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Phil Triadafilopoulos

University of Toronto, Political Science, Faculty Member

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Phil Triadafilopoulos is Professor of Political Science at the University of Toronto. Triadafilopoulos received his PhD in Political Science for the New School for Social Research and is a former Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) Postdoctoral Fellow. He also held a two-year visiting research fellowship at the Institute for Social Sciences at Humboldt University through the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). Triadafilopoulos was a Visiting Professor at the Hertie School of Governance in Berlin and a Visiting Fellow at the Institute for German Studies at the University of Birmingham.

Triadafilopoulos is the author of Becoming Multicultural: Immigration and the Politics of Membership in Canada and Germany (Vancouver: University of British Columbia Press, 2012), shortlisted for the Canadian Political Science Association’s 2013 Donald Smiley Prize for the best book in Canadian politics and 2014 Comparative Politics Prize. He is the editor of Wanted and Welcome? Policies for Highly Skilled Immigrants in Comparative Perspective (New York: Springer, 2013), and co-editor (with Kristin Good and Luc Turgeon) of Segmented Cities? How Urban Contexts Shape Ethnic and Nationalist Politics (Vancouver: University of British Columbia Press, 2014). Triadafilopoulos’ scholarly publications have appeared in Ethnicities, Current History, Ethnic and Racial Studies, Social Politics, German Politics and Society, the Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, Social Research, the Review of International Studies, Citizenship Studies and The Journal of Politics.
Phone: 416-978-7035
Address: Department of Political Science
University of Toronto
100 St. George Street
Toronto, Ontario
M5S 3G3
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Books by Phil Triadafilopoulos

Becoming Multicultural: Immigration and the Politics of Membership in Canada and Germany. Vancouver: University of British Columbia Press, 2012.

Segmented Cities? How Urban Contexts Shape Ethnic and Nationalist Politics (co-edited with Kristin Good and Luc Turgeon). Vancouver: University of British Columbia Press, 2014.

Wanted and Welcome? Policies for Highly Skilled Immigrants in Comparative Perspective. New York, Springer, 2013.

European Encounters: Migrants, Migration and European Societies since 1945 (co-edited with Rainer Ohliger and Karen Schönwälder). Aldershot: Ashgate, 2003.

Papers by Phil Triadafilopoulos

Liberalism and Citizenship

Encyclopedia of Citizenship Studies , 2024

How have the contending logics of citizenship and liberalism resolved themselves in the context o... more How have the contending logics of citizenship and liberalism resolved themselves in the context of existing liberal-democratic states, especially as regards immigration and the treatment of ethnic, racial, and religious minority groups? In practice, liberalism has tempered its universality, adapting itself to the demands of citizenship and democratic self-determination. In eras and contexts in which race and ethnicity have formed the basis of self-determining democratic peoples, liberals have interpreted liberalism accordingly. During the era of colonialism, the enjoyment of individual rights and autonomy was reserved for individuals that had reached an advanced stage of “civilization.” Racialized subjects of imperial powers were denied rights granted to their “white” counterparts. More generally, throughout the nineteenth and first half of the twentieth centuries, liberalism conformed itself to the exclusionary demands of scientific racism, colonization, and white supremacy. It was only after the Second World War that liberalism parted ways with “scientific racism” and shifted toward a more universalizing ethic. This movement, catalyzed by the postwar reaction to Nazi atrocities, decolonization, and the concurrent emergence of a global human rights regime, helped break down discriminatory barriers to immigrants and ethnic, racial, and religious minorities in the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. Arguably this liberalizing process continues to this day, expanding rights to gay, lesbian, transgender, and non-binary individuals, and others hitherto excluded from the mainstream because of their sexuality. Yet, we are also witnessing a backlash against liberal multiculturalism. Since the late 1990s, and especially since the turn of the millennium, governments in liberal-democratic states have demanded more in the way of integration from immigrants, especially those seeking to attain citizenship through naturalization. Toleration—a core liberal precept—has come under fire, as critics maintain that the accommodation of “non-Western” cultures has eroded the rights of sexual minorities, women, children, and animals, harming liberal progress. The principal target of those opposed to liberal multiculturalism is Islam. Immigration, integration, and citizenship policies targeting Muslims reflect not only Islamophobia and racism, but also a belief that Muslims pose an existential threat to liberal democracy. Liberal states have therefore taken to employing illiberal means to preserve liberal values, such as gender equality and the separation of church and state.

Education and Choice in the United Kingdom: Measuring School Choice Policies in England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland (1980–2020)

by Phil Triadafilopoulos, Salar Asadolahi, and Linda A. White

Comparative Education

This article introduces and discusses the findings of the United Kingdom School Choice Policy Ind... more This article introduces and discusses the findings of the United
Kingdom School Choice Policy Index (UKSCPI) which provides an
overview of the development of school choice policies across
seven indicators over the 1980–2020 period, comparing how
each of these policy areas have developed across the UK. The
findings reveal that school choice has increased most in England
with smaller increases in choice in the other countries. The
establishment and expansion of Academies accounts for much of
the rising levels of choice in England relative to the other three
countries since 2010. Following a discussion of the findings of the
index, the paper briefly outlines the historical context around the
establishment of Academies and considers how their introduction
and subsequent expansion has potentially provided wealthier
families with more options with regard to their children’s
schooling as compared to economically disadvantaged families.

