Yesterday, Suzy Khimm of Wonkblog had a post about some of the difficulties involved in cross-country comparisons of youth economic woes. Generally, people refer to headline numbers about youth unemployment, but that is not as meaningful a number as it might first appear. Different countries have different percentages of individuals in higher education and vocational… Continue reading The best way to measure “wasted youth”
Author: Matt Bruenig
People of color pretty concerned about economic issues
Whether it’s a constant striving for novel analysis or sheer ignorance, there exists a sizable contingent on the left — usually white — that have very bizarre views of what primarily troubles people of color. To be sure, all classes of people have numerous troubles, and it’s useful to talk about all of them. But… Continue reading People of color pretty concerned about economic issues
What is a mutually beneficial transaction really?
Imagine you are going on a nature walk on an extremely cold day. You are ten miles from your home or any other shelter. I come along, point a gun at your head, and steal all of your clothes, but leave you your wallet. I then offer to sell you the bundle of clothes I… Continue reading What is a mutually beneficial transaction really?
Sex discrimination or not: a great capability approach example
Reading up on employment sex discrimination today, I ran across a fascinating case. A group of women sued their employer because under the employer’s retirement plan, women who opted for the annuity option received a smaller monthly pension check than men who did the same. In an annuity contract, individuals generally pay an insurance company… Continue reading Sex discrimination or not: a great capability approach example
More support for risk-stress model of why poor kids do worse
Earlier I summarized what I think are the four most often mentioned ideas about why poor kids do worse in school. It is not just school of course: poor kids do worse in any number of ways throughout their life. Among the theories, I think the “effects of poverty” theory has the most plausibility and… Continue reading More support for risk-stress model of why poor kids do worse