Category Archives: Uncategorized

Check out Kay Hymowitz’s excellent review of Daniel Markovits’ new book (pictured below), which is titled The Meritocracy Trap (Penguin, 2019). Here is one revealing excerpt from her review of Markovits’s book: “As economist (yes, Harvard-educated) Tyler Cowen has quipped: ‘The … Continue reading →

Check out the entire set of “machine learning flash cards” here. They were created by data scientist Chris Albon (@chrisalbon).

In anticipation of today’s announcement of “The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel,” check out this fascinating survey essay by Allen R. Sanderson and John J. Siegfried titled “The Nobel Prize in Economics Turns 50,” … Continue reading →

Tampa, Florida is a case study of the decline of streetcars and the corresponding rise of massive roadways in North American cities. In 1920, for example, Tampa had an elaborate streetcar system consisting of 13 lines owned and operated by the … Continue reading →

We interrupt our series of blog posts on Ramos v. Louisiana and the Insular Cases to share this beautiful picture of Australian Gouldian finch birds (hat tip: @pickover). According to Dr Leah Williams and Dr Claudia Mettke-Hofmann, these finches adjust … Continue reading →

Balzac v. Porto Rico was not the first time (cf. Dred Scott), nor would it be the last (cf. Roe v. Wade), that a decision repugnant to the Constitution would be made–not by Congress nor by the President–but by the … Continue reading →

Balzac v. Porto Rico, decided in 1922, was the last of the Insular Cases. First off, notice how the island is referred to as “Porto Rico” in the name of this case. This is because the United States had changed … Continue reading →

Following up on our previous two posts, how will the case of Ramos v. Louisiana be decided? Although second-guessing SCOTUS is always a perilous business, based on what I heard during the oral arguments in this case, I will venture … Continue reading →

What about the decisions of the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS)? The case of Ramos v. Louisiana, which was argued before the Supreme Court yesterday (7 Oct.), poses these questions and many more, including questions involving stare decisis … Continue reading →