American political institutions and immigration policy-making: The Select Commission on Immigration and Refugee Policy

The flexibility of the US Constitution is often cited as responsible for its longevity. American political institutions have become considerably more complex than under the tradition separation of powers, accommodating innovative forms.; One such institution is the temporary ad hoc advisory commission. Ad hoc commissions have increasingly been used to study and make recommendations on complex or controversial issues. In addition to fact-finding and policy analysis, commissions may serve a number of political functions when more permanent institutions are seen as inadequate by key political actors. Commissions possess both advantages and disadvantages in performing these functions.; One issue frequently addressed by advisory commissions has been immigration. This is a case study of one of those commissions, the Select Commission on Immigration and Refugee Policy. The Select Commission was charged with conducting a comprehensive examination of US immigration policy. Established during a time of growing concern over illegal immigration, the Select Commission was composed of bi-partisan groups of congressional leaders, Cabinet officers and presidential appointees. Its creation after several attempts to address illegal immigration had failed is assessed in light of the unique partisan cleavages created by immigration issues, and the traditional congressional dominance of US immigration policymaking. Data for the dissertation was gathered from the Commission's report and published materials, unpublished archival materials, interviews with commissioners and others involved in the Commission's work, and from the published reaction to the Commission's report.; I conclude that the Select Commission was a particularly prominent advisory commission, and made a significant contribution to subsequent immigration policymaking. In addition, the theoretical implications of the use of advisory commissions in contemporary American political development are examined.