INSTRUCTOR DISCUSSION NOTES:
Let Us Keep Your Best and Brightest-It's the Poor Ones We Don't Want

1. President Bush has suggested a "guest worker" program, in which workers may enter the U.S. to work, but must then return home when the work is finished, as a means to stem the illegal immigrant tide. Do you think that this is an appropriate strategy? Why or why not?

A guest worker program has worked successfully in the past, especially in California. And it would eliminate many of the opportunity costs associated with stricter regulations on entry into the country.

Australia and other countries have instituted a points-based immigration program, in which workers are assigned points based on skills sets. Visas are then granted to those individuals passing a particular threshold of points. Would such a program resolve the issues presented in the article? Why or why not?

It would resolve the issues presented in the article of bringing skilled workers into the country, as these workers would crowd out the less-skilled legal immigrants. But it may exacerbate the problem of illegal immigration, especially given the US borders with poorer countries.

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