The political system has not responded to the concerns of the general public. Instead the government has usually ignored the majority position, passing laws and adopting policies that offend and anger many Americans. It is instructive to compare public opinion on immigration, English as the official language, prayer in school, homosexuality, and abortion with what the government has actually done on these issues.
Although the 1965 Immigration Act represented a radical change in the existing system, its congressional sponsors argued that the level of immigration would remain substantially unchanged, as would the ethnic composition of the immigrants (Gerald Rosberg, 1977). Both of these claims proved false. Although immigration law contains provision for immigrants to be deported if they become a public charge, the law is not enforced. Since the Border Patrol is grossly under funded, illegal immigration is virtually uncontrolled. In 1986, over 3 million illegal immigrants were amnestied. After the 2000 census, the illegal immigrant total was estimated at over 7 million. The American public has opposed amnesty by large majorities, and for most of the period a plurality wanted the level of immigration reduced. On the other hand, business welcomed the immigrants as a source of cheap labor, and as Steven A. Camarota, (2002) argues, “every major magazine and newspaper, and the leadership of both political parties remained adamantly in favor of immigration.”
In the 1980s a movement to make English the official language of the United States emerged. The issue polarized many communities, and is generally condemned by liberals as nativist and “Hispanophobic.” In national surveys, support for English as the official language ranges between 60 percent and 80 percent. Referendums have usually won by equally large majorities................
