As I previously remarked, the response to Emmanuel Todd's latest (La Défaite de l’Occident--in English, The Defeat of the West) seems to have been strongest on the right, which was predictably delighted by much of what Todd (though not a rightist, and in the past and even the new book having said much not pleasing to the right) wrote here about religion, gender and education. Indeed, the first review of his book I spotted in a major English-language publication was Scott McConnell's in The American Conservative, while when The New York Times recently ran a guest essay about Todd's book it was by the Claremont Institute's Christopher Caldwell (in yet another reminder of just how off the mark are those who think the Times a "left" or even a "liberal" paper rather than the centrist one it actually is, and just what exactly "centrism" means in a media outlet where who gets a platform and who does not are concerned).*
It was accordingly noteworthy that Michael Ledger-Lomas reviewed the book for the Jacobin (a publication hardly likely to turn to a far right commentator for their view of this book).
Ledger-Lomas' piece is notable for its attentiveness to Emmanuel Todd's history as a social scientist, from his formative influences in his youth, to his embrace of the "anthropological turn" in French intellectual life and establishment of a reputation for himself as a thinker with 1976's The Final Fall to the present--albeit with a distinct slant. Skipping over Todd's After the Empire, which seemed to me an important stepping stone toward this book's argument (and skipping over, too, Todd's Lineages of the Feminine, which also seems to me important given what he argues here), Ledger-Lomas slights the more material aspects of Todd's case as he (perhaps not unreasonably) emphasizes their more-discussed claims about the passing of the Protestantism of America and northern Europe from the "zombie" stage to the "zero" stage and its implications--which Ledger-Lomas treats rather critically. Indeed, Ledger-Lomas contends that while Todd's "portrait of America and Europe's post-Christian nihilism" can be "gripping" and even "overwhelming," and may even appear "vindicated" by particular foreign policies, the book is also "less scientific and more anecdotal" than Todd's prior works, with this posing special risks inasmuch as Todd's book is so much devoted to the "power of a political unconscious" in which "the analyst will find . . . whatever they find amusing or convenient to put there." Ledger-Lomas particularly argues for the hugely important discussion of "dechristianization" suffering from a "breezy crudity," reflected in Todd's identification of the "zero moment" for Protestantism with the acceptance of gay marriage seeming to him "strangely arbitrary." Indeed, Ledger-Lomas finds Todd's optimism about Russia and pessimism about Europe both misplaced--and along with these, the expectation of some form of German-Russian rapprochement implausible.
The result is that while it seems to me that there is much here that seems to me essential to the book and meriting more mention than it got in an over three thousand word review (Ledger-Lomas making only the slightest reference to Todd's discussions of Western deindustrialization, and none at all to Russia's soft power, for example), in discussing what he does regard as the core of the book Ledger-Lomas eschews both the uncritical embrace of those on the right who find Todd's argument a validation of their views, and the sneering dismissal of critics like Le Monde's Florent Georgesco, to offer that rarity--a balanced consideration of this French bestseller now getting so much press in a country where books not available in English are usually not even recognized as existing at all.
Saturday, March 16, 2024
The Talent Disrupted Study on College Graduates' Employment Outcomes: Some Thoughts
The Strada Education Foundation's new study of the employment outcomes of four-year college graduates, "Talented Disrupted," is making the rounds of the news.
The content of the study, which concentrates on "underemployment" among these graduates (their working jobs that do not require four-year college degrees a year after graduation), affirms the conventional wisdom on many a point. Yes, a humanities degree is more likely to lead to underemployment than, for example, an engineering degree. Yes, certain demographics suffer more than others (with no surprises to be found here regarding which ones), while the problem is bigger in some U.S. states than others (and, again, nothing striking me as very surprising on that score here). And so on and so forth. Yet there was much in the numbers, at least, that will seem surprising to those who abide by the conventional wisdom, not least that
* Over half of college graduates are underemployed, such that a college graduate has a less than even chance of being employed in a job actually requiring a college degree (never mind their particular degree) a full year after graduation.
* The major a student chooses is more important than the school they went to--a student with an in-demand major from an "inclusive" school less likely to be underemployed than a student with a less in-demand major from a selective, elite, school (contrary to stupid claims such as "a Harvard graduate who majors in somersaults will be able to find some kind of job to pay the bills").
* Where differences in the employment prospects of majors are concerned even those majors with the lowest rate of underemployment still leave the degree-holder a 1 in 4 chance of being underemployed.
* There is significant underemployment among the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) majors, with engineering graduates having a 26 percent rate of underemployment, the figure 35 percent for majors in mathematics and statistics, and 36 percent among computer science graduates--while the underemployment rate is an appalling 44 percent for physical science majors and 47 percent for majors in biology and the biomedical fields.
