I do not think we should make any modifications to Social Security benefits. Closing the small Social Security deficit would be trivially easy with tweaks on the revenue side, and there is just no reason not to do that. However, if we are actually going to make cuts to the program, why don’t we do… Continue reading How to means-test Social Security
Author: Matt Bruenig
Some thoughts on Newtown shooting
I’ve been reading some of the commentary on the recent mass shootings in Newtown, Connecticut. I am far from an expert on any of the related issues, but some of the commentary has stirred the following unrelated thoughts. First, much of the cross-country data being used to make arguments for or against gun control is… Continue reading Some thoughts on Newtown shooting
What keeps poor kids out of college: short version
My last post was pretty long, and I hate long posts as much as the next person. So I decided to make a shorter version. The basic summary is this: before we ever get to the question of cost, there are at least two filters that push poor kids out of college (or out of… Continue reading What keeps poor kids out of college: short version
What keeps poor kids out of college?
Among other things, many of those concerned about student debt and the rising cost of college argue that those things account for why poor kids do not go to college. College is too expensive, and so poor kids cannot afford to go. As I have stated before, my view is that the lesser qualifications of… Continue reading What keeps poor kids out of college?
Inequality, education, and predistribution
Paul Krugman has generated quite a bit of buzz with two recent blog posts (I, II). In the posts, Krugman notes that labor’s share of income has recently been falling, and that this throws cold water on the usual education story. If the gains of productivity increasingly go to capital, then what matters is not… Continue reading Inequality, education, and predistribution