December 4, 2017
Work by Prof. Emily Ritter was recently published in PS: Political Science and Politics as part of a spotlight on "Contentious Politics in the Trump Era." Congratulations to Prof. Ritter!
Her contribution, "A President Principal and Immigration Agents: Moral Hazard" analyses the Trump administration's immigration policies from a principal-agent perspective. The core insight is that increased discretion by the administration, in combination with the recruitment of agents of unknown type (diligent vs. reckless, pacific vs. aggressive) and unknown preferences, may increase the chance of human rights abuses against immigrants. While troubling, this diagnosis also suggests some potential paths forward, outlined in the article.
