Seceded California and immigration law

[Frank Cross]

Mathematically, I don't think that is disputable.  But it's significance 
presumably depends on the magnitude of the difference of opinion, and of 
course it implies a closed minded population, both native and immigrant, 
with no possibility that their prior beliefs could be changed by new 
information or circumstances.  Moreover, even if this were considered a 
downside, it might be outweighed by other benefits.

So I think there's a possible theoretical something here, but no evidence 
that it is of any material importance.


At 03:20 PM 2/15/2007, Volokh, Eugene wrote:
>         I can't be positive what the opinions of the typical Mexican
>immigrant might be.  But it is hard to see why they would be identical,
>or even on all issues quite close, to the views of current Californians.
>
>         Now I assume that the citizens of the state of California, and
>especially of a sovereign California, will have their views on a wide
>range of social policies and individual rights enacted into California
>law.  They will then have to ask themselves:  What will happen to our
>laws -- and to our liberties -- when we admit, say, 10 million new
>citizens from a different culture over the next decade?  If it's 10
>million into the 300-million-resident U.S., the answer is "something,
>but not much."  If it's 10 million into the 34-million-resident
>California, the answer would likely be "quite a lot."  At the very
>least, the risk of change from the status quo that in a democratic state
>likely reflects the majority views of its citizen -- i.e., a risk of
>change that many citizens would see as contrary to their preferences --
>seems a far greater risk for a smaller country than for a larger one,
>no?
>
>         Eugene
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Brian Landsberg [mailto:blandsberg at pacific.edu]
> > Sent: Thursday, February 15, 2007 12:01 PM
> > To: Volokh, Eugene; conlawprof at lists.ucla.edu
> > Subject: RE: Seceded California and immigration law
> >
> > A related question: what are the implicit assumptions about
> > people from Mexico --- a country with strong separation of
> > church and state, some laws against discrimination based on
> > sexual orientation, and a healthy debate about abortion law?
>
>
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Frank Cross [mailto:crossf at mail.utexas.edu]
> > Sent: Thursday, February 15, 2007 12:01 PM
> > To: Volokh, Eugene; conlawprof at lists.ucla.edu
> > Subject: RE: Seceded California and immigration law
> >
> >
> > The question seems freighted with the phrase "risk of
> > change."  Why risk?  Why not benefits of change?
> > With any change there is an upside and a downside and
> > uncertain outcomes.  Most of the economic evidence shows that
> > immigration has positive economic effects.  I suppose other
> > effects might be negative, but what social changes do you foresee?
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**********************************************************

Frank Cross
McCombs School of Business
The University of Texas at Austin
1 University Station B6000
Austin, TX 78712-1178