February 21, 2006
As U.S. public opinion increasingly favors stronger immigration controls, the Senate considers a bill that would impose harsh penalties on illegal immigrants. The U.S.-Mexican relationship has suffered as a result.
July 2009
Task Force Report No. 63
This Task Force report offers a strategy for maintaining America's political and economic leadership by attracting skilled immigrants, a program of legalization for those living in the United States
illegally, and steps for securing the country's borders in an effective and humane way.
May 2008
Task Force Report No. 60
This report recommends reframing U.S. policy around four critical areas—poverty and inequality, public security, migration, and energy security—that are of immediate concern to Latin America’s governments and citizens. This report is also available in Spanish.
September 2007
Council Special Report No. 30
A flexible labor market and an open economy are crucial to economic competitiveness, but can sometimes cause prime-aged and older workers to suffer large, long-term income losses. This report explains why existing government programs, which emphasize retraining and insurance for short-term job loss, don't assuage workers' fears about globalization. It also proposes a shift of resources from existing programs to wage insurance.
March 2006
Council Special Report No. 13
The central finding of this report is that federal government has had a naďve view of what the market is able to do when left largely on its own to protect critical infrastructure.
June 2004
Three years after September 11, the United States is still dangerously unprepared to prevent or respond to another attack on its soil. Faced with this threat, the United States should be operating on a wartime footing at home. But despite the many new security precautions that have been proposed, America’s most serious vulnerabilities remain ominously exposed.
July/August 2009
Summary
Hysteria over bloodshed in Mexico clouds the real challenge: the rising violence is a product of democratization -- and the only real solution is to continue strengthening Mexican democracy.
September/October 2008
Summary
The key to a successful foreign policy in Latin America will be focusing on four critical issues -- Cuba, immigration, trade, and the "two lefts."
May/June 2007
Summary
Protectionist sentiment on Capitol Hill threatens to scuttle Washington's free-trade agenda. A bipartisan consensus on trade could emerge, but only if the White House and the Democrats can reach a compromise on labor issues.
July 14, 2009
In this report, the President's Council of Economic Advisers (CEA) presents a projection of potential developments in the U.S. labor market over the next five to ten years and discusses the preparations necessary to develop the 21st century workforce. We discuss the skills that will likely be most relevant in growing occupations, the value and limitations of our current post-high school education and training systems, and the characteristics of a more effective education and training structure.
July 13, 2009
Jeb Bush, Thomas F. McLarty III, and Edward Alden discuss the recent Independent Task Force on Immigration Policy and argue, "Getting immigration policy right is fundamental to [U.S.] national interests -- our economic vitality, our diplomacy and our national security."
June 8, 2009
Edward Alden argues, "the U.S. can't afford to keep turning away the best and the brightest."
May-June 2009
Stephen E. Flynn asks, "Is homeland security still on the nation's radar screen?"
March 11, 2009
Paul Danos, Matthew J. Slaughter, and Robert G. Hansen argue that the Employ American Workers Act will actually decrease the total amount of jobs available.
March 2, 2009
New research shows that highly skilled workers are returning home for brighter career prospects and a better quality of life.
January 8, 2009
In this excerpt from The Closing of the American Border, Edward Alden writes that George Bush came to office as the most pro-immigrant president in modern U.S. history. Yet he presided over a war on terrorism that has been waged through anti-immigrant measures.
January 3, 2009
Seven years after the 9/11 attacks, Canada is still trying to cope with the new border regime that has been an enduring legacy of the terrorist attacks. In this Ottawa Citizen article, Edward Alden urges President-elect Obama to begin rebuilding trust on border issues with Canada.
November 23, 2008
In this Washington Post op-ed, Edward Alden writes that current immigration policy "was built in the wake of 9/11, but it will have to be reformed in the shadow of the economic crisis."
September 29, 2008
In this Forbes.com op-ed, Edward Alden writes that there were many good reasons to strengthen U.S. border security after 9/11. However, maintaining this country's strength requires the relentless innovation that stems from keeping an open door to the most talented and ambitious people the world has to offer.
September 25, 2008
In this Globalist op-ed, Edward Alden warns that new regulations on immigration after 9/11 have come with the high price of keeping out the very people that the United States needs to maintain its position in the world.
June 28, 2008
Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama gave this speech at the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) Conference in Washington, D.C. on June 28, 2008.
