#41: let's get political - Open Borders | Let the People Pick the President
Open Borders: The Science and Ethics of Immigration by Bryan Caplan and Zach Weinersmith (illustrator)
Published 2019 | 256 pages
Tags: Non-fiction, Public Policy Immigration, Immigration Policy, Emigration & Immigration
What is it about?
This book makes the case for opening all borders and allowing everyone in the world to live wherever they want. He takes all the arguments for and against this somewhat extreme view of immigration policy and lays them out on the table in a way that I found not only approachable but highly entertaining. It is presented in graphic novel format with excellent illustrations by Weinersmith to go along with the exhaustive research by Caplan. Here are a couple of pages to give you a flavor:
How did it impact me?
I was convinced! Let’s do it!
Okay, maybe I’m not ready to open all borders just yet, but the arguments were compelling and it was hard not to see the many advantages to allowing more people to come to the United States to work and build a life. If it did nothing else for me, it convinced me that the issue has way more depth and possible solutions than I originally imagined.
Who would I recommend this book to?
If you’ve had intense debates with people arguing for or against the border wall, this is for you!
If you want to understand the issue better but aren’t ready to dive into long treatises, this is for you! It’s such a fast and engaging read that there’s really no reason not to check it out, especially if immigration is even mildly interesting or important to you.
Something I appreciated was how academic and fair it came across. It didn’t seem to take a side politically, rather it attempted to appeal to any political persuasion (as evidenced by the panels above).
Noteworthy quotes
Changing the people you see, changes the way you see people.
This next review was contributed by Michael Perkins
Let the People Pick the President by Jesse Wegman
Published 2020 | 302 pages
Tags: Non-fiction, Democracy, Campaigns & Elections
What is it about?
It’s all in the sub-heading: “The Case for Abolishing the Electoral College.” This is an extremely well-researched argument on this topic. It digs into the history of the founding and then brings us to the modern-day impacts on campaigns and present-day politics. It explains how we got here, why the electoral college is still around, and of course, why it’s horribly anti-democracy and should be abolished.
How did it impact me?
I was convinced! I went into this book not knowing a lot about the topic, but was interested in the history and context, and wanted to learn more. By the end, I felt like I had thoroughly explored many facets of this issue, and had a better understanding of how we got to this point, and where we ought to go from here.
What makes it so good?
The first thing I wasn’t expecting was the deep dive into the history of the framers’ debate on this topic. I didn’t have a good understanding of why the Electoral College was established in the first place so that whole section was really informative. He tackles it from every angle and presents the history fairly and thoroughly, careful not to overstate a point if there isn’t agreement in the academic community.
For example, there is a strong case to be made that the Electoral College originated because of slavery, and the Southern States’ desire to keep power to maintain the status quo. However, this is an over-simplified explanation and doesn’t capture the nuance of the moment, and the many other factors that played a role. It felt clear to me that the author had an opinion, but in this case, where there wasn’t an easy clear-cut answer, he presented both sides fairly in a way that would allow the reader to draw their own conclusions.
The other thing I want to highlight is how accessible this book was for me. There are several sections that are almost like an FAQ, or rather a FMAFTEC (Frequently Made Arguments For The Electoral College… hmmm doesn’t quite roll off the tongue, does it?). Anyway, he would present various popular arguments in support of the Electoral College, and then respond in detail to those arguments, using facts, examples, and logic that I found very convincing.
I found this format very engaging, because I often wonder while reading a book like this, “well, what would the other side say to this?” or “what’s the best version of the opposing argument?” and I felt like I got that here. It made his points more convincing, as he wasn’t leaving anything unsaid, and wasn’t afraid to tackle these opposing points head-on.
Who would I recommend this to?
Every single American. The United States is supposed to be the beacon of democracy. We’ve fought wars in other countries espousing this value, yet our system of government is wholly undemocratic. If we truly believe in a government for the people, by the people, then this is a crucial step.
So whether or not you have strong feelings about this topic, then this book will provide insight, facts, and arguments that will illuminate and inform. This shouldn’t be a political issue. We should want our government to represent us, and this would be just one small step.
That’s all for this week! Let us know what pools of literature you’ve been swimming in lately.
Kyle