The Comparative Politics of Immigration. Policy Choices in Germany, Canada, Switzerland, and the United States By Antje Ellermann . Cambridge Studies in Comparative Politics Series. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2021. 435 pp., $39.99 Paper.

Abstract

prioritized by Black and Latino Americans. These groups are not equally engaged in giving testimony across all issue priorities, though, with Black advocacy groups devoting most of their participation in committee hearings to civil rights issues, while Latino advocacy groups focus on immigration, education, and economic policy. Minta argues, however, that this specialization does not constitute a representational deficit. Instead, civil rights organizations are supplemented in their advocacy by Black and Latino members of Congress, often testifying themselves on a much broader range of issues impacting Black and Latino Americans. A repeated caveat throughout the book is the negative impact that political polarization has on legislative advocacy opportunities. The corresponding trends of increasing polarization and increasing incorporation of Black and Latino advocacy organizations into the Democratic Party agenda raises real questions about the future effectiveness of these groups if their access is contingent upon single-party control. The book gives some brief thoughts on these developments and the future of civil rights advocacy in the age of hashtags and Internet activism but is generally noncommittal on predicting what their effects will be. This leaves a tantalizing assortment of loose ends for future researchers to explore, to carry the thesis into the present and beyond. This surprising thin volume accomplishes a great deal and should be read not just by scholars with an interest in racial and ethnic politics or interest groups but by anyone seeking a better understanding of legislative advocacy and civil rights history. Minta offers a creative exploration of the nonlinear path that effective legislative advocacy can take, with an impressive richness of historical detail. His book moves beyond the common wisdom and makes an innovative contribution to our understanding of how successful organizations can change and adapt to achieve their goals.