* The underemployment rate among business majors differs immensely depending on how "math-intensive" their subject is. Those business majors that are math-intensive, like finance and accounting, have a "low" underemployment rate of 29 percent, but those that are not math-intensive, like marketing or management, have a rate of 57 percent--which is actually slightly worse than the figure for such "useless" majors as the social sciences (51 percent), communications, journalism and related programs (53 percent), psychology (53 percent), the visual and performing arts (54 percent), and the humanities (55 percent).
In short, the prospects for underemployment of college graduates are worse than fifty-fifty, the "safest" majors still carry significant risk (worse than 1 in 4 for engineering graduates!), while many "STEM" and business majors are in almost as much danger on this score as the despised social sciences-communications-arts-humanities majors, and attendance of an elite school falls short of saving those who picked their majors without an eye to their later economic prospects. Moreover, all this matters because those who become underemployed have a hard time "escaping" that condition, especially if they were likely to end up underemployed to begin with.
Considering the situation in, as the study terms it, a "historically tight" labor market, with all that implies for these being particularly good times rather than bad ones, it seems far from unreasonable that many young people are becoming much more cautious about college than before--both what they choose to study, and whether they decide to go at all. Indeed, as I have remarked before, we may be starting to see a fundamental change in the way we think about higher education--one arguably long overdue.
The content of the study, which concentrates on "underemployment" among these graduates (their working jobs that do not require four-year college degrees a year after graduation), affirms the conventional wisdom on many a point. Yes, a humanities degree is more likely to lead to underemployment than, for example, an engineering degree. Yes, certain demographics suffer more than others (with no surprises to be found here regarding which ones), while the problem is bigger in some U.S. states than others (and, again, nothing striking me as very surprising on that score here). And so on and so forth. Yet there was much in the numbers, at least, that will seem surprising to those who abide by the conventional wisdom, not least that
* Over half of college graduates are underemployed, such that a college graduate has a less than even chance of being employed in a job actually requiring a college degree (never mind their particular degree) a full year after graduation.
* The major a student chooses is more important than the school they went to--a student with an in-demand major from an "inclusive" school less likely to be underemployed than a student with a less in-demand major from a selective, elite, school (contrary to stupid claims such as "a Harvard graduate who majors in somersaults will be able to find some kind of job to pay the bills").
* Where differences in the employment prospects of majors are concerned even those majors with the lowest rate of underemployment still leave the degree-holder a 1 in 4 chance of being underemployed.
* There is significant underemployment among the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) majors, with engineering graduates having a 26 percent rate of underemployment, the figure 35 percent for majors in mathematics and statistics, and 36 percent among computer science graduates--while the underemployment rate is an appalling 44 percent for physical science majors and 47 percent for majors in biology and the biomedical fields.
* The underemployment rate among business majors differs immensely depending on how "math-intensive" their subject is. Those business majors that are math-intensive, like finance and accounting, have a "low" underemployment rate of 29 percent, but those that are not math-intensive, like marketing or management, have a rate of 57 percent--which is actually slightly worse than the figure for such "useless" majors as the social sciences (51 percent), communications, journalism and related programs (53 percent), psychology (53 percent), the visual and performing arts (54 percent), and the humanities (55 percent).
In short, the prospects for underemployment of college graduates are worse than fifty-fifty, the "safest" majors still carry significant risk (worse than 1 in 4 for engineering graduates!), while many "STEM" and business majors are in almost as much danger on this score as the despised social sciences-communications-arts-humanities majors, and attendance of an elite school falls short of saving those who picked their majors without an eye to their later economic prospects. Moreover, all this matters because those who become underemployed have a hard time "escaping" that condition, especially if they were likely to end up underemployed to begin with.
Considering the situation in, as the study terms it, a "historically tight" labor market, with all that implies for these being particularly good times rather than bad ones, it seems far from unreasonable that many young people are becoming much more cautious about college than before--both what they choose to study, and whether they decide to go at all. Indeed, as I have remarked before, we may be starting to see a fundamental change in the way we think about higher education--one arguably long overdue.
American-Style Centrism and French Politics
In writing about centrism my emphasis has generally been on American political discourse, and the American political spectrum, over the course of American history. However, reflecting the fact that centrism is an updated classical conservatism extending far beyond the American tradition (indeed, originated in Western Europe), and that American politics has unavoidably influenced politics elsewhere (especially within other Western nations), it is easy enough to find similar thinking elsewhere--and indeed I had occasion to write about such centrism in the British Labour Party, and especially the evidences of it under Keir Starmer's leadership.
