December 25, 2018 — I was asked for 2 or 3 end-of-year book recommendations. My choices are Pinker, Irwin & Clausing.
(The choices of others can be found at Project Syndicate or winnowed down.)
3 Book Recommendations: Openness & Progress
Tag Archives: progressive
Inequality: Diagnoses and Prescriptions
(March 25, 2016) Three things are striking about the rise in economic inequality since the 1970s in the United States. (1) It doesn’t really matter which measure of income distribution we choose; they all show a rise in inequality. (2) There are many different competing possible explanations and interpretations. (3) We do not need to agree on the explanation to agree on what are sensible policies to lessen inequality.
The Copenhagen Accord on Climate Change: Countries Submit 2020 Emission Goals
Most observers judged as a failure the December meeting in Copenhagen of the Conference of Parties of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). But then the usual way of judging such meetings is to look for a communiqué that voices sweeping aspirations, such as the G-7 “decision” at L’Aquila last summer to limit global warming to 2 degrees centigrade. In reality, without any evidence of countries agreeing what is each one’s share of the burden, such proclamations are worthless. Better tiny steps on the ground than giant flights of rhetoric.