When I point out that price discrimination has largely spared poor people from public college price increases (as is true), I occasionally find people telling me I need to divide by income. That is, instead of just looking at the dollar amount each income group is paying, I should take that dollar amount and divide… Continue reading To divide by income or not to divide by income: that is the question
Author: Matt Bruenig
Policy Shop Weekly Digest: Social Capital Inequality, Public College Costs
I had 2 posts over at Demos’ Policy Shop this week. Here is a rundown with links: What to Do About Social Capital Inequality?. Excerpt: Where differential social capital generates differential economic opportunities, it presents a deep problem for justice. Because individuals tend to associate with similar others, the most powerful, wealthy, and prestigious people… Continue reading Policy Shop Weekly Digest: Social Capital Inequality, Public College Costs
The Nozickian case for Rawls’ difference principle
How do you ever initiate property ownership without introducing injustice? This is a question that occupied much of my intellectual energy not too long ago. The answer I came to is that you can’t, at least not if you are trying to come up with some standalone justification for property ownership of the sort libertarians… Continue reading The Nozickian case for Rawls’ difference principle
Policy Shop Weekly Digest: Fast Food Strikes, Free Higher Education
I had 2 posts over at Demos’ Policy Shop this week. Here is a rundown with links: False Concerns for the Poor. Excerpt: Finally, this concern trolling is such an empty game ultimately. The reality is that these workers are living terrible lives. Many of their kids, due to the horrors of poverty, are on… Continue reading Policy Shop Weekly Digest: Fast Food Strikes, Free Higher Education
Walmart and Jobs: Stop
Salon has an article today about Walmart. At one point, it drops into the very rote and boring line that Walmart kills 1.4 retail jobs for every 1 retail job it creates. This line comes from a Neumark et al study called “The Effects of Wal-Mart on Local Labor Markets.” Technically, this is not an… Continue reading Walmart and Jobs: Stop