DR Anna Boucher

PhD in Political Science (LSE)
MRes Political Science (Dist) (LSE)
PG Certificate Higher Education (LSE)
LLB (Hons 1) University of Sydney
BA (Hons 1, Medal) University of Sydney

Anna Boucher’s key research interests are in the areas of public policy, with a particular focus focus on immigration, gender and welfare state concerns. Her work considers these issues from both an Australian and comparative perspective, with a political science and legal focus.

Anna is an active researcher in the immigration field, having co-founded the Migration Studies Unit at the London School of Economics. She is an ongoing Research Fellow of the Unit and a principal investigator of the International Migration Policy and Law Analysis Database (IMPALA), a joint collaboration between the Universities of Sydney, Harvard, LSE, Amsterdam and Luxembourg to create the first international database of immigration policy. She is also a member of the Public Policy and Privatisation research networks at the University of Sydney.

In 2011, she joint-convened the Immigration and Asylum Section at the European Consortium for Political Research General Conference.

Research Field

Comparative Politics, Public Policy, Australian Politics

Research Interests

• Immigration policy and politics
• Welfare state policy
• Gender and politics
• Population politics
• Ethnic relations
• Human Rights
• Public Law
• Research Methods
• Australian, Canadian and German politics

Teaching

Current Courses

GOVT2111 – Human Rights and Australian Politics

GOVT1104 – Power in Society

Past Courses

Government Honours - Population Politics

Publications

Articles in Refereed Journals

[with Carney, T.] “Social Security and Immigration: An Agenda for Future Research,” Zeitschrift für ausländisches und internationales Arbeits-und Sozialrecht, (Journal of foreign and international labour and social security law) 23(ii) [Heft 1], 36-57, 2009 (Also published in: Sydney Law School, Legal Studies Research Paper, 10/06: Available at http://ssrn.com/abstract=1531973).

"Skill, migration and gender in Australia and Canada: The case of gender-based analysis." Australian Journal of Political Science 42(3): 383-401, 2007. [Awarded the Australasian Political Science Association Women and Politics Prize 2006].

Articles in Non-refereed Journals

“Eine Bill of Rights als Lösung für Verletzungen der Menschenrechte von Flüchtlingen? Ein Vergleich zwischen Australien und den USA, MenschenRechts Magazin, University of Potsdam, Germany, Heft 1/2005. [A bill of rights: A solution for human rights abuses against refugees?]

Book Chapters

“Gender mainstreaming in skilled immigration policy: From Beijing 1995 to the Canadian Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (2002),” in Human Rights and Social Policy: A Comparative Analysis of Values and Citizenship in OECD countries, Nevile, A (ed) Edward Elgar, 174-200, 2010.

“The Political Participation of Berlin’s Turkish Migrants in the Dual Citizenship and Headscarf Debates: A Multi-Level comparison,” in Migration and Activism in Europe since 1945, Pojmann, W (Ed), Palgrave Macmillan: 209-231, 2008. [Based on research awarded the University Medal and the Jean Monnet Prize for best thesis in European Studies in Australia, Contemporary European Research Centre, University of Melbourne, Australia, 2006].

Other Publications

Book review, Allan Maslove (ed) How Ottawa Spends 2009-2010, Economic Upheaval and Political Dysfunction (Montreal and Kingston, London, Ithaca: McGill Queen’s University Press, 2009) for the British Journal of Canadian Studies, 23(2): 301-2, 2010.

[with Thielemann, T., Mah'a, R., Armstrong, C., Bovens, L., Gest, J., Arce, R., Lorca, A., Lores, N. and McGovern, P.] Immigration policy and its Impact: A comparative study with a focus on Spain, LSE Migration Studies Unit and ICCS, Madrid, 2010.

The Political Participation of Berlin’s Turkish Migrants in the Dual Citizenship and Headscarf Debates: A Multi-Level comparison, Migration Studies Unit Working Paper Series, No, 02, 2008, available at http://www2.lse.ac.uk/government/research/resgroups/MSU/workingPapers.aspx

“Welfare to Work and Work Choices collide: The intersection of the new compliance regime with industrial relations reform,” Policy paper, National Welfare Rights Network, Australia, July 2006.