Some time ago Jacob Collins had occasion in a profile of Bernard-Henri Lévy to point out the presence of the essentially tendency in French politics, with Lévy a key exponent via his particular brand of anti-leftism equating all social change with totalitarianism horseshoe theory-style, and exalting a "pragmatic" capitalist model as the only viable path for modern societies. Indeed, Collins explicitly points out the specifically American precedent, mentioning Daniel Bell's The End of Ideology, Hannah Arendt's theorizing, and others that made Lévy a latecomer to the game back in the 1970s, but nevertheless joining it in a moment in which, in France at least, doing so could be the basis of a long run as an intellectual "rock star" due to the epochal turn then just getting underway in the political life of France and the rest of the world.
Some time ago Jacob Collins had occasion in a profile of Bernard-Henri Lévy to point out the presence of the essentially tendency in French politics, with Lévy a key exponent via his particular brand of anti-leftism equating all social change with totalitarianism horseshoe theory-style, and exalting a "pragmatic" capitalist model as the only viable path for modern societies. Indeed, Collins explicitly points out the specifically American precedent, mentioning Daniel Bell's The End of Ideology, Hannah Arendt's theorizing, and others that made Lévy a latecomer to the game back in the 1970s, but nevertheless joining it in a moment in which, in France at least, doing so could be the basis of a long run as an intellectual "rock star" due to the epochal turn then just getting underway in the political life of France and the rest of the world.
Britain's Defense Policy and Armed Forces (Post-1945)
This page lists my Social Science Research Network (SSRN) working papers addressing the subject of the post-1945 history of Britain's defense policy.
"The Evolution of Britain's Defense Posture From 1945 to the Present: An Outline." (2022)
"The Evolution of Britain's Defense Posture, 1945-1979." (2019)
"Foundations of Semi-Superpower Status: Financing Britain's Defense Posture, 1945-1971." (2018)
"The Restructuring of Britain's Navy, 1945-1979." (2019)
"The British Carrier Force, 1945-1979." (2019)
"The British Defence Reviews of the 1990s and Their Legacy." (2021)
The 2021 British Defence Review and the British 'Tilt to the Indo-Pacific.'" (2021)
"'Is the Debate About Reviving Conscription in Britain Really About Conscription at All?' A Note on the Recent Discourse About Conscription in Britain." (2024)
"The Evolution of Britain's Defense Posture From 1945 to the Present: An Outline." (2022)
"The Evolution of Britain's Defense Posture, 1945-1979." (2019)
"Foundations of Semi-Superpower Status: Financing Britain's Defense Posture, 1945-1971." (2018)
"The Restructuring of Britain's Navy, 1945-1979." (2019)
"The British Carrier Force, 1945-1979." (2019)
"The British Defence Reviews of the 1990s and Their Legacy." (2021)
The 2021 British Defence Review and the British 'Tilt to the Indo-Pacific.'" (2021)
"'Is the Debate About Reviving Conscription in Britain Really About Conscription at All?' A Note on the Recent Discourse About Conscription in Britain." (2024)
My SSRN (Social Science Research Network)-Published Papers
I have been publishing through the Social Science Research Network since 2018, and the total number now up came to 170 at last count.
Given the number it seems to me appropriate to do something about organizing them for the reader--and so I have decided to here organize them by subject, allotting a page of this blog to each of those subjects that I have found myself writing about time and again. Where its subject matter makes this appropriate, I have listed some papers on more than one page, or even under more than one heading.
The links to those subject pages are listed below in alphabetical order.
Britain's Defense Policy and Armed Forces (Post-1945).
Deindustrialization.
Economic Growth After 1973.
The "Information Age."
The "Middle Class."
The 1990s.
Neoliberalism.
Political Centrism.
The Politics of the Media.
"The Unipolar Moment."
Given the number it seems to me appropriate to do something about organizing them for the reader--and so I have decided to here organize them by subject, allotting a page of this blog to each of those subjects that I have found myself writing about time and again. Where its subject matter makes this appropriate, I have listed some papers on more than one page, or even under more than one heading.
The links to those subject pages are listed below in alphabetical order.
Britain's Defense Policy and Armed Forces (Post-1945).
Deindustrialization.
Economic Growth After 1973.
The "Information Age."
The "Middle Class."
The 1990s.
Neoliberalism.
Political Centrism.
The Politics of the Media.
"The Unipolar Moment."
Deindustrialization
This page lists my Social Science Research Network (SSRN) working papers addressing the subject of deindustrialization in the United States and other countries, particularly the U.S. and Britain.
Most of the papers are concerned with attempts to quantify manufacturing output in various ways (and in cases, other material aspects of deindustrialization susceptible to quantification, like the trend in regard to manufacturing equipment stocks) for the purposes of better understanding the issue.
Deindustrialization (U.S.)
