That America’s public education system is characterized by extreme inequality does not come as a surprise to many. Yet when most people think of educational inequality, they think of inner-city schools. Publications like Education Week spend much more time discussing urban schools than rural schools. This disparity in media coverage is understandable—the crumbling infrastructure … Read more
The iPhone, while designed by Apple in California, is not “made in the USA.” Instead, the iPhone’s production exemplifies the complexity of a globally fragmented supply chain. The iPhone’s components, including the flash memory, the DRAM, and the applications processor, are sourced from various suppliers like Samsung of Korea and AKM Semiconductor of Japan, and … Read more
“A lasting inspiration, sanctified By reason, blest by faith: what we have loved, Others will love, and we will teach them how…” –William Wordsworth, The Prelude In his final stanza of The Prelude, William Wordsworth unveils his own “lasting inspiration,” one rooted in the transmission of beloved ideas from one person, and generation, to another. … Read more
My thesis examines records on the institutional organization of the major national economies during World War II, with an emphasis on the United States. However, it is a theoretical rather than historical thesis. Its main line of argument comes from an analysis of cross-national variation in the success of national economic mobilizations during World War … Read more
For much of the nineteenth and early twentieth century, the vice presidency was little more than an afterthought. Occupants of the office were typically political hacks who wallowed in powerlessness. However, John Tyler’s ascendancy to Commander-in-Chief in 1841 changed everything. As the nation’s first accidental president, Tyler rejected almost every major legislative program advanced by … Read more
In response to the economic and financial troubles of the 2008-2012 crisis period, numerous European governments opted to implement severe budget cuts to stabilize national finances and reduce public debt. These austerity measures have been widely publicized for their impacts on education, welfare, health, and other sectors of national budgets. However, there has been less … Read more
New York City, Progressives often lamented in the early twentieth century, had plenty of problems. But one problem in particular eluded easy solutions and troubled reformers who hoped to overhaul the reputation of the East Side and its Jewish immigrant inhabitants. “New York’s biggest problem is not its police, its fires, or even sanitation;” insisted … Read more
