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Environmental, Immigration, and Social Welfare Policy: An Analysis of Various Approaches

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Environmental, Immigration, and Social Welfare Policy: An Analysis of Various Approaches
Environmental, Immigration, and Social Welfare Policy: An Analysis of Various Approaches

07/21/2011

Dr. Fink
Comparative Government
POL-4433
Summer Term 5

As we charge into the 21st Century, there will be many critical issues that the United States and the world will face. Immigration policy, social welfare policy, and environmental policy will undoubtedly headline the monumental challenges going forward. This paper will focus on the United States, Great Britain, and Germany by utilizing high quality sources to compare and contrast ways these countries are tackling these complex issues.
To begin with, the United States is currently engaged in heated debate over the future of immigration policy. With estimates showing upwards of 12 million illegal immigrants now living in the United States it is certainly easy to understand the high stakes of comprehensive immigration reform. At the moment, there are two major schools of thought regarding the implementation of such reforms. The liberal philosophy favors a pathway to citizenship for each illegal immigrant, and it tends to shy away from strict border enforcement measures championed by conservatives. Conversely, the conservative/republican philosophy directly ties the strength of border security to any pathway for citizenship. They believe that sealing the border and tracking those who cross should be the utmost priority. Often the issue of terrorism is cited when crafting these strict border proposals. Many conservatives see the porous border as a potential entry point for individuals seeking to do harm to US citizens. Ever since the passage of the “1986 Immigration Control and Reform Act,” which ultimately failed, few administrations have had the political courage to tackle this issue head on. Critics to the current proposals suggest that legislators are simply repeating the mistakes of 1986. Senator David Vitter (R-La) said, “the latest proposals contain the same three
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