The Domestic Politics of Selective Permeability: Disaggregating the Canadian Migration State

Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 2023

Hollifield's 'migration state' concept draws attention to the political tension between openness ... more Hollifield's 'migration state' concept draws attention to the political tension between openness and closure in liberal-democratic countries, arguing that domestic migration policy regimes represent an equilibrium outcome between security, rights, markets, and culture. This overstates national strategic control over migration and borders. Through a case study of recent developments in Canada, sometimes held up as the paradigmatic centralised liberal migration state, we present evidence of growing policy blurring, fragmentation, and decentralisation as migration management programmes have been patched and layered in response to controversies and pressure from domestic interests, including employers, higher education institutions, advocacy groups, and subnational governments. As a result, volumes of temporary foreign workers and foreign students have increased tenfold since 2000. More generally, we propose that a strategy of disaggregation reveals the internal complexity of, and political tensions within, contemporary migration states.

Paradigms Lost? Integration and its Discontents

Routledge Handbook of Immigration and Refugee Studies, 2022

Uncorrected Proofs

Whiteness and the Politics of Middle-class Nation-building in Canada

Ethnic and Racial Studies, 2022

In Making Middle-Class Multiculturalism: Immigration Bureaucrats and Policymaking in Postwar Cana... more In Making Middle-Class Multiculturalism: Immigration Bureaucrats and Policymaking in Postwar Canada, Jennifer Elrick maintains that Canada’s shift to an immigration admissions regime premised on human capital considerations was (a) spearheaded by high level bureaucrats, (b) did not eschew racial considerations (as is generally assumed) but rather recast them by moving from a biological to a class-based conceptualization of race and national identity, and (c) has served as a model for other countries experimenting with managed migration policies. I am persuaded by Elrick’s arguments but argue that her discussion of racial recasting could be enhanced by thinking of the process as a reconceptualization
of whiteness. I also note that Elrick underestimates the role of non-bureaucratic, political drivers of liberalization in the 1960s. Similarly, her discussion of policy formation in the 1990s and 2000s, in Canada and other states, understates the influence of neoliberal populism in the development of managed migration regimes.

Canada: The Quintessential Migration State

Understanding Global Migration, edited by James Holliefield and Neal Foley. Stanford University Press, 2022

Good and Lucky: Explaining Canada's Successful Immigration Policies

Policy Success in Canada: Cases, Lessons, Challenges, edited by Evert Lindquist, Michael Howlett, Grace Skogstad, Geneviève Tellier, and Paul t' Hart. Oxford University Press, 2022

School Choice, Policy Feedback Effects, and Policy Outcomes: Understanding the Relationship between Government Policy Design and Parent Decisions to "Stay" or "Defect" from Public Education

Comparative Education, 2022

Across OECD countries, education choice is proliferating as parents seek and governments permit c... more Across OECD countries, education choice is proliferating as parents seek and governments permit choice both inside and outside public education systems. The movement of students out of the common public school, however, varies significantly across jurisdictions and sociodemographic characteristics such as race and class. This variation in individual decision making and macro policy outcomes directs us to theorise about the relationship between parental preferences, government responses, and policy outcomes. We map the interplay between the demand for choice, institutional responses, and policy feedback effects that lead to four major policy outcomes: partially attenuated governance, hyper choice, partial accommodation within the public system, and non-accommodation that leads parents to withdraw from the public education system. We apply this framework to understanding variation in patterns of school choice in Canadian provinces and conclude by outlining some ways in which our framework can be used to understand school choice outcomes cross-nationally.

Charting the Rise of School Choice across Canadian Provinces: A Policy Index

Canadian Journal of Political Science, 2021

This article introduces and discusses the findings of the Canada School Choice Policy Index (CSCP... more This article introduces and discusses the findings of the Canada School Choice Policy Index (CSCPI). This is the first index of its kind that measures the development of school choice policies across the Canadian provinces from 1980 to 2020 using eight unique indicators of choice. In contrast to other countries in the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the CSCPI reveals that although Canada has witnessed an increase in school choice over time, this increase has largely been contained within public education systems rather than in the expansion of private education options. Our findings raise the importance of future research to address growing choice in public education systems across the provinces, in addition to choice in the private sphere. Résumé Cet article présente et discute les résultats de l'Indice canadien des politiques de choix scolaire (IPCS). Il s'agit du premier indice de ce type qui mesure l'évolution des politiques de choix de l'école dans les provinces canadiennes de 1980 à 2020 à l'aide de huit indicateurs uniques de choix. Contrairement aux autres pays de l'OCDE, l'IPSC révèle que, bien que le Canada ait connu une augmentation du choix d'écoles au fil du temps, cette augmentation a été largement contenue dans les systèmes d'éducation publique plutôt que par l'expansion des options d'éducation privée. Nos résultats soulèvent l'importance de recherches futures portant sur le choix croissant dans les systèmes d'éducation publique dans les provinces, en plus du choix dans la sphère privée.

