AMERICAN CONSERVATIVES AND IMMIGRATION POLICY DURING GEORGE W. BUSH PRESIDENCY

Authors

  • V. R. Zolotykh

Keywords:

conservatives, amnesty, immigrationists, restrictionists, George W. Bush, immigration policy, Congress

Abstract

Immigration reform in the United States is one of the hottest topics in politics, causing a split in American society. Numerous attempts by presidents and Congress to reform this sphere ended either in failure or in half-hearted measures that dissatisfied both supporters of immigration and its opponents. The article examines the role of American conservatives in blocking the liberal immigration reform of the George W. Bush administration in 2006–2008. I a very short period, representatives of various currents of the U.S. conservative movement were able to consolidate their positions on the basis of an anti-immigrant platform and use new tools of influence, both in relation to congressmen and in the formation of public opinion. The article analyzes the role of social networks and a new phenomenon in the conservative movement (the name was originally proposed by The New York Times) such as a “New Internet-linked national constituency”, which managed to very quickly and effectively close ranks among the opponents of the president’s “grand bargain” and destroy the unity of the pro-immigrant-minded elite. The article evaluates the actions of George W. Bush to initiate the immigration reform and explores the nature of the conflict between conservatives and the president. Analysis of various aspects of the political conflict that arose in 2006–2008 between the restrictionists and the president helps in better understanding of the situation within the conservative movement and the prospects for its development.  

References

Золотых В.Р. Два подхода к проблеме иммиграции в американском консервативном движении в 1990-е годы (иммиграционисты и рестрикционисты) // Вестник Помор. ун-та. Гуманитарные и социальные науки. 2010. № 7. С. 30−35.

Золотых В.Р. Американские консерваторы и социальная политика (конец XX − начало XXI ве-ка). Пермь: Книжный формат, 2011. 310 с.

Золотых В.Р. Американские консерваторы и иммиграционная реформа: политические и электо-ральные аспекты, проблема амнистии // Вестник Перм. ун-та. История. 2015. Вып. 2. С. 41−49.

Филипенко А.А. Политическая борьба вокруг реформы иммиграционного законодательства в период президентства Дж.У. Буша // Вестник МГИМО Университета. 2014. № 3. С. 137−145.

Baker P. Bush Chides GOP Critics of Immigration Plan // Washington Post. 2007. May 30.

Borjas G. Immigration and Welfare, 1970−1990. Cambridge: NBER Working Papers, 1994. 31 p.

Brimelow P. Alien Nation. Common Sense About America’s Immigration Disaster. NY.: Harper Per-ennial, 1995. 384 p.

Brimelow P. Facts and Fancies // National Review. 1996. February 26. P. 34−36.

Buchanan P. The Death of the West. N.Y.: Thomas Dunne Books, 2002. 310 p.

Coates D. Answering Back. Liberal Responses to Conservative Arguments. N.Y.: The Continuum In-ternational Publishing Group Inc., 2010. 285 p.

Duigan P., Gann L. The Debate in the United States over Immigration. Standford: Hoover Institution Press, 1998. 304 p.

Hantington S. Who are We? The Challenge to America’s National Identity. N.Y.: Simon and Schuster, 2004. 428 p.

Hayworth J.D. Whatever It Takes: Illegal Immigration, Border Security and the War on Terror. Wash-ington, D.C.: Regnery Publishing Inc., 2006. 230 p.

Herbert J. The Struggles of an “Orthodox Innovator”: George W. Bush, the Conservative Movement, and Domestic Policy in Aberbach // Crisis of Conservatism? The Republican Party, The Conservative Movement and American Politics after Bush. NY: Oxford University Press, 2011. 411 p.

Hope for Illegal Immigrants // Washington Post. 2007. March 26.

Kobach K.W. Reinforcing the Rule of Law: What States Can and Should Do to Reduce Illegal Immi-gration // Georgetown Immigration Law Review. 2008. Vol. 22. P. 459–483.

Martin D. Eight Myths about Immigration Enforcement // Legislation and Public Policy. 2007. Vol. 10, no. 3. P. 525−553.

Melkonian-Hoover R., Kellstedt L.A. Evangelicals and Immigration: Fault Lines Among the Faithful. London: Palgrave Macmillan, 2019. 207 p.

Murray J., Batalova J., Fix M. The Impact of Immigration on Native Workers: a Fresh Look at the Evidence // Insight. 2006. No. 18, July. P. 1−14.

Negourney A. G.O.P. Candidates Confront Immigration Politics // New York Times. 2007. March 20. O’Sullivan J. Getting Immigration Right How Conservatives Blocked the Open-Borders Establishment // American Conservative. 2007. Julу 30. P. 8−10.

Preston J. Grass Roots Roared and Immigration Plan Collapsed // New York Times. 2007. June 10.

Rector R. Amnesty and Continued Low-Skill Immigration Will Substantially Raise welfare Costs and Poverty // The Heritage Foundation Backgrounder. 2006. No. 1936, May 16. URL: https://www.heritage.org/immigration/report/amnesty-and-continued-low-skill-immigration-will-substantially-raise-welfare (accessed 22.09.2022).

Savage M. Liberalism is a Mental Disorder. N.Y.: Thomas Nelson, 2010. 256 p.

Tankredo T. In Moral Danger. Nashville: ‎Cumberland House Publishing, 2006. 224 p.