“Submission to the Senate Select Committee on Mental Health,” Submission on behalf of the Combined Community Legal Centres for the Australian Senate Mental Health Inquiry, Australia, 2005.

Conference Papers

2012

The IMPALA database: Methodological Challenges, IMPALA panel, International Studies Association Conference, San Diego, April 2012. [full-length paper].

2011

Comparing migration, naturalisation and asylum policies: The International Migration Law and Policy Analysis Database (IMPALA), European Consortium of Political Research General Conference, Reykjavik, 25-27 August 2011 [full-length paper].

“Gender and elite interviewing: Assessments from the field,” European Conference on Politics and Gender, Budapest, 13-15 January 2011. [full-length paper].

“Deadbeat sponsors and welfare wives: Venue setting and immigrant welfare reform,” European Conference on Politics and Gender, Budapest, 13-15 January 2011. [full-length paper].

2010

“Gender and elite interviewing: Assessments from the field,” Australian Political Studies Association Conference 2010, Melbourne, 27-29 September 2010.

Presentation at the London School of Economics and Political Science Methods Workshop, Challenges and Opportunities for Comparative Migration Research, London, 10 June 2010.

“A venue-setting approach to migrant welfare policy in Australia and Canada,” Zeit Bucerius Foundation Meeting for Migration Studies, Berlin, 28-30 April 2010.

2009

“Gendering the Canadian Federal Skilled Immigrant points test,” presented at:

Zeit Bucerius Foundation Meeting for Migration Studies, Hamburg, 23-25 April 2009.

Transatlantic Academy-German Marshall Fund and the Zeit Bucerius Foundation Meeting for Migration Studies, Amerang, Germany, 12-14 June 2009.

“Picking the best and the brightest: Gendering skilled immigration selection policy,” European Consortium of Political Research (ECPR) First European Conference on Politics and Gender, Queen’s University, Belfast, 21-23 January 2009.

2007

Presenter, Political Science Workshop, Department of Government, LSE, 4 December, 2007.

Presenter, Public Policy Workshop, Department of Government, LSE, 5 December, 2007.

2005

“Berlin’s Turks and the Nationality Act (2000): Political participation, political opportunity structures and federal politics,” CERC Conference Politics of Belonging: Citizenship, Migration and Ethnic Conflict in Europe, Melbourne University, November, 2005.

“Skill, migration and gender in Australia: A comparison with Canada,” Paper presented at the Australian Social Policy Conference, University of New South Wales, July, 2005.

Working Papers

“Power in elite interviewing: Validity, practical and normative considerations” (journal article).

“Boundary spanning across time: The convergence of welfare and immigration policy” (journal article).

“Points tests and gender effects: Developing a gendered framework for analysis of highly skilled immigration points tests” (journal article)

“Measuring and Comparing Migration, Asylum and Naturalisation Policies: The International Migration Policy and Law Analysis (IMPALA) Project” (joint methods article).

“Contracting out immigrant selection: The role of external agencies in Australia’s skilled immigration program,” book chapter for University of Sydney Privatisation Research Group Network.

Book Reviews

Book review, Allan Maslove (ed) How Ottawa Spends 2009-2010, Economic Upheaval and Political Dysfunction (Montreal and Kingston, London, Ithaca: McGill Queen’s University Press, 2009), British Journal of Canadian Studies, 23(2), 2010: 301-2.

Reports

Immigration policy and its Impact: A comparative study with a focus on Spain, LSE Migration Studies Unit and ICCS, Madrid, 2010 [with Thielemann, E., Mah'a, R., Armstrong, C., Bovens, L., Gest, J., Arce, R., Lorca, A., Lores, N. and McGovern, P.]

"Welfare to Work and Work Choices collide: The intersection of the new compliance regime with industrial relations reform,” Policy paper, National Welfare Rights Network, Australia, July 2006.

“Submission to the Senate Select Committee on Mental Health,” Submission on behalf of the Combined Community Legal Centres for the Australian Senate Mental Health Inquiry, Australia, 2005.