The Foundations Limits and Consequences of Immigration Exceptionalism in Canada

American Review of Canadian Studies, 2021

Canadian immigration politics and policymaking are striking. Canadian admission targets have stea... more Canadian immigration politics and policymaking are striking. Canadian admission targets have steadily increased since the global economic crisis of 2008-2009, regardless of the party in power and despite the COVID-19 pandemic. In contrast to the less welcoming attitudes of publics in other industrialized democracies, Canadians have enthusiastically supported expansive immigration policies. Elite and popular support for Canada’s official multiculturalism policy also runs counter to trends in other states. The articles in this special issue of the American Review of Canadian Studies explore the factors underlying Canada’s distinctive approach to immigration, pointing out some important limits and attendant tensions in the ‘Canadian model.’ Canadians’ embrace of immigration and multiculturalism is based on important qualifications. Taken together, these qualifications raise questions about the scope and extent of Canadian exceptionalism. They also help us understand what, if anything, other countries can borrow from Canada and the likely trajectory of Canadian immigration policy moving forward.

The Political Foundations of Canadian Exceptionalism in Immigration Policy

International Affairs and Canadian Migration Policy, 2020

Immigration is a contentious topic in most liberal democracies. Anti-immigrant politicians and pa... more Immigration is a contentious topic in most liberal democracies. Anti-immigrant politicians and parties have used nativism to generate electoral support and roll back immigration policies. In marked contrast, Canadian governments have continued to pursue an expansionary immigration program, with the support of the public. Explanations of Canadian exceptionalism point to Canada’s isolated geography and distinctive immigration and multiculturalism policies. We highlight the importance of three additional factors: the distribution of immigrants in Canada, Canada’s citizenship policy, and its Single Member Plurality electoral system. The interaction of these forces enhances the electoral weight of new Canadian voters. This, in turn, moderates Canadian political parties’ positions, helping shore up a robust cross-party political consensus. The portability of the “Canadian model” is therefore limited. While other countries may adopt Canadian policy approaches, given the contingent factors shaping the politics of immigration in Canada, generating similar degrees of political consensus will be difficult.

A Religion like No Other: Islam and the Limits of Multiculturalism in Canada

by Phil Triadafilopoulos and Jameela Rasheed

Ryerson Centre for Immigration and Settlement (RCIS) and the CERC in Migration and Integration, Working Paper No. 2020/14, 2020

How are we to understand the popularity of multiculturalism in Canada, on the one hand, and the f... more How are we to understand the popularity of multiculturalism in Canada, on the one hand, and the frequency (and vociferousness) of anti-Muslim sentiment on the other? We advance a two-pronged argument. First, it is important to recognize that the stigma attached to Islam in Canada and other industrialized democracies is unique. Islam is cast by its critics as an existential challenge to liberal democracy. Second, we maintain that debates over religious accommodation in Canada trigger concern over the maintenance a particular mode of national identity centered on liberal multiculturalism. Intolerance of Islam is justified on behalf of protecting a secular, tolerant, liberal-democratic public ethos against a putatively pre-modern, intolerant and illiberal enemy. In a peculiar way, support for multiculturalism may inform opposition to Islam.

Germany's Post 2015 Immigration Dilemmas

Current History, 2019

Religious groups, liberal-democratic states and competitive boundary making: The debate over ritual male circumcision in Germany

Ethnicities, 2019

Debates over religious accommodation in liberal-democratic states are common. I offer a framework... more Debates over religious accommodation in liberal-democratic states are common. I offer a framework for making sense of their often-abrupt eruption, unpredictable dynamics and variation across jurisdictions, arguing that they are best understood as instances of competitive group boundary construction and maintenance. Religious believers' interest in honouring their group's customs is not only based on individual devotion but also reflects their interest in maintaining a sense of coherent religious group identity. Liberal-democratic societies simultaneously create liberal-democratic subjects, through public schooling and other means, including immigrant integration policies. These parallel processes of group formation can intersect, sparking conflict. I outline the social mechanisms that generate conflict, illustrating my argument through reference to the debate over ritual male circumcision in Germany.

"Citizenship against the Nation." In Citizenship and Multiculturalism in Western Liberal Democracies, ed. David Edward Tabachnick and Leah Bradshaw. Lexington Books, 2017.

Citizenship and Multiculturalism in Western Liberal Democracies, 2017

Uncorrected page proofs

“Immigration, Citizenship and Canada’s New Conservative Party” (co-authored with Inder Marwah and Steve White). In Conservatism in Canada, ed. David Rayside and James Farney. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2013.

Becoming Multicultural: Immigration and the Politics of Membership in Canada and Germany. Vancouver: University of British Columbia Press, 2012.

