This paper argues that openness to migration is heavily dependent upon (1) ideational and institutional factors, especially the willingness of states to guarantee a minimum basket of rights for migrants; (2) domestic political coalitions and alignments that are driven in part by factor...

Summary and discussion of the three papers in this session: "The trade, migration, and development nexus" by Philip L. Martin; "External and internal determinants of development" by Thomas Osang; and "Globalization and Mexican labor markets" by Raymond Robertson.

The flow of remittances to Latin American and Caribbean countries is the highest and fastest growing in the world, exceeding foreign direct investment and net official development assistance to the region. Remittances surpass tourism income and almost always exceed revenues from the largest...

This paper deals with migrants' role in stimulating development in their countries of origin, outlining the three major channels through which migration can affect development: recruitment, remittances, and returns. It next turns to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), assessing the...

North American economic integration has had potentially positive implications for Mexican workers, and the perceived competition between Mexican and U.S. workers may not be as accurate as popularly believed. However, the net gains from integration may overshadow important losses for many...

Commentary on the three papers in this session: "Inequality and schooling responses to globalization forces: lessons from history" by Jeffrey G. Williamson; "Trade, migration, and economic development: the risks and rewards of openness" by James F. Hollifield; and "Migration, trade, capital, and...

Summary and discussion of the two papers in this session: "U.S.-Mexican migration cooperation: obstacles and opportunities" by Marc R. Rosenblum; "Political implications of U.S. public attitudes toward immigration on the immigration policymaking process" by Valerie F. Hunt

As Rodrik, Subramanian, and Trebbi (2004) point out, factors that affect economic development can be classified using a two-tier approach. Based on a standard production function, inputs such as labor and physical and human capital directly affect per capita income. Much of the empirical...

Simple, neoclassical economic models predict that prices should drive factors such as labor and capital across regions and countries toward their most valuable use. As this happens, developing countries, which are typically labor-rich and capital-scarce, should experience more rapid growth,...

Summary and discussion of the three papers in this session: "Leveraging remittances for development" by Dilip Ratha; "Remittances and their microeconomic impacts: evidence from Latin America" by Catalina Amuedo-Dorantes; and "The relationship between international migration, trade, and...