Migration between Justice and Democracy: Rethinking Border Openness

Nathan Pippenger, Associate Professor of Political Science, US Naval Academy

Scholars of migration argue that, in a world marked by profound inequalities, states must maximize the openness of their borders so that individuals can improve their lives through migration—even if doing so requires denying full political membership to some migrants. Dr. Pippenger contends that this way of pursuing justice in international migration may violate an equally important democratic principle: universal and equal membership. His talk instead defends designing migration policy around the democratic principle of full inclusion and shows how such an approach can help resolve the apparent tension between justice and democracy.