"Discussing Deindustrialization: A Note." (2024)
"'What Do the Numbers Actually Say?': American Per Capita Manufacturing Output 1947-2018, the Consumer Price Index, and the Question of Deindustrialization." (2022)
"'American Per Capita Manufacturing Output 1947-2018, the Consumer Price Index, and the Question of Deindustrialization': A Supplementary Data Set and Associated Notes." (2024)
"Keynesian Fordism, Neoliberal Financialization and the Restructuring of the Economy: A Survey of the Data." (2022)
"Private Fixed Assets, Value Added and the Trade Balance: A Note on the Trends in the U.S. Manufacturing and FIRE Sectors at the Per Capita Level." (2022)
"'What Do the Numbers Actually Say?': A Decade-By-Decade View of U.S. Manufacturing Value Added." (2022)
"The Deindustrialization of Michigan: Notes on the Available Data." (2022)
"The Deindustrialization of Los Angeles? A Note." (2022)
"The Complexities of Deindustrialization: A Note." (2022)
"'Do We Still Make Things in America?': Are Perceptions of Deindustrialization Exaggerated?" (2022)
"Comparative Deindustrialization: A Note on American and British Manufacturing Since the 1970s." (2021)
"Per Capita Manufacturing Output From 1970 On: The United States, Britain, Germany and Japan." (2022)
Deindustrialization (Other Countries)
"Assessing Manufacturing Output Over Time: A Note on The Case of Britain." (2022)
"'Did Margaret Thatcher Destroy British Manufacturing?': A Note." (2021)
"Comparative Deindustrialization: A Note on American and British Manufacturing Since the 1970s." (2021)
"The Deindustrialization of the French Economy: A Note." (2023)
"Per Capita Manufacturing Output From 1970 On: The United States, Britain, Germany and Japan." (2022)
"Is the G-7 Ceasing to be Relevant?" (2022)
Most of the papers are concerned with attempts to quantify manufacturing output in various ways (and in cases, other material aspects of deindustrialization susceptible to quantification, like the trend in regard to manufacturing equipment stocks) for the purposes of better understanding the issue.
Deindustrialization (U.S.)
"Discussing Deindustrialization: A Note." (2024)
"'What Do the Numbers Actually Say?': American Per Capita Manufacturing Output 1947-2018, the Consumer Price Index, and the Question of Deindustrialization." (2022)
"'American Per Capita Manufacturing Output 1947-2018, the Consumer Price Index, and the Question of Deindustrialization': A Supplementary Data Set and Associated Notes." (2024)
"Keynesian Fordism, Neoliberal Financialization and the Restructuring of the Economy: A Survey of the Data." (2022)
"Private Fixed Assets, Value Added and the Trade Balance: A Note on the Trends in the U.S. Manufacturing and FIRE Sectors at the Per Capita Level." (2022)
"'What Do the Numbers Actually Say?': A Decade-By-Decade View of U.S. Manufacturing Value Added." (2022)
"The Deindustrialization of Michigan: Notes on the Available Data." (2022)
"The Deindustrialization of Los Angeles? A Note." (2022)
"The Complexities of Deindustrialization: A Note." (2022)
"'Do We Still Make Things in America?': Are Perceptions of Deindustrialization Exaggerated?" (2022)
"Comparative Deindustrialization: A Note on American and British Manufacturing Since the 1970s." (2021)
"Per Capita Manufacturing Output From 1970 On: The United States, Britain, Germany and Japan." (2022)
Deindustrialization (Other Countries)
"Assessing Manufacturing Output Over Time: A Note on The Case of Britain." (2022)
"'Did Margaret Thatcher Destroy British Manufacturing?': A Note." (2021)
"Comparative Deindustrialization: A Note on American and British Manufacturing Since the 1970s." (2021)
"The Deindustrialization of the French Economy: A Note." (2023)
"Per Capita Manufacturing Output From 1970 On: The United States, Britain, Germany and Japan." (2022)
"Is the G-7 Ceasing to be Relevant?" (2022)
Economic Growth After 1973
This page lists my Social Science Research Network (SSRN) working papers addressing the subject of economic growth since the end of the post-war boom (commonly identified with the shocks of 1973).
