Cato's Center for Trade Policy Studies -

Immigration law should reflect our dynamic labor market

content editor — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0500

by Daniel Griswold
The Dallas Morning News, April 27, 2008

Among its many virtues, America is a nation where laws are generally reasonable, respected and impartially enforced. A glaring exception is immigration.

Today an estimated 12 million people live in the U.S. without authorization, 1.6 million in Texas alone, and that number grows every year. Many Americans understandably want the rule of law restored to a system where law-breaking has become the norm.

The fundamental choice before us is whether we redouble our efforts to enforce existing immigration law, whatever the cost, or whether we change the law to match the reality of a dynamic society and labor market. [more]

NEW Trade Briefing Paper

admin — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 16:17:12 -0500

April 15, 2008
Race to the Bottom? The Presidential Candidates’ Positions on Trade
by Sallie James

In a new Trade Briefing Paper, the Cato Institute's Sallie James examines the voting records and campaign pledges of the presidential candidates and finds that John McCain’s policies on free trade would be most beneficial to the U.S. economy. Based on campaign rhetoric and trade voting records, “voters could expect a President McCain who promotes freer trade and cuts in market-distorting subsides, and a president Clinton or a President Obama who views free trade between voluntary actors as something to be restrained,” writes James. [more]

New Free Trade Bulletins

admin — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 09:03:14 -0500

March 31, 2008
Worried about a Recession? Don’t Blame Free Trade
by Daniel Griswold

Contrary to political rhetoric, free trade does not cause economic downturns, but in fact it has helped ensure that recessions are “mercifully shorter, shallower, and less frequent” than in past decades, according to a Free Trade Bulletin released by the Cato Institute. [more]

March 14, 2008
No Need to Panic about Foreign Sovereign Investment
by Daniel Ikenson

"Sovereign Wealth Fund" investment, like all foreign investment, benefits the U.S. economy in myriad ways. Accordingly, it should be treated like all foreign investment: welcomed, but also subject to laws and regulations that could block proposed deals that are found to pose risks to U.S. national security, finds a new Cato Institute report. [more]

Archived Events

content editor — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 12:32:31 -0500

April 17, 2008
Highly Skilled Immigrants: Opening the Doors to Prosperity
CAPITOL HILL BRIEFING

G11 Dirksen Senate Office Building

Featuring Senator Judd Gregg (R-NH) and Daniel Griswold, Director, Center for Trade Policy Studies, Cato Institute.

In the modern global economy, highly skilled workers are increasingly important to continued growth and prosperity. Yet despite the dramatically increasing demand for foreign skilled labor, Congress has failed to increase the number of H-1B visas. As a result, U.S. immigration laws permit only a fraction of willing, skilled workers to add their talents to our society, reducing the welfare of both domestic workers and those who were denied access. Please join Senator Judd Gregg and Cato scholar Daniel Griswold for a discussion of reforming U.S. immigration policy to improve economic growth, expand individual choice, and maintain America's competitive advantage in innovation.

Watch the Event in Real Video

Publications presented at the event:

Free Trade Bulletin no. 29. Comprehensive Immigration Reform: Finally Getting It Right by Daniel Griswold (May 16, 2007)
Free Trade Bulletin no. 26: Expand Visa Waiver Program to Qualified Countries by Daniel Griswold (January 26, 2007)
Trade Briefing Paper no. 7: The H-1B Straitjacket: Why Congress Should Repeal the Cap on Foreign-Born Highly Skilled Workers by Suzette Brooks Masters and Ted Ruthizer (March 3, 2000)

Free Trade, Free Markets: Rating Congress

admin — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 16:29:06 -0600

New Cato web feature offers access and analysis of key trade votes

The Cato Institute's Center for Trade Policy Studies launched a powerful new interactive web feature this year that allows users to access and analyze the trade voting record of any member of Congress spanning more than a decade.

The new feature reveals how members have voted on 81 major trade votes cast in the House and 62 in the Senate. The votes begin with the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in 1993 through the U.S.- Peru FTA at the end of 2007. Other major votes include the Uruguay Round Agreements Act, Permanent Normal Trade Relations with China, subsidies and protection for U.S. farm commodities, the Cuban trade embargo, and various bilateral and regional free trade agreements.