Economy
Globalization Survived Populism Once Before—and It Can Again
Forget retraining and compensation programs. History offers a better way forward.
The Man from Kasimpasa
Erdogan is all too easily labelled a populist. But the reasons for his popularity are more complicated.
The Gig Economy’s Great Delusion
Platforms have sold themselves as substitutes for welfare, but they have actually served as substitutes for traditional work—with the state forced to pick up the slack.
The GOP Plan to Turn Students into Trump Voters
By attacking higher education, the new tax bill belies the GOP’s ambitious political motivations.
The Instagrammable Charm of the Bourgeoisie
The modes of perception and living that we attribute to Instagram are rooted in a much older aesthetic of the picturesque.
A Bad Check for Black America
Nixon’s embrace of “black capitalism” turned the wealth gap into a wealth chasm.
The Mythical Whiteness of Trump Country
J. D. Vance’s Hillbilly Elegy has been held up as a guidebook for understanding the 2016 election, but it’s rooted in a dangerous myth.
Rescuing Economics from Neoliberalism
As we heap scorn on neoliberalism, we risk throwing out some of its most useful ideas.
Who Owns the Wind?
There is more than enough wind energy to power our future. But our model of paying for it is stuck in the past.
Disrupting the Conservative Platform
Given today’s economic challenges, some on the right are beginning to embrace a more robust safety net.
Know Thy Futurist
Many visions of the future proliferate in Silicon Valley. Which one is worth fighting for?
Losing and Gaining Public Goods
Resources that are essential to enabling human success and well-being must be made public and universal.
A Brown v. Board for Higher Ed
When college is a prerequisite for getting a job that pays better than minimum wage, we cannot stop until it is free and accessible to all.
It’s The Gap, Stupid
Three books draw a disturbing picture of America as a system of compounding inequality driven by a hereditary meritocracy of professional elites.
A New Social Contract for Work
This Labor Day, it is not enough to speak out against Trump's many injustices. We must also begin laying the foundations for working together in the post-Trump era, whenever that arrives.
When Politics Drives Scholarship
Nancy MacLean’s new book has set off a heated debate. But strong claims require strong evidence, and mistakes could mislead liberals and the left.
Business as Usual: The Long History of Corporate Personhood
Contrary to most narratives, corporations have always been one of the most powerful forces in American political life.
The Book that Explains Charlottesville
The University of Virginia has long been a bastion of white supremacy and white supremacy–validating scholarship.
Kochonomics: The Racist Roots of Public Choice Theory
A controversial new book traces how the anti-democratic projects of the Jim Crow South evolved into an economic theory still championed by the GOP today.
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