John D. Skrentny

Investigates the reasons why STEM graduates are opting out of STEM work, and argues that the problem is not education, but STEM work culture. Highlights aspects of STEM work culture that are to blame, ranging from “burn and churn” management practices, lack of job security, constant training for a never-ending stream of new—and often socially harmful—technologies, and the exclusion of women, people of color, and older workers.

Shows that foreign PhDs apply to and receive job offers from technology startups at the same rate as US PhDs, but are less than half as likely to work in a startup.  Presents evidence that this discrepancy is not explained by foreign PhDs’ preferences for established firm jobs, risk tolerance, or preference for higher pay, suggesting that visa policies may deter foreign PhDs from working in startups.

Examines how President Obama used executive action to secure support from Latino voters despite his inability to deliver comprehensive immigration reform.

Offers a side-by-side comparison of Senate and House immigration reform efforts in the 113th Congress.

Shows how immigration policies are shaped in varying ways by different values and goals, including economic growth, rights protection, and community and cultural preservation.

Explains the inability of President Obama to pass comprehensive immigration reform, emphasizing the negative cultural baggage of the policy, as well as American institutions and Republican opposition, and suggests possible ways that the “grand bargain” can move forward.

Analyzes the different components of comprehensive immigration reform and shows their varying basis in constitutional and statutory law, highlighting that the repeated failure of border enforcement has not been an impediment to its entrenchment as a strategy for congressional lawmaking.

Shows how, in an increasingly diverse America that values racial diversity in a wide range of jobs, but also exploits immigrants in at the bottom of the labor market, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 – almost a half-century old – is increasingly distant from workplace practices.

Presents a comprehensive study of America policy development within a global context. Emphasizes the key role of international politics and the black civil rights movement in the development of the Immigration Act of 1965; the expansion of affirmative action to include women as well as Latinos, Asian Americans and American Indians; bilingual education; Title IX for women’s equality in education; rights for the disabled; and the failure of gays/lesbians and white ethnics to win new rights.

Analyzes the constitutional law of affirmative action from a comparative perspective, highlighting challenges in designating beneficiaries and showing how other countries have created explicit procedures for determining whom shall be included, while the U.S. has not.