Author: Matt Bruenig

Every few months, a prominent person or publication points out that McDonalds workers in Denmark receive $22 per hour, 6 weeks of vacation, and sick pay. This compensation comes on top of the general slate of social benefits in Denmark, which includes child allowances, health care, child care, paid leave, retirement, and education through college,… Continue reading When McDonalds Came to Denmark

While perusing welfare state websites today (one of my major hobbies), I happened up this lovely graphic from Switzerland. The title of the graphic is “Why Family Allowances?” The first panel shows two workers who are employed at the same factory and who receive the same wages. One of the workers goes home to a… Continue reading Swiss Welfare State Graphic

When explaining the design problems with the Supreme Court, people often point to the fact that the judges are unelected or the fact that they are appointed for life. While it is fair enough to dislike these design choices, it does not seem to me that either of them are fundamentally problematic in the sense… Continue reading The SCOTUS Design Is Gamed By Strategic Retirements

A couple of months ago, the NYT had a long piece about people waiting longer to have children. The age of first birth has been climbing steadily for decades and so there is nothing especially new in the piece. Nonetheless, because the topic pushes on certain sensitive cultural and family topics, it naturally generated a… Continue reading Delay and Grandparenthood