Segmented Cities? How Urban Contexts Shape Ethnic and Nationalist Politics (co-edited with Kristin Good and Luc Turgeon). Vancouver: University of British Columbia Press, 2014.

Wanted and Welcome? Policies for Highly Skilled Immigrants in Comparative Perspective. New York, Springer, 2013.

European Encounters: Migrants, Migration and European Societies since 1945 (co-edited with Rainer Ohliger and Karen Schönwälder). Aldershot: Ashgate, 2003.

Liberalism and Citizenship

Encyclopedia of Citizenship Studies , 2024

How have the contending logics of citizenship and liberalism resolved themselves in the context o... more How have the contending logics of citizenship and liberalism resolved themselves in the context of existing liberal-democratic states, especially as regards immigration and the treatment of ethnic, racial, and religious minority groups? In practice, liberalism has tempered its universality, adapting itself to the demands of citizenship and democratic self-determination. In eras and contexts in which race and ethnicity have formed the basis of self-determining democratic peoples, liberals have interpreted liberalism accordingly. During the era of colonialism, the enjoyment of individual rights and autonomy was reserved for individuals that had reached an advanced stage of “civilization.” Racialized subjects of imperial powers were denied rights granted to their “white” counterparts. More generally, throughout the nineteenth and first half of the twentieth centuries, liberalism conformed itself to the exclusionary demands of scientific racism, colonization, and white supremacy. It was only after the Second World War that liberalism parted ways with “scientific racism” and shifted toward a more universalizing ethic. This movement, catalyzed by the postwar reaction to Nazi atrocities, decolonization, and the concurrent emergence of a global human rights regime, helped break down discriminatory barriers to immigrants and ethnic, racial, and religious minorities in the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. Arguably this liberalizing process continues to this day, expanding rights to gay, lesbian, transgender, and non-binary individuals, and others hitherto excluded from the mainstream because of their sexuality. Yet, we are also witnessing a backlash against liberal multiculturalism. Since the late 1990s, and especially since the turn of the millennium, governments in liberal-democratic states have demanded more in the way of integration from immigrants, especially those seeking to attain citizenship through naturalization. Toleration—a core liberal precept—has come under fire, as critics maintain that the accommodation of “non-Western” cultures has eroded the rights of sexual minorities, women, children, and animals, harming liberal progress. The principal target of those opposed to liberal multiculturalism is Islam. Immigration, integration, and citizenship policies targeting Muslims reflect not only Islamophobia and racism, but also a belief that Muslims pose an existential threat to liberal democracy. Liberal states have therefore taken to employing illiberal means to preserve liberal values, such as gender equality and the separation of church and state.

Education and Choice in the United Kingdom: Measuring School Choice Policies in England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland (1980–2020)

by Phil Triadafilopoulos, Salar Asadolahi, and Linda A. White

Comparative Education

This article introduces and discusses the findings of the United Kingdom School Choice Policy Ind... more This article introduces and discusses the findings of the United
Kingdom School Choice Policy Index (UKSCPI) which provides an
overview of the development of school choice policies across
seven indicators over the 1980–2020 period, comparing how
each of these policy areas have developed across the UK. The
findings reveal that school choice has increased most in England
with smaller increases in choice in the other countries. The
establishment and expansion of Academies accounts for much of
the rising levels of choice in England relative to the other three
countries since 2010. Following a discussion of the findings of the
index, the paper briefly outlines the historical context around the
establishment of Academies and considers how their introduction
and subsequent expansion has potentially provided wealthier
families with more options with regard to their children’s
schooling as compared to economically disadvantaged families.

The Domestic Politics of Selective Permeability: Disaggregating the Canadian Migration State

Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 2023

Hollifield's 'migration state' concept draws attention to the political tension between openness ... more Hollifield's 'migration state' concept draws attention to the political tension between openness and closure in liberal-democratic countries, arguing that domestic migration policy regimes represent an equilibrium outcome between security, rights, markets, and culture. This overstates national strategic control over migration and borders. Through a case study of recent developments in Canada, sometimes held up as the paradigmatic centralised liberal migration state, we present evidence of growing policy blurring, fragmentation, and decentralisation as migration management programmes have been patched and layered in response to controversies and pressure from domestic interests, including employers, higher education institutions, advocacy groups, and subnational governments. As a result, volumes of temporary foreign workers and foreign students have increased tenfold since 2000. More generally, we propose that a strategy of disaggregation reveals the internal complexity of, and political tensions within, contemporary migration states.