July 8, 2009
Jeb Bush says action by Congress on immigration reform faces more favorable conditions than previous attempts, but the complexity of the reforms needed remain a challenge.
March 16, 2009
Former Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff says a combination of tough enforcement measures and a new system for regulating flows of Mexican labor are essential for reforming the U.S. immigration system.
February 6, 2009
Listen to CFR experts Jagdish Bhagwati and Edward Alden discuss the "Buy American" provision in the stimulus bill.
September 17, 2008
CFR's Edward Alden says a flawed U.S. approach to tightening its borders after the 9/11 terrorist attacks has harmed the country's once-admired immigration image.
September 5, 2008
A top economic adviser to Sen. Barack Obama describes his views on how to harness globalization and energy diversification to improve U.S. fortunes.
February 28, 2008
Edward Alden, a CFR trade and immigration expert, says it is wrong to pin blame on NAFTA for the ills of the U.S. economy. Most of the competition that has affected U.S. manufacturing has come from the rest of the world, he says.
February 4, 2008
David R. Ayon, an expert in U.S.-Latino politics, says while Hispanics don’t vote or think as a block, the defensive posture they assume against the immigration backlash aimed at them may impact their vote.
Updated: March 18, 2008
Jeffrey J. Schott, senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, and Thea M. Lee, policy director for the AFL-CIO, debate what the next president should do on the North American Free Trade Agreement.
Updated: November 2, 2007
Two experts debate the extent to which U.S. security is affected by immigration.
Updated: April 6, 2007
Immigration experts Bruce Fein and Marc R. Rosenblum debate the wisdom of offering a path to citizenship for the estimated twelve million illegal immigrants in the United States.
Updated: June 23, 2006
The debate over immigration rages on as Congress tries to reconcile very different approaches to addressing the growing number of illegal immigrants in America. Tamar Jacoby of the Manhattan Institute and Steven Camarota of the Center for Immigration Studies discuss how the United States should handle the issue.
September 2008
Working Paper
Authors: Benjamin J. Muller
January 2008
Report
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
June 2006
Testimony
Author: Michael O'Hanlon
2006
Report
Authors: Donald Kerwin and Margaret D. Stock
September 2005
Report
Authors: Stephen Yale-Loehr, Demetrios G. Papademtriou, and Betsy Cooper
2004
Report
Author: Robert S. Leiken
Common Threat, Collective Response: Protecting Against Terrorist Attacks in a Networked World
| Speaker: | Janet Napolitano, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security |
|---|---|
| Presider: | Paul E. Steiger, Editor-in-Chief, ProPublica |
Transcript: Common Threat, Collective Response: Protecting Against Terrorist Attacks in a Networked World
Audio: Common Threat, Collective Response: Protecting Against Terrorist Attacks in a Networked World (Audio)
Video: Common Threat, Collective Response: Protecting Against Terrorist Attacks in a Networked World (Video)
This meeting is on the record.
U.S. Immigration Policy: Report of a CFR-Sponsored Independent Task Force
| Speakers: | Jeb Bush, President, Jeb Bush and Associates, LLC; Former Governor of Florida; Task Force Co-Chair |
|---|---|
| Mark McLarty, President, McLarty Associates; Former White House Chief of Staff; Task Force Co-Chair | |
| Edward Alden, Bernard L. Schwartz Senior Fellow, Council on Foreign Relations; Task Force Director | |
| Presider: | Mark Whitaker, Senior Vice President and Washington Bureau Chief, NBC News |
The Task Force on U.S. Immigration Policy argues that the failure to reform immigration laws and procedures threatens to harm America’s economy, jeopardize its diplomacy, and weaken its national security. It makes the case that maintaining America’s political and economic leadership depends on attracting talented and hard-working immigrants, and on securing the country’s borders in a smart, effective, and humane way. The report urges Congress and the administration to undertake a new comprehensive reform effort with three central components: the creation of a more efficient legal immigration system that responds to labor market needs and enhances U.S. competitiveness; a strong enforcement regime that secures U.S. borders and ends the hiring of unauthorized workers; and a program of earned legalization that will offer an opportunity for many illegal immigrants to earn the right to remain in the United States.
This meeting is on the record.
The Closing of the American Border
| Speakers: | Edward Alden, Bernard L. Schwartz Senior Fellow, CFR; Author, The Closing of the American Border: Terrorism, Immigration, and Security Since 9/11 |
|---|---|
| Irina A. Faskianos, Vice President, National Program & Outreach, Council on Foreign Relations |
12:00 to 1:00 p.m. (ET)
*Email educators@cfr.org to register.
