Membership and Consent: Actual or Mythic? A Reply to David A. Martin

Abstract

David Martin's review of our book, Citizenship Without Consent: Illegal Aliens in the American Polity, represents a serious, thoughtful, and constructive effort to take up our challenge to reconsider the prevailing view of birthright citizenship. But despite Professor Martin's scrupulous fairness, readers of his review may well form misconceptions about our arguments on several points-misconceptions for which we acknowledge some responsibility. We write in order to correct them and to note that Professor Martin's analysis ultimately underscores the essential message of our work.