Paradigms Lost? Integration and its Discontents

Routledge Handbook of Immigration and Refugee Studies, 2022

Uncorrected Proofs

Whiteness and the Politics of Middle-class Nation-building in Canada

Ethnic and Racial Studies, 2022

In Making Middle-Class Multiculturalism: Immigration Bureaucrats and Policymaking in Postwar Cana... more In Making Middle-Class Multiculturalism: Immigration Bureaucrats and Policymaking in Postwar Canada, Jennifer Elrick maintains that Canada’s shift to an immigration admissions regime premised on human capital considerations was (a) spearheaded by high level bureaucrats, (b) did not eschew racial considerations (as is generally assumed) but rather recast them by moving from a biological to a class-based conceptualization of race and national identity, and (c) has served as a model for other countries experimenting with managed migration policies. I am persuaded by Elrick’s arguments but argue that her discussion of racial recasting could be enhanced by thinking of the process as a reconceptualization
of whiteness. I also note that Elrick underestimates the role of non-bureaucratic, political drivers of liberalization in the 1960s. Similarly, her discussion of policy formation in the 1990s and 2000s, in Canada and other states, understates the influence of neoliberal populism in the development of managed migration regimes.

Canada: The Quintessential Migration State

Understanding Global Migration, edited by James Holliefield and Neal Foley. Stanford University Press, 2022

Good and Lucky: Explaining Canada's Successful Immigration Policies

Policy Success in Canada: Cases, Lessons, Challenges, edited by Evert Lindquist, Michael Howlett, Grace Skogstad, Geneviève Tellier, and Paul t' Hart. Oxford University Press, 2022

School Choice, Policy Feedback Effects, and Policy Outcomes: Understanding the Relationship between Government Policy Design and Parent Decisions to "Stay" or "Defect" from Public Education

Comparative Education, 2022

Across OECD countries, education choice is proliferating as parents seek and governments permit c... more Across OECD countries, education choice is proliferating as parents seek and governments permit choice both inside and outside public education systems. The movement of students out of the common public school, however, varies significantly across jurisdictions and sociodemographic characteristics such as race and class. This variation in individual decision making and macro policy outcomes directs us to theorise about the relationship between parental preferences, government responses, and policy outcomes. We map the interplay between the demand for choice, institutional responses, and policy feedback effects that lead to four major policy outcomes: partially attenuated governance, hyper choice, partial accommodation within the public system, and non-accommodation that leads parents to withdraw from the public education system. We apply this framework to understanding variation in patterns of school choice in Canadian provinces and conclude by outlining some ways in which our framework can be used to understand school choice outcomes cross-nationally.

Charting the Rise of School Choice across Canadian Provinces: A Policy Index

Canadian Journal of Political Science, 2021

This article introduces and discusses the findings of the Canada School Choice Policy Index (CSCP... more This article introduces and discusses the findings of the Canada School Choice Policy Index (CSCPI). This is the first index of its kind that measures the development of school choice policies across the Canadian provinces from 1980 to 2020 using eight unique indicators of choice. In contrast to other countries in the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the CSCPI reveals that although Canada has witnessed an increase in school choice over time, this increase has largely been contained within public education systems rather than in the expansion of private education options. Our findings raise the importance of future research to address growing choice in public education systems across the provinces, in addition to choice in the private sphere. Résumé Cet article présente et discute les résultats de l'Indice canadien des politiques de choix scolaire (IPCS). Il s'agit du premier indice de ce type qui mesure l'évolution des politiques de choix de l'école dans les provinces canadiennes de 1980 à 2020 à l'aide de huit indicateurs uniques de choix. Contrairement aux autres pays de l'OCDE, l'IPSC révèle que, bien que le Canada ait connu une augmentation du choix d'écoles au fil du temps, cette augmentation a été largement contenue dans les systèmes d'éducation publique plutôt que par l'expansion des options d'éducation privée. Nos résultats soulèvent l'importance de recherches futures portant sur le choix croissant dans les systèmes d'éducation publique dans les provinces, en plus du choix dans la sphère privée.

The Foundations Limits and Consequences of Immigration Exceptionalism in Canada

American Review of Canadian Studies, 2021

Canadian immigration politics and policymaking are striking. Canadian admission targets have stea... more Canadian immigration politics and policymaking are striking. Canadian admission targets have steadily increased since the global economic crisis of 2008-2009, regardless of the party in power and despite the COVID-19 pandemic. In contrast to the less welcoming attitudes of publics in other industrialized democracies, Canadians have enthusiastically supported expansive immigration policies. Elite and popular support for Canada’s official multiculturalism policy also runs counter to trends in other states. The articles in this special issue of the American Review of Canadian Studies explore the factors underlying Canada’s distinctive approach to immigration, pointing out some important limits and attendant tensions in the ‘Canadian model.’ Canadians’ embrace of immigration and multiculturalism is based on important qualifications. Taken together, these qualifications raise questions about the scope and extent of Canadian exceptionalism. They also help us understand what, if anything, other countries can borrow from Canada and the likely trajectory of Canadian immigration policy moving forward.