"The Neoliberal Record: Growth: A Second Look." (2020)
"Economic Growth Since 1973: A Closer Look at the American Experience." (2020)
"The Consumer Price Index and Global Economic Growth in the Twenty-First Century: A Note." (2022)
"The Consumer Price Index and the Estimation of Real Gross Domestic Product Growth: A Note." (2022)
"Is it Possible That Outside China Per Capita Gross World Product Has Not Grown in a Generation?: A Note." (2023)
"Are Economic Analysts Underestimating Economic and Social Stress--and the Potential for Political Instability With It?: A Note." (2022)
"How Does Japan's Economic Performance Look When We Take into Account its Shrinking Working-Age Population?" (2022)
"Rising Complexity, Diminishing Returns, Shrinking Slack: Revisiting the Evidence." (2018)
"The Special Conditions of the Post-War Economic Boom: A Note." (2022)
"U.S. Defense Expenditure and Gross World Product in the Post-World War II Era: A Note." (2022)
"What if the Post-War Boom Had Simply Continued?: Notes on an Economic Counterfactual." (2022)
"The Neoliberal Record: Growth: A Second Look." (2020)
"Economic Growth Since 1973: A Closer Look at the American Experience." (2020)
"The Consumer Price Index and Global Economic Growth in the Twenty-First Century: A Note." (2022)
"The Consumer Price Index and the Estimation of Real Gross Domestic Product Growth: A Note." (2022)
"Is it Possible That Outside China Per Capita Gross World Product Has Not Grown in a Generation?: A Note." (2023)
"Are Economic Analysts Underestimating Economic and Social Stress--and the Potential for Political Instability With It?: A Note." (2022)
"How Does Japan's Economic Performance Look When We Take into Account its Shrinking Working-Age Population?" (2022)
"Rising Complexity, Diminishing Returns, Shrinking Slack: Revisiting the Evidence." (2018)
"The Special Conditions of the Post-War Economic Boom: A Note." (2022)
"U.S. Defense Expenditure and Gross World Product in the Post-World War II Era: A Note." (2022)
"What if the Post-War Boom Had Simply Continued?: Notes on an Economic Counterfactual." (2022)
The "Information Age"
This page lists my Social Science Research Network (SSRN) working papers addressing the subject of "the information age" as previously discussed by its theorists, and the (very different) reality in which we actually live.
"The 'Information Age' Narrative and the Deflection of the Declinist Critique: A Note on the Tech Boom of the 1990s and Its Impact on American Politics." (2023)
"The Information Age Promise of Dematerialization: A Note." (2024)
"The Mood of America in the 1990s: A Note on the American Political Imagination After the Cold War." (2024)
"The Unipolar Moment and the Inflated Technological Expectations of the 1990s: A Note." (2022)
"'The 1990s Are Over': A Note on the Decline of Neoliberalism and the End of Unipolarity." (2022)
"The False Dawn of Information Age Warfare and the Industrial Reality of the Twenty-First Century: A Note." (2024)
"Cyber-Utopianism and Reality: A Note on the Politics of the Internet." (2024)
"To What Extent Was the Left Ever Actually 'Cyber-Utopian?': A Note." (2024)
"The Ascent of the Internet and the Ascent of the Culture War in American Political Life: A Note." (2024)
"Is a Flight into Virtuality Already Underway? A Consideration of Changing Lifeways in the Early Twenty-First Century." (2021)
"The 'Information Age' Narrative and the Deflection of the Declinist Critique: A Note on the Tech Boom of the 1990s and Its Impact on American Politics." (2023)
"The Information Age Promise of Dematerialization: A Note." (2024)
"The Mood of America in the 1990s: A Note on the American Political Imagination After the Cold War." (2024)
"The Unipolar Moment and the Inflated Technological Expectations of the 1990s: A Note." (2022)
"'The 1990s Are Over': A Note on the Decline of Neoliberalism and the End of Unipolarity." (2022)
"The False Dawn of Information Age Warfare and the Industrial Reality of the Twenty-First Century: A Note." (2024)
"Cyber-Utopianism and Reality: A Note on the Politics of the Internet." (2024)
"To What Extent Was the Left Ever Actually 'Cyber-Utopian?': A Note." (2024)
"The Ascent of the Internet and the Ascent of the Culture War in American Political Life: A Note." (2024)
"Is a Flight into Virtuality Already Underway? A Consideration of Changing Lifeways in the Early Twenty-First Century." (2021)
The "Middle Class"
This page lists my Social Science Research Network (SSRN) working papers addressing the subject of what is so commonly called "the middle class." Central to the concern of this line of research has been the ambiguity of the term as commonly used--and the effort to offer a more meaningful standard as a basis for discussing just how extensive that class may have been in the past, and what has become of it since the mid-twentieth century.
