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So after I reformulated What are the relevant models and dynamics of immigration and asylum politics? from being just a question of literature references to an actual question, it's now put on hold as being to broad.

I understand that it is a complex area of research, but wouldn't asking for the most significant models at play here constitute an acceptable limit on scope?

Let's say that I instead asked for the most important models for global macro-political evolution in general. This would surely be a huge area of research, but nevertheless a theoretical model of this would not necessarily have to be overly complex in itself. For example (and without saying anything about the validity and quality of the work, I just happened to read this lately and I liked the format), Fukuyama is one author that provides a conceptual simple model of the most important factors of political development on a higher conceptual level: The State, Rule of Law and Accountability.

Equivalent answers like this, but somewhat more descriptive, would have been is what I'm asking for. Wouldn't that be specific enough?

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    I came here expecting weight-loss spam. I am disappointed. – Shog9 Jan 6 '15 at 4:58
  • @Shog9 I feel your pain, being a programmer has some downsides. – Alex - Stop it SE Jan 8 '15 at 6:25
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On most stack exchange sites, we expect questions to be answered with some sort of closure. To that end, we expect questions to be asked in such a way that they can be answered with closure.

The only quality that you seem to be looking for in these models is that it has something to do with the topic of immigration and asylum.

What's worse, is that you're not even asking "what are the effects of immigration", you're asking "what are the effects of immigration politics", which is even broader.

This kind of question can't be answered with closure because you don't know what the shape of the answer will be. Your question, as written, can be satisfied by answers that deal with the economy, or by answers that deal with violence, or even answers that deal with neither of those two.

Here is an example of a question that is not too broad.

How does Immigration/Asylum affect the unemployment rate?

It's asking for more specific information, and the answers that satisfy that question aren't so wildly differnt.

  • "we expect questions to be asked in such a way that they can be answered with closure" - Another way of saying this is that we expect questions to present an actual problem that can be solved. – Shog9 Jan 6 '15 at 5:01
  • I understand what you mean, but in a complex science like politics, wouldn't that be to only allow for narrow questions that only scratches the surface of the subject? Are all subjects really suitable for a demand of clear and specific answers? – Alex - Stop it SE Jan 8 '15 at 6:29
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    @Alex, indeed. That's likely true. The SE model is for 'surface scratching' level questions...not dissertation level questions. – user1530 Jan 9 '15 at 22:25
  • @DA. I wouldn't necessaraly say that it's for 'surface scratching' That makes it sound like you can't ask about things that not everyone's familiar with. questions so much as 'specific questions' – Sam I am says Reinstate Monica♦ Jan 9 '15 at 22:53
  • @SamIam all semantics, I suppose, but even with specific questions, we're not going to get below the surface in most cases--especially with politics, which by it's very nature is a very broad and deep topic--even with specifics. – user1530 Jan 9 '15 at 23:08

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