The Political Foundations of Canadian Exceptionalism in Immigration Policy

International Affairs and Canadian Migration Policy, 2020

Immigration is a contentious topic in most liberal democracies. Anti-immigrant politicians and pa... more Immigration is a contentious topic in most liberal democracies. Anti-immigrant politicians and parties have used nativism to generate electoral support and roll back immigration policies. In marked contrast, Canadian governments have continued to pursue an expansionary immigration program, with the support of the public. Explanations of Canadian exceptionalism point to Canada’s isolated geography and distinctive immigration and multiculturalism policies. We highlight the importance of three additional factors: the distribution of immigrants in Canada, Canada’s citizenship policy, and its Single Member Plurality electoral system. The interaction of these forces enhances the electoral weight of new Canadian voters. This, in turn, moderates Canadian political parties’ positions, helping shore up a robust cross-party political consensus. The portability of the “Canadian model” is therefore limited. While other countries may adopt Canadian policy approaches, given the contingent factors shaping the politics of immigration in Canada, generating similar degrees of political consensus will be difficult.

A Religion like No Other: Islam and the Limits of Multiculturalism in Canada

by Phil Triadafilopoulos and Jameela Rasheed

Ryerson Centre for Immigration and Settlement (RCIS) and the CERC in Migration and Integration, Working Paper No. 2020/14, 2020

How are we to understand the popularity of multiculturalism in Canada, on the one hand, and the f... more How are we to understand the popularity of multiculturalism in Canada, on the one hand, and the frequency (and vociferousness) of anti-Muslim sentiment on the other? We advance a two-pronged argument. First, it is important to recognize that the stigma attached to Islam in Canada and other industrialized democracies is unique. Islam is cast by its critics as an existential challenge to liberal democracy. Second, we maintain that debates over religious accommodation in Canada trigger concern over the maintenance a particular mode of national identity centered on liberal multiculturalism. Intolerance of Islam is justified on behalf of protecting a secular, tolerant, liberal-democratic public ethos against a putatively pre-modern, intolerant and illiberal enemy. In a peculiar way, support for multiculturalism may inform opposition to Islam.

Germany's Post 2015 Immigration Dilemmas

Current History, 2019

Religious groups, liberal-democratic states and competitive boundary making: The debate over ritual male circumcision in Germany

Ethnicities, 2019

Debates over religious accommodation in liberal-democratic states are common. I offer a framework... more Debates over religious accommodation in liberal-democratic states are common. I offer a framework for making sense of their often-abrupt eruption, unpredictable dynamics and variation across jurisdictions, arguing that they are best understood as instances of competitive group boundary construction and maintenance. Religious believers' interest in honouring their group's customs is not only based on individual devotion but also reflects their interest in maintaining a sense of coherent religious group identity. Liberal-democratic societies simultaneously create liberal-democratic subjects, through public schooling and other means, including immigrant integration policies. These parallel processes of group formation can intersect, sparking conflict. I outline the social mechanisms that generate conflict, illustrating my argument through reference to the debate over ritual male circumcision in Germany.

"Citizenship against the Nation." In Citizenship and Multiculturalism in Western Liberal Democracies, ed. David Edward Tabachnick and Leah Bradshaw. Lexington Books, 2017.

Citizenship and Multiculturalism in Western Liberal Democracies, 2017

Uncorrected page proofs

“Immigration, Citizenship and Canada’s New Conservative Party” (co-authored with Inder Marwah and Steve White). In Conservatism in Canada, ed. David Rayside and James Farney. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2013.

The New Differentialism: Responses to Immigrant Diversity in Germany

German Politics, 2016

There is widespread agreement among scholars that the 1990s and 2000s witnessed a re-orientation ... more There is widespread agreement among scholars that the 1990s and 2000s witnessed
a re-orientation of immigrant policies across western European
countries. According to the literature, this re-orientation featured a new and
strong focus on encouraging the adjustment of immigrants to the mainstream
cultures and political norms of receiving societies. Our article looks back on
the developments in Germany since the mid-1990s to examine these assumptions.
We maintain that immigrant and immigration policy has shifted since the 1990s
but that this shift is not as clear cut as many academic discussions would suggest.
While there were good reasons to diagnose a (re) turn to assimilationism in the
first half of the 2000s, we overestimated the strength and persistence of such
trends. We draw on Rogers Brubaker’s terminology in referring to current policies
as a ‘new differentialism’. The new differentialism represents a novel trend
in policy, reflective of broader societal transformations. These developments
may complicate the place of the ‘German case’ in cross-national research – it
has outgrown its status as Europe’s maligned ethno-exclusionary pariah and
does not easily conform to models focusing on the departure from, or transformation
of, multiculturalism.

Making Room for Islam in Germany’s Public Schools: The Role of the Länder (co-authored with Joachim Rahmann). In Staat und Islam, ed. Nils Schroeder and Uwe Hunger. Wiesbaden: VS Verlag, 2016.

Is Multiculturalism Dead? Groups, Governments and the 'Real Work of Integration'

Ethnic and Racial Studies , 2015

Understood as a philosophy counselling group rights and concomitant public policies undertaken by... more Understood as a philosophy counselling group rights and concomitant public policies undertaken by governments to preserve and enhance group identities, multiculturalism has little purchase in European immigrant integration debates. However, based on interviews with various actors engaged in policies that affect immigrants in the Netherlands and Germany, we argue that
multiculturalism remains a going concern if it is understood as a problem-solving practice through which governments acknowledge and work with ethnic and religious groups to address issues of mutual concern, particularly on issues related to gender. We label this 'multicultural governance' and
argue that it supports the principal ends of integration policy: the socialization of immigrants into prevailing national languages, norms and institutions.