The Definition of Middle Classness
"'What Qualifies a Household's Living Standard as Middle Class?' A Note." (2021)
"Of the Middle Class and the Quasi-Middle Class: A Note." (2023)
"Public Poverty and the Middle Class Living Standard: A Note." (2021)
The Decline of the Middle Class
"The Remaking--and Decline--of the Middle Class: A Note." (2021)
"Keynesian Fordism, Neoliberal Financialization and the Ambiguities of the Middle Class' Fortunes Between the Mid-Twentieth Century and Today: A Note." (2023)
"Keynesian Fordism, Neoliberal Financialization and Quasi-Middle Classness: A Note." (2023)
"U.S. Average and Median Hourly Compensation and Per Capita Gross Domestic Product: The Trend of the Last Half Century." (2022)
"The Declining Economic Viability of the Single-Income Household: A Note on the Fortunes of the Middle Class." (2022)
"The Four Year College Degree and the Middle Class Living Standard: A Tenuous Relationship." (2022)
"Natality, Senescence and the Quasi-Middle Class in the Neoliberal Era: A Note." (2023)
"The American Middle Class in the Twenty-First Century: Four Theses." (2022)
The Definition of Middle Classness
"'What Qualifies a Household's Living Standard as Middle Class?' A Note." (2021)
"Of the Middle Class and the Quasi-Middle Class: A Note." (2023)
"Public Poverty and the Middle Class Living Standard: A Note." (2021)
The Decline of the Middle Class
"The Remaking--and Decline--of the Middle Class: A Note." (2021)
"Keynesian Fordism, Neoliberal Financialization and the Ambiguities of the Middle Class' Fortunes Between the Mid-Twentieth Century and Today: A Note." (2023)
"Keynesian Fordism, Neoliberal Financialization and Quasi-Middle Classness: A Note." (2023)
"U.S. Average and Median Hourly Compensation and Per Capita Gross Domestic Product: The Trend of the Last Half Century." (2022)
"The Declining Economic Viability of the Single-Income Household: A Note on the Fortunes of the Middle Class." (2022)
"The Four Year College Degree and the Middle Class Living Standard: A Tenuous Relationship." (2022)
"Natality, Senescence and the Quasi-Middle Class in the Neoliberal Era: A Note." (2023)
"The American Middle Class in the Twenty-First Century: Four Theses." (2022)
Neoliberalism
This page lists my Social Science Research Network (SSRN) working papers addressing the subject of neoliberalism. These papers cover such matters as the arguments over the definition of the term; neoliberalism as a distinct economic model; and the policy record of particular governments which have been strongly identified with neoliberalism.
Defining Neoliberalism
"'What is Neoliberalism? And What Has it Meant?': A Primer." (2021)
"What We Talk About When We Talk About Neoliberalism: Three Dimensions of the Issue." (2022)
"Daniel Rodgers' Critique of the Term 'Neoliberalism': A Note." (2023)
The Policy (and Rhetorical) Record of Governments and Politicians
"Was the Clinton Administration Neoliberal?" (2018)
"Neoliberalism in a Time of Crisis: A Critical Assessment of the Defining Policies of the Obama Administration." (2019)
"'Was Tony Blair's Prime Ministership Neoliberal?': A Survey of British Economic Policy, 1979-2007." (2020)
"'Is Keir Starmer a Neoliberal?': A Note on Keir Starmer's Political Rhetoric." (2021)
Neoliberalism as Economic Model
"Keynesian Fordism and Neoliberal Financialization: A Comparison of Economic Models." (2020)
"Keynesian Fordism and Neoliberal Financialization: A Comparison of Economic Models (A Follow-Up Note on Rent-Seeking)." (2023)
"Keynesian Fordism, Neoliberal Financialization and the Restructuring of the Economy: A Survey of the Data." (2022)
"'Keynesian Fordism, Neoliberal Financialization and the Restructuring of the Economy': A Follow-Up Note on the Question of Profit." (2022)
"Understanding the Endurance of Large States in the Neoliberal Era: Six Theses." (2021)
"Keynesian Fordism's Limits, Aftermath and Legacy: A Note." (2024)
Neoliberalism and Politics
"Keynesian Fordism and Neoliberal Financialization: A Note on the Transition Between Eras." (2021)
"American Neoliberalism: A Note on its Evolving Rationales and the Actualities of its Record." (2023)
"Neoliberalism as a Utopian Project of the Right: A Note." (2023)
"Were the Neoliberals 'Neoliberals' After All? A Note on Charles Peters' 'A Neoliberal's Manifesto.'" (2023)
"Centrists' Stance Toward Neoliberalism's Critics: A Note." (2022)
"Neoliberalism, British Identity, and Brexit." (2020)
"Neoliberalism, Neoconservatism and the Remaking of British Identity." (2022)
"Ecological Catastrophe and the Neoliberal Imagination." (2020)
"Of Singularitarianism and Flying Cars: Our Changing Images of the Future, and Our Changing Economic Models." (2020)
Economic Growth Under Neoliberalism
"The Neoliberal Record: Growth: A Second Look." (2020)
"Keynesian Fordism, Neoliberal Financialization and the Restructuring of the Economy: A Survey of the Data." (2022)
"Investments in Societal Complexity, Diminishing Marginal Returns and Neoliberalism: A Note." (2020)
The Decline of Neoliberalism?
