About Alexander Kustov
About “Popular by Design”
I’m a political science professor who has been thinking and writing about migration politics for more than a decade. My new book, In Our Interest: How Democracies Can Make Immigration Popular, distills years of data and frustration into one core insight: no democracy has ever eased widespread immigration concerns without securing its borders and being selective about whom it admits. Persuasion through better messaging alone doesn’t cut it—what wins voters’ trust are better policies.
While I believe deeply in the transformative power of human mobility, I also think it can be so much better than it is today. My research also convinces me that a durable, broad‑based consensus on immigration requires compromise. Even the best possible message will not convert everyone.