A Bridge or Barrier to Incorporation? Germany’s 1999 Citizenship Reform in Critical Perspective

German Politics and Society, 2012

This article probes the consequences of Germany's 1999 citizenship reform as it pertains to the i... more This article probes the consequences of Germany's 1999 citizenship reform as it pertains to the incorporation of immigrants. We maintain that the law's principled rejection of dual citizenship and related stipulation that children born into German nationality via the law's revolutionary jus soli provision choose between their German citizenship or that of their non-German parents between the ages of eighteen and twenty-three is unfair, potentially unconstitutional, and likely unworkable in administrative terms. We also argue that the decline in naturalization rates in Germany since 2000 is due to a combination of legal, administrative, and symbolic barriers in the law, as well as a lack of incentives for naturalization for immigrants from European Union member states and other rich industrialized countries. We believe that progress in the area of incorporation will require a shift in outlooks on the part of German political elites, such that immigrants are seen as potential members of a diverse community of free and equal citizens rather than untrustworthy and threatening outsiders.

Syllabus POL220 - Immigration, Multiculturalism, and Citizenship in Canada

It is no exaggeration to say that immigration has transformed Canada. Until the 1960s, immigratio... more It is no exaggeration to say that immigration has transformed Canada. Until the 1960s, immigration policies entrenched Canada’s identity as a self-declared “white man’s country.” Today, Canada is among the most culturally diverse industrialized democracies in the world. Most Canadians support relatively high levels of immigration and official multiculturalism. Populist anti-immigration politics, a bane of governments in many other democracies, is a marginal phenomenon in Canada. Some commentators have referred to Canada as “exceptional” and emulation of the “Canadian Model” of immigration is commonplace. This course explores Canada’s development into a multicultural immigration country, probing the degree to which Canada’s reputation as an exceptionally welcoming, tolerant country is warranted. We begin by tracing the evolution of Canadian immigration policy from Confederation to the present, asking why anti-immigration positions have generally failed since the late-1990s. We consider the politics of refugee resettlement and asylum, noting that in this area Canadian hospitality has distinct limits. We then turn to citizenship policy, an area where Canada is indeed unique, as most immigrants acquire Canadian citizenship. We move on to consider Canada’s policy of official multiculturalism, charting its origins, development, and shortcomings. We conclude by asking whether recent changes to immigration policy spell the end of the “Canadian Model.”

Syllabus: PPG2000: Politics and the Policy Process, Winter 2023

This course considers the relationship between politics, public policy, and the policy process. O... more This course considers the relationship between politics, public policy, and the policy process. Our first class examines definitions of these concepts, probing their connections and considering the ways in which many observers see politics as a problem rather than a necessary and unavoidable feature of policymaking. The remainder of the course is organized into four sections. Part I considers classic statements of politics and "the political," asking whether politics is best understood as a manifestation of deeper social and economic divisions or a distinct dimension of the human condition. In part II, we focus on power, looking at competing theories that highlight the role of agents, ideologies, and structures (including patriarchy and white supremacy). Part III of the course considers democracy. We review seminal definitions of democracy, calls to make it more participatory and deliberative, and demands that we reject it in favor of rule by the well educated and politically informed (epistocracy) and/or technical experts (technocracy). This brings us to consider whether populist appeals to "the people" are a dangerous abstraction or a necessary feature of contemporary democratic politics. Part four of the course relates our discussions of politics, power, and democracy to three pressing public policy challenges: the global refugee crisis, the struggle for reconciliation between the Canadian state and Indigenous peoples, and climate change.

Syllabus: POLD42 Advanced Topics in Public Law - Carl Schmitt

This course surveys the work of German legal theorist Carl Schmitt . Schmitt is a complicated, in... more This course surveys the work of German legal theorist Carl Schmitt . Schmitt is a complicated, intellectually imposing and troubling figure. His criticisms of liberalism and parliamentary democracy, and insights into sovereignty, political enmity and international law, are original, bracing and still highly relevant. Yet, Schmitt was also an ardent anti-Semite and member of the Nazi Party. Schmitt has become a central intellectual figure among members of both the alt-right and, somewhat paradoxically given his political choices and affiliations, the radical democratic Left. We will read several of Schmitt's books carefully to better understand his scholarly contributions and their relation to his political positions and actions. We will ask why Schmitt has emerged as one of the twenty-first century's most influential thinkers and what his thought contributes to our understanding of contemporary politics.

Syllabus: POL410/2391 The Politics of Immigration in Europe and North America

International migration prompts policy questions of the highest order: Who shall be admitted? Ac... more International migration prompts policy questions of the highest order: Who shall be admitted? According to what criteria? And toward which ends and to whose advantage? And once admitted what, if any, access should migrants have to citizenship? This course aims to provide students with the theoretical and empirical knowledge needed to grapple with these questions intelligently. We will critically review literature from multiple disciplines with an eye to better understanding both why immigration has become such a dominant issue in contemporary politics and governance and how the challenges it provokes have been addressed by liberal-democratic states in Europe and North America.

