Re: Point counterpoint: Right-to-work — College Democrats

BiMonSciFiCon — Fri, 13 Mar 2015 13:43:21 -0000

"The claim that wages are higher under right-to-work is also a myth. A Notre Dame University study noted that 18 of 22 right-to-work states have median household incomes below the national median. A study by the UW Extension program found manufacturing jobs earn $8,100 less in right-to-work states."

The relevant question isn't whether RTW states have higher or lower wages than non-RTW states. To me, it seems the relevant question is what happens to wages and growth after a state enacts RTW. I don't know the answer, but that seems to be the more relevant question.

Re: TBJ/Score F.A.Q.

BiMonSciFiCon — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 14:33:08 -0000

Was that a Goulet reference there? +1 for TBJ.

Re: Advancing Human Progress

BiMonSciFiCon — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 19:16:46 -0000

I bet the Canadians and English wish universal health care were negotiable.

Re: The End of the American Dream: Part II

BiMonSciFiCon — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 14:10:01 -0000

"The End of the American Dream." Really? Don't you think that's a little over the top? After all, a higher percentage of Americans are in college and getting degrees than ever before. In 2008, 29.4% of Americans 25+ had at least a bachelor's degree. In 1967 (I choose this year purposefully) a mere 10% had at least a bachelor's degree. I wouldn't make this argument, but shouldn't someone concerned with rising inequality condemn the increase in college educated Americans?

From Part I: The question conspicuously missing from your first post is "Why are college education costs rising?" It's all well and good to want something to cost less, but without analyzing why, you might as well be yelling in a vacuum.

You took plenty of economics courses at UW, so I know you know the main reasons the cost of a good rises- rising demand or shrinking supply. In the U.S., the problem is clearly rising demand.

The data I cited above is from the Current Population Survey. As more Americans demand a college education, the cost is necessarily going to rise. And it's not just Americans who want to come to U.S. colleges. Students from all over the world come to the U.S. to get an education, because they know that U.S. schools are basically unrivaled. Rising demand for college education isn't really a sign that the American Dream is over. I'd say it's just getting going.

The above is relatively politics free, but so let me take a moment to inject some libertarian sense into the debate. While I read these two posts, I couldn't help but think "what's the answer?" The typical answer from liberals is government intervention. I don't want to put words in your mouth, but if government is the answer, then what course should government pursue? Give more money to students to help cover tuition costs? This seems to be the Obama administration's plan (to be fair, it's pretty much every administration's plan). The problem is that government money is precisely the problem. (http://www.cato.org/pub_dis.... Subsidizing higher ed costs incentivizes colleges to keep raising tuition- and why not? The government will keep paying for the increase.

Lastly- Inequality. The difference between the top 20 quintile and bottom quintile has indeed increased since the 60s. But it doesn't follow that this is necessarily a bad thing. One reason income inequality has increased is immigration. I love immigration. I think America should let in just about everyone who wants to come. But a side effect of immigration is that people who are relatively poorer than most Americans will come to the U.S., by definition increasing income inequality- but not for any sinister reason. What's important is that absolute standards of living rise, and for immigrants, coming to the U.S. absolutely does this.

Another reason for the increase in inequality is from fundamental shifts in the U.S. economy. We moved from a manufacturing economy where jobs were pretty homogeneous to a services economy where jobs are often specialized. Specialization - as Smith and Ricardo taught us - is good for wealth creation. Liberals characterize this differentiation as the result of shifts in governmental policies, but really, it's just the natural result of a dynamic economy. If you're really interested, check out Brink Lindsey's "Nostalgianomics." (http://www.cato.org/pub_dis...

The American Dream isn't over. As long as the government stays out of the way of the market, it's just getting started.

Data on education: (http://www.census.gov/popul...

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Re: Point counterpoint: Right-to-work — College Democrats

Re: TBJ/Score F.A.Q.

Re: Advancing Human Progress

Re: The End of the American Dream: Part II