“The Economist’s less-than-ringing endorsement of the former Vice President—resignedly titled, ‘Why it has to be Biden’—typifies the sentiment.”
Political Interviews – The Latest
Latest from the Arts
Latest Book Review
On the Record: Past Interviews
Eddie Ferrara
Eddie Ferrara writes about policy from a data-driven perspective. He studied sociology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He blogs at eddiethoughts.com.
Author: Eddie Ferrara
Eddie Ferrara writes about policy from a data-driven perspective. He studied sociology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He blogs at eddiethoughts.com.
How Biden Did It
Changing My Mind on Universal Basic Income
“With 14 million Americans suddenly plunged into indefinite unemployment, has UBI become more popular? It seems like the answer is yes and no.”
Don’t Run Away, Conservatives
“But it feels myopic to interpret this as a larger victory or cheer for more of the same, especially if the ultimate goal is to restore some sense of ideological pluralism to mainstream institutions.”
The Case for Free Vaccines
“In the meantime, perhaps given their impressive track record, free-to-consumer vaccines are something we can all get behind.”
When Censorship Is Outsourced to the Private Sector
“Our commitment to the rights of others to express themselves, even if they hold heinous beliefs, is something uniquely American, and it is perhaps the finest piece of our cultural heritage.”
Liberals Are Not Immune from the Pull of Authority
“My two cents is that respect for authority is neither a particularly conservative nor liberal trait. Rather, conservatives and liberals hold reverence for different categories of authority and the actors that operate within those spheres.”
Higher Education Was Already in Trouble Before the Coronavirus
“The pandemic, while it has undeniably worsened the outlook for many institutions, has only exacerbated and brought into sharper relief some of the extant forces threatening to pop the higher education bubble.”
How Libertarians View the Coronavirus Crisis
“For those of us who don’t want to go fully off-grid but concern ourselves with the expansion of the state, what might a pandemic response look like?”
Sanders, Trump, and the Decline of the Policy Wonk
“Today, we tend to hear more about how ‘health care is a human right’ with comparatively less talk about the economic or health impact universal health care might have on the nation.”
Are Hispanics White? The Answer Has Sweeping Political Implications
“For those of us nerdy enough to frequent the annals of the U.S. Census, it was a jarring thing to hear that Puerto Rico is 70 percent white, according to its own inhabitants!”
When It Comes to the Environment, Don’t Let the “Perfect Become the Enemy of the Good”
“There won’t always be a happy marriage between impactful environmentalism and progressive values. For environmental groups to weather the political storm, they’ll have to be able to tap sources of support from outside the left.”
Friedman’s Take on Corporate Social Responsibility is Brilliant and Elegant—But Obsolete
Milton Friedman’s argument that corporations refrain from engaging themselves in social and political issues is compelling. But his argument likely doesn’t apply in today’s world, a world where “social consciousness” actually drives business.
Licensing: From Barber Shops to Interior Designers, Restricting the Flow of Labor
Thinking about opening a barber shop, what do you do? If your answer was something other than, “Find out how to obtain the state’s permission,” you’re in for a surprise.
Is College Still Worth It? No Easy Answers to a Simple Question
Professor Caplan thinks students are wise to the true value of a degree, which could help to explain why almost no student ever audits a class and why students spend only about 14 hours per week studying, down from 24 hours per week in 1961.
Ben Carson’s Dining Room Set Is the Tip of the Iceberg
The HUD Secretary’s outrageous spending on tableware is causing an uproar because of how relatable it is — not its cost.