Syllabus: POLC67 Canadian Public Policy

This course surveys the historical development and contemporary patterning of public policies in ... more This course surveys the historical development and contemporary patterning of public policies in Canada. We begin by exploring the context of public policy-making in Canada, focusing on institutions (parliamentary government, federalism, the courts), actors (citizens, parties, advocacy groups) and ideas/ideologies (liberalism, conservatism, socialism, etc.). We go on to examine policy-making in several issue areas, including: macroeconomic development, social welfare, health, urban affairs, immigration and citizenship, multiculturalism, and Aboriginal policy.

Syllabus: PPG1001 The Policy Process

Syllabus: POLD64 Comparative Public Policy

Syllabus: POLD52 Immigration and Canadian Political Development

“Seeds of Tyranny: Tracing Tyranny Back to Medieval Spain.” Review of Edna Paris, From Tolerance to Tyranny: A Cautionary Tale from Fifteenth Century Spain (Cormorant 2014) for The Literary Review of Canada, VOL. 23, No. 7 (September 2015): pp. 29-30.

by Helen Walsh and Phil Triadafilopoulos

For poetry submission guidelines, please see reviewcanada.ca.

A. McNevin, Contesting Citizenship: Irregular Migrants and New Frontiers of the Political, 2011; J. Moses, Emigration and Political Development, 2011; O. Shevel, Migration, Refugee Policy, and State Building in Postcommunist Europe, 2011. Perspectives on Politics 11, no. 03 (2013): 907-910.

integrate international factors (fewer international economic forces) at a theoretical level into... more integrate international factors (fewer international economic forces) at a theoretical level into its more focused evaluation of political economy. Characterizing the United States invasion of Panama as "the functional equivalent of an insurgent victory" (p. 89) is not very plausible, and overlooks the real differences between foreign occupation and the interplay of competing elites. In addition, the formative impact of liberation theology on the rebellions is largely absent (there is a brief reference on p. 81), the independent institutional interests of the armed forces as self-proclaimed nation and state builders is not addressed, and important questions of sequencing-how political developments in one country affected another-are not highlighted. Then again, one virtue of the book is how well it surveys questions of political economy in a rather quick read.

“Our Muslim Citizens: Are they any different from previous waves of Catholics or Jews?” Review of Doug Saunders, The Myth of the Muslim Tide: Do Immigrants Threaten the West? (Vintage, 2012) for The Literary Review of Canada, VOL. 20, No. 10 (December 2012): pp. 11-12.

For poetry submission guidelines, please see <reviewcanada.ca>.

Review of Rudyard Griffiths, Who We Are: A Citizen’s Manifesto (Douglas & McIntyre, 2009) for American Review of Canadian Studies, forthcoming in VOL. 41, No. 3 (2011): pp. 321-323.

Rita Chin, The Guest Worker Question in Postwar Germany for German Politics and Society, VOL. 26, No. 3 (Autumn 2008): pp. 93-97.

On the Backs of Immigrants? Conservative Politics and New Canadian Voters

by Zack Taylor and Phil Triadafilopoulos

cpsa-acsp.ca

This paper explores whether and the degree to which the Conservative Party's success in the 2011 ... more This paper explores whether and the degree to which the Conservative Party's success in the 2011 federal election was driven by the support of new Canadians. We focus especially on the Greater Toronto region because (a) 20 of the 23 seats gained in the 2011 election were located there, and (b) 41 per cent of foreign-born Canadians live there. Of the 20 new Conservative seats, eight were majority-immigrant and none had less than 30 per cent immigrant population. Similarly, three of the six seats picked up by the NDP were majority immigrant and none had less than 35 per cent immigrant population. Our analysis uses individual-level survey data from several waves of the Canadian Elections Study and aggregate socio-demographic Census data and 2011 election returns to make individual and ecological inferences regarding immigrant voting behaviour.

Are Canadians really open to more migration in the future?

openDemocracy - Pandemic Borders, 2020

How are we to make sense of Canadian immigration policymaking during the COVID-19 pandemic? On th... more How are we to make sense of Canadian immigration policymaking during the COVID-19 pandemic? On the one hand, the Trudeau government has pledged to increase both its already ambitious admissions target for 2020 and its annual immigration levels in the next three years. Yet, paradoxically, the Government of Canada’s open approach to migration of all kinds has been marked by unprecedented territorial closure. The same contradiction is evident among Canadians: their ongoing support of official multiculturalism has coincided with increases in racist discrimination. A frank appraisal of Canada’s immigration policy must acknowledge the juxtaposition of aspirational openness, on the one hand, and de facto closure and growing hostility, on the other. Doing so makes it clear that any hope of returning to business as usual after the pandemic may be misplaced.

https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/pandemic-border/are-canadians-really-open-more-migration-future/