Book Review: Open Borders

This is a (significantly updated) cross-post from my personal website. All
sources are from the book unless otherwise mentioned.

Bryan Caplan is an economist at George Mason University known for his wacky
libertarian views about various social and political issues (especially
education). Open Borders: The Science and Ethics of Immigration is his latest
book, which is in the format of a graphic novel illustrated by Zach Weinersmith
of SMBC fame. The graphic novel format works really well. The art style is cute
and non-fiction graphic novels are grossly underrated (some favourites of mine
are Maus and Logicomix). Realistically, most people are not going to read a
regular book about the economics of immigration. But this way Caplan can lure us
in with fun cartoons!

Caplan really does believe that there should be no restrictions on immigration
whatsoever, and that’s exactly what his cartoon representation argues for in
this book. The basic argument goes like this: people should, in general, be
allowed to make decisions that they think will improve their lives, assuming
they’re not hurting anyone. Moving to a new country is exactly such a decision.
Since immigrants often move in search of work, moving is associated with a
massive increase in economic prosperity. By moving to the US and receiving no
additional training or education, the average citizen of a developing country
can expect their income to increase fivefold; and for countries like Nigeria,
tenfold. This is because developed countries are safer and have better quality
institutions, so immigrants are more productive in them. Also, the opportunity
cost of workers in rich countries is higher, hence why service workers like
gardeners are so much more productive there. The gains are so vast that a
standard estimate is that open borders would double world GDP. Yet rich
countries continue to restrict immigration, sometimes through formal caps, and
sometimes through complicated bureaucracy and paperwork which at be