"'The 1990s Are Over': A Note on the Decline of Neoliberalism and the End of Unipolarity." (2022)
"The Decline of Neoliberalism? A Critical View." (2022)
"The 'Decline' of Neoliberalism as Against the 'End' of Neoliberalism: A Note." (2023)
Neoliberalism and the Middle Class
"Keynesian Fordism, Neoliberal Financialization and the Ambiguities of the Middle Class' Fortunes Between the Mid-Twentieth Century and Today: A Note." (2023)
"Keynesian Fordism, Neoliberal Financialization and Quasi-Middle Classness: A Note." (2023)
"Natality, Senescence and the Quasi-Middle Class in the Neoliberal Era: A Note." (2023)
Other Papers on Neoliberalism
"What We Talk About When We Talk About Neoliberalism: Three Dimensions of the Issue." (2022)
"Cryptocurrency as Symbol of the Neoliberal Era: A Note." (2023)
Defining Neoliberalism
"'What is Neoliberalism? And What Has it Meant?': A Primer." (2021)
"What We Talk About When We Talk About Neoliberalism: Three Dimensions of the Issue." (2022)
"Daniel Rodgers' Critique of the Term 'Neoliberalism': A Note." (2023)
The Policy (and Rhetorical) Record of Governments and Politicians
"Was the Clinton Administration Neoliberal?" (2018)
"Neoliberalism in a Time of Crisis: A Critical Assessment of the Defining Policies of the Obama Administration." (2019)
"'Was Tony Blair's Prime Ministership Neoliberal?': A Survey of British Economic Policy, 1979-2007." (2020)
"'Is Keir Starmer a Neoliberal?': A Note on Keir Starmer's Political Rhetoric." (2021)
Neoliberalism as Economic Model
"Keynesian Fordism and Neoliberal Financialization: A Comparison of Economic Models." (2020)
"Keynesian Fordism and Neoliberal Financialization: A Comparison of Economic Models (A Follow-Up Note on Rent-Seeking)." (2023)
"Keynesian Fordism, Neoliberal Financialization and the Restructuring of the Economy: A Survey of the Data." (2022)
"'Keynesian Fordism, Neoliberal Financialization and the Restructuring of the Economy': A Follow-Up Note on the Question of Profit." (2022)
"Understanding the Endurance of Large States in the Neoliberal Era: Six Theses." (2021)
"Keynesian Fordism's Limits, Aftermath and Legacy: A Note." (2024)
Neoliberalism and Politics
"Keynesian Fordism and Neoliberal Financialization: A Note on the Transition Between Eras." (2021)
"American Neoliberalism: A Note on its Evolving Rationales and the Actualities of its Record." (2023)
"Neoliberalism as a Utopian Project of the Right: A Note." (2023)
"Were the Neoliberals 'Neoliberals' After All? A Note on Charles Peters' 'A Neoliberal's Manifesto.'" (2023)
"Centrists' Stance Toward Neoliberalism's Critics: A Note." (2022)
"Neoliberalism, British Identity, and Brexit." (2020)
"Neoliberalism, Neoconservatism and the Remaking of British Identity." (2022)
"Ecological Catastrophe and the Neoliberal Imagination." (2020)
"Of Singularitarianism and Flying Cars: Our Changing Images of the Future, and Our Changing Economic Models." (2020)
Economic Growth Under Neoliberalism
"The Neoliberal Record: Growth: A Second Look." (2020)
"Keynesian Fordism, Neoliberal Financialization and the Restructuring of the Economy: A Survey of the Data." (2022)
"Investments in Societal Complexity, Diminishing Marginal Returns and Neoliberalism: A Note." (2020)
The Decline of Neoliberalism?
"'The 1990s Are Over': A Note on the Decline of Neoliberalism and the End of Unipolarity." (2022)
"The Decline of Neoliberalism? A Critical View." (2022)
"The 'Decline' of Neoliberalism as Against the 'End' of Neoliberalism: A Note." (2023)
Neoliberalism and the Middle Class
"Keynesian Fordism, Neoliberal Financialization and the Ambiguities of the Middle Class' Fortunes Between the Mid-Twentieth Century and Today: A Note." (2023)
"Keynesian Fordism, Neoliberal Financialization and Quasi-Middle Classness: A Note." (2023)
"Natality, Senescence and the Quasi-Middle Class in the Neoliberal Era: A Note." (2023)
Other Papers on Neoliberalism
"What We Talk About When We Talk About Neoliberalism: Three Dimensions of the Issue." (2022)
"Cryptocurrency as Symbol of the Neoliberal Era: A Note." (2023)
The 1990s
This page lists my Social Science Research Network (SSRN) working papers addressing the subject of the 1990s, focusing on its politics--in cases, as reflected in its popular culture.
