Immigration and the Constraints of Justice: Between Open Borders and Absolute Sovereignty

by Ryan Pevnick

Overview

This book explores the constraints which justice imposes on immigration policy. Like liberal nationalists, Ryan Pevnick argues that citizens have special claims to the institutions of their states. However, the source of these special claims is located in the citizenry's ownership of state institutions rather than in a shared national identity. Citizens contribute to the construction and maintenance of institutions (by paying taxes and obeying the law), and as a result they have special claims to these institutions and a limited right to exclude outsiders. Pevnick shows that the resulting view justifies a set of policies - including support for certain types of guest worker programs - which is distinct from those supported by either liberal nationalists or advocates of open borders. His book provides a framework for considering a number of connected topics including issues related to self-determination, the scope of distributive justice and the significance of shared national identity.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781139036139
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	02/24/2011
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	351 KB

About the Author

Ryan Pevnick is Assistant Professor in the Department of Politics at New York University. He has published articles in numerous journals of political science and philosophy.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction; 2. Statism, self-determination and associate ownership; 3. Refining associative ownership; 4. Rights-based arguments for open borders; 5. Distributive justice and open borders; 6. The significance of national identity; 7. Applications; 8. Works cited.