Weisman J., VandeHei J. Debate on How to Reshape Law Has Divided Republicans // Washington Post. 2006. May 21.

Weisman J. With Senate Vote, Congress Passes Border Fence Bill // Washington Post. 2006. Sept. 30. 2006.

Welcome to Rush 24/7. 2005. May 5.

References

Baker, P. (2007), “Bush Chides GOP Critics of immigration plan”, Washington Post, May 30.

Borjas, G. (1994), Immigration and welfare, 1970-1990, Cambridge: NBER Working Papers, Cambridge, UK, 31 p.

Brimelow, P. (1995), Alien Nation. Common Sense about America’s Immigration Disaster, Harper Perennial, N.Y., USA, 384 p.

Brimelow, P. (1996), “Facts and Fancies”, National Review, February 26, pp. 34–36.

Buchanan, P. (2002), The Death of The West, Thomas Dunne books, N.Y., USA, 310 p.

Coates, D. (2010), Answering Back. Liberal Responses to Conservative Arguments, The Continuum International publishing Group Inc., N.Y., USA, 285 p.

Duigan, P. & L. Gann (1998), The Debate in the United States over Immigration, Hoover Institution Press, Stanford, USA, 304 p.

Filipenko, A.A. (2014), “Political struggle over the immigration during G.W. Bush presidency”, Vestnik MGIMO Universiteta, № 3, pp. 137–145.

Hantington, S. (2004), Who Are We? The Challenge to America’s National Identity, Simon and Schuster, N.Y., USA, 428 p.

Hayworth, J.D. (2006), Whatever It Takes: Illegal Immigration, Border Security and the War on Terror, Regnery Publishing Inc., Washington, D.C., USA, 230 p.

Herbert, J. (2011), “The Struggles of an “Orthodox Innovator”: George W.Bush, the Conservative Movement, and Domestic Policy”, in Aberbach, J.D. & G. Peele (eds.), Crisis of Conservatism? The Republican Party, The Conservative Movement and American Politics after Bush, Oxford University Press, N.Y., USA, 411 p.

“Hope for Illegal Immigrants” (2007), editorial, Washington Post, March 26.

Kobach, K.W. (2008), “Reinforcing the Rule of Law: What States Can and Should Do to Reduce Illegal Immigration”, Georgetown Immigration Law Review, vol. 22, pp. 459–483.

Martin, D. (2007), “Eight Myths about Immigration Enforcement”, Legislation and Public Policy, vol. 10, № 3, p. 525–553.

Melkonian-Hoover, R. & L.A. Kellstedt (2019), Evangelicals and Immigration: Fault Lines Among the Faithful, Palgrave Macmillan, London, UK, 207 p.

Murray, J., Batalova, J. & M. Fix (2006), “The Impact of Immigration on Native Workers: A Fresh Look at the Evidence”, Insight, № 18, July, pp. 1–14.

Negourney, A. (2007), “G.O.P. Candidates Confront Immigration Politics”, New York Times, March 20.

O’Sullivan, J. (2007), “Getting Immigration Right How Conservatives Blocked the Open-Borders Establishment”, American Conservative, July 30, pp. 8–10.

Preston J. (2007), “Grass Roots Roared and Immigration Plan Collapsed”, New York Times, June 10.

Rector, R. (2006), Amnesty and Continued Low-Skill Immigration Will Substantially Raise welfare Costs and Poverty, The Heritage Foundation Backgrounder № 1936, May 16, available at: https://www.heritage.org/

immigration/report/amnesty-and-continued-low-skill-immigration-will-substantially-raise-welfare (accessed 15.09.2022).

Savage, M. (2010), Liberalism is a Mental Disorder, Thomas Nelson, N.Y., USA, 256 p.

Tankredo, T. (2006), In Moral Danger, Cumberland House Publishing, Nashville, USA, 224 p.

Weisman, J. & J. VandeHei (2006), “Debate on How to Reshape Law Has Divided Republicans”, Washington Post, May 21.

Weisman, J. (2006), “With Senate Vote, Congress Passes Border Fence Bill”, Washington Post, Sept. 30.

Welcome to Rush (2005), 24/7, May 5, available at: https://archive.org/details/rush-limbaugh-radio-show-2005-07-12 (accessed 19.09.2022).

Zolotyh, V. R. (2010), “Two Approaches to the Problem of Immigration in the American Conservative Movement in the 1990s (Immigrationists and Restrictionists)”, Vestnik Pomorskogo universiteta. Ser. Gumanitarnye i sotsial'nye nauki, № 7, pp. 30–35.

Zolotyh, V. R. (2011), Amerikanskie konservatory i sotsial'naya politika (konets XX – nachalo XXI veka) [American Conservatives and Social Policy (late 20th – early 21st centuries)], Knizhnyy format, Perm, Russia, 310 p.

Zolotyh, V. R. (2015), “American conservatives and immigration reform: political and electoral aspects; issue of amnesty”, Vestnik Permskogo universiteta Ser.: Istoriya, vol. 2, pp. 41–49.

Published

2023-07-04

How to Cite

Zolotykh В. Р. . (2023). AMERICAN CONSERVATIVES AND IMMIGRATION POLICY DURING GEORGE W. BUSH PRESIDENCY. PERM UNIVERSITY HERALD. History, 61(2), 96–107. Retrieved from https://press.psu.ru/index.php/history/article/view/7904