Tag / poverty
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A Costly, Not So Free Market
“Let’s Make This Economy Work for Everyone” was one of the most spoken phrases on the Democratic presidential debate stages on June 26 and 27. Elizabeth Warren kicked off the first debate asking America: “Who is this economy really working for?,” answering her own question: “for those with money.” What do these politicians even mean?…
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Venezuela: It’s Complicated
When Juan Guaidó, the previously unknown leader of Venezuela’s legislature, invoked a constitutional clause to declare himself president, he set off an international firestorm. Almost immediately, American Vice President Mike Pence called sitting president Nicolás Maduro “a dictator with no legitimate claim to power” and affirmed American support for Guaidó. The last months have seen…
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The Economic Importance Of Family
My dad often recounts his childhood in Mexico fondly, but as one of uncomfortable congestion; with two parents and nine siblings, his household required much that my grandparents could barely afford. Flash forward to my family in the United States, and he still finds himself uncomfortable, but not because of a crowded house; rather, because…
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Alzheimer’s, Diabetes, And The Politics Of Scientific Research
Harvard neurologist Dr. Rudolph Tanzi recently named Alzheimer’s Disease the “biggest epidemic in medical history.” And, indeed, it seems like the condition is ever-present in public life, whether as a plot device for countless TV dramas, or a rallying cry for your senator or favorite comedian (both Susan Collins and Seth Rogen are outspoken Alzheimer’s…
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Toward More Humane College Admissions
The Washington Post described the decision as a “watershed.” One industry expert quoted in the Wall Street Journal considered it “breaking the ice.” The Chicago Tribune simply called it “a big change.” Whatever name you give it, the University of Chicago’s decision to allow American students to apply for admission without standardized test scores is…
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Who Will Take Care of the Homeless?
Dr. Matthew Desmond, critically acclaimed sociology professor and author of the Pulitzer Prize winning novel Evicted, stands before an audience of educated, middle-aged men and women in a Washington D.C. bookstore, giving a heartbreaking, impassioned speech about the worst inequalities and injustices of housing. He fervently pleads, “Do we believe that housing is a fundamental…
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Spreading the Word: Latin America’s Shift Away From Catholicism
Ever since missionaries descended on Latin America during the European colonization of the 16th and 17th centuries, Catholicism has been the dominant religion of the region, from Puerto Rico to Chile. Home to 425 million Catholics, Latin America is home to over 40 percent of the world’s Catholic population. Brazil and Mexico boast the world’s…