Better Politics and Policy on Immigration
| Speaker: | Bill Richardson, Governor of New Mexico (D) |
|---|---|
| Presider: | Garrick Utley, President, SUNY, The Levin Institute |
As chief executive of a border state, Governor Bill Richardson will discuss U.S. policy on immigration. Public services such as education, health care, and economic opportunity are each affected by immigration practices. Governor Richardson will outline state and cross-border efforts taken to reduce border crime and improve border security.
This meeting is presented in conjunction with the Council's Latin America Studies Program.
Transcript: CFR Meeting with Governor Bill Richardson (D-NM) [Rush Transcript; Federal News Service]
Audio: Better Politics and Policy on Immigration (Audio)
Video: Better Politics and Policy on Immigration (Video)
This meeting is on the record.
Immigration and U.S. Global Competitiveness
| Speakers: | Spencer Abraham, Chairman and CEO, The Abraham Group; Former Secretary of Energy |
|---|---|
| Lee H. Hamilton, President and Director, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars; Former Member, U.S. House of Representatives | |
| Presider: | Doris M. Meissner, Senior Fellow, Migration Policy Institute; Former Commissioner, U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service |
Former Rep. Lee Hamilton (D-IN) and Former Senator Spencer Abraham (R-MI) co-chaired a year-long task force aimed at tackling the nation's bedeviling immigration challenges. The result is a report with sweeping recommendations for overhaul of our immigration policy that would increase employment-based immigration opportunities; combat illegal immigration through new responsibilities for employers and a new, secure Social Security card; and create a Standing Commission on Labor Markets and Immigration Admissions that would make regular recommendations to the President and Congress for adjusting immigration levels. Come as we discuss these recommendations and how the Council might build on them as the Congress again debates the immigration challenge.
For more information about the Task Force please visit: http://www.migrationpolicy.org/ITFIAF/
The Independent Task Force Immigration and America’s Future: A New Chapter, was convened by the Migration Policy Institute in partnership with The Division of United States Studies, The Mexico Institute of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, and the Manhattan Institute.
Transcript: Immigration and U.S. Global Competitiveness [Rush Transcript; Federal News Service]
This meeting is on the record.
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Start-Up Nation addresses the trillion-dollar question: How is it that Israel—a country of 7.1 million, only sixty years old, surrounded by enemies— produces more start-up companies than large, peaceful, and stable nations like Japan, China, India, Korea, Canada, and the UK? With the insights of geopolitical experts and investors, the authors examine this nation’s adversity-driven culture to answer this question and offer prescriptions for a global economy on the rebound.
In Forces of Fortune, Vali Nasr presents a paradigm-changing revelation that will transform the understanding of the Muslim world at large. He reveals that there is a vital but unseen rising force in the Islamic world—a new business-minded middle class—that is building a vibrant new Muslim world economy and that holds the key to winning the cold war against Iran and extremists.
In Cuba: What Everyone Needs to Know, Julia E. Sweig presents a remarkably accessible portrait of Cuba's unique place on the world stage over the past fifty years, including its internal politics, its often fraught relationship with the United States, and its shifting relationship with the global community.
Complete list of CFR Books
The report of this bipartisan Task Force of distinguished leaders and experts represents a strong consensus on the importance of repairing America's immigration policy. It makes the case that maintaining America's political and economic leadership depends on attracting talented and hard-working immigrants, and on securing the country's borders in a smart, effective, and humane way.
This report finds that nuclear weapons will remain a fundamental element of U.S. national security in the near term, and makes recommendations on how to ensure the safety, security, and reliability of the U.S. deterrent nuclear force, prevent nuclear terrorism, and strengthen the nuclear nonproliferation regime.
About Independent Task Forces at CFR
Complete list of Task Force reports
Identifying international threats and acting on them may be the most difficult job for U.S. policymakers. This report
provides an actionable road map for managing international threats before they erupt into crises and makes a strong case that preventive action is not a luxury but a necessity.
For more than a decade, the United States has mostly watched from the sidelines as Asian countries organize themselves into an alphabet soup of new multilateral groups. In this report, the authors review the relationship between pan-Asian and trans-Pacific institutions and suggest policy guidelines for a new U.S. approach to this new Asian landscape.
Complete list of Council Special Reports
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