"The Mood of America in the 1990s: A Note on the American Political Imagination After the Cold War." (2024)
"U.S. Gross World Product Share in the 1990s and The Anticipations of a Unipolar Era." (2022)
"The Unipolar Moment and the Inflated Technological Expectations of the 1990s: A Note." (2022)
"The 'Information Age' Narrative and the Deflection of the Declinist Critique: A Note on the Tech Boom of the 1990s and Its Impact on American Politics." (2023)
"Thomas Frank's 'Market Populism': Is it Still Relevant?" (2022)
"'The 1990s Are Over': A Note on the Decline of Neoliberalism and the End of Unipolarity." (2022)
"What Made the '90s so 'Extreme?' A Note on the 'Extreme' Aesthetic of the Decade." (2024)
"Revisiting the 'Extreme' Culture of the 1990s: A Fuller Consideration." (2023)
"The Decline of the Spy Story and the Transformation of the Thriller in the 1990s: The Data From the Bestseller List." (2018)
"The American Military Techno-Thriller and the Debate Over Women in Combat of the 1990s." (2024)
"Reliving the 1940s in the 1990s: Germany and Japan in the Military Techno-Thriller." (2024)
"The Mood of America in the 1990s: A Note on the American Political Imagination After the Cold War." (2024)
"U.S. Gross World Product Share in the 1990s and The Anticipations of a Unipolar Era." (2022)
"The Unipolar Moment and the Inflated Technological Expectations of the 1990s: A Note." (2022)
"The 'Information Age' Narrative and the Deflection of the Declinist Critique: A Note on the Tech Boom of the 1990s and Its Impact on American Politics." (2023)
"Thomas Frank's 'Market Populism': Is it Still Relevant?" (2022)
"'The 1990s Are Over': A Note on the Decline of Neoliberalism and the End of Unipolarity." (2022)
"What Made the '90s so 'Extreme?' A Note on the 'Extreme' Aesthetic of the Decade." (2024)
"Revisiting the 'Extreme' Culture of the 1990s: A Fuller Consideration." (2023)
"The Decline of the Spy Story and the Transformation of the Thriller in the 1990s: The Data From the Bestseller List." (2018)
"The American Military Techno-Thriller and the Debate Over Women in Combat of the 1990s." (2024)
"Reliving the 1940s in the 1990s: Germany and Japan in the Military Techno-Thriller." (2024)
Political Centrism
This page lists my Social Science Research Network (SSRN) working papers addressing the subject of political centrism. These papers define the term; situate centrism within the history of political philosophy and the political spectrum, especially as perceived in America (specifically explaining centrism as an adaptation of classical conservatism to mid-twentieth century Cold War America); and proceeds to discuss a number of smaller aspects of the phenomenon, particularly the connections between centrism and the culture of the professional groups, centrism's bounding of the legitimate spectrum of political discourse, and centrism's influence on the conduct of the mainstream of the American media.
Centrism: What it is and is Not
"American Centrism: Five Theses." (2022)
"'What is Centrism?': An Examination of Centrism as a Conservative Political Philosophy." (2021)
"'What is Centrism?': A Follow-Up." (2022)
"The Centrist Electoral Promise of a More Competent Conservatism: A Note." (2023)
"Classical Conservatism, Centrism and the Emotional Appeal of Ideology." (2024)
Centrism in Relation to Other Ideologies and Tendencies
"On the Confusion of Centrism with Liberalism: A Note." (2023)
"The Confusion of the Political Center with the Left: A Note on Some of the Implications." (2023)
"Pseudo-Conservatives, Pseudo-Liberals, the Pseudo-Left and the Incoherence of American Political Discourse." (2023)
"Centrism and the Legitimate Bounds of Political Discourse: A Note." (2023)
"Centrism and Populism: A Note." (2022)
"Revisiting Richard Hofstadter's 'Pseudo-Conservatism.'" (2023)
"What is Fascism? The View From Left, Center and Right: A Note." (2022)
"Centrists' Stance Toward Neoliberalism's Critics: A Note." (2022)
Centrism and the Professional Occupational Groups
"Centrism and the Politics of Expertise in American Discourse: A Note." (2023)
"The Professional Outlook and Political Centrism: A Note." (2023)
Centrism and the Media
"Toward a Fuller Understanding of Media Bias: The Role of Centrist Ideology." (2022)
"Toward a Theory of Media 'Both Sidesism': A Note." (2024)
Centrism Outside the United States
"Centrism, The Labour Party and Keir Starmer in 2023: A Note." (2023)
Centrism: What it is and is Not
"American Centrism: Five Theses." (2022)
"'What is Centrism?': An Examination of Centrism as a Conservative Political Philosophy." (2021)
"'What is Centrism?': A Follow-Up." (2022)
"The Centrist Electoral Promise of a More Competent Conservatism: A Note." (2023)
"Classical Conservatism, Centrism and the Emotional Appeal of Ideology." (2024)
Centrism in Relation to Other Ideologies and Tendencies
"On the Confusion of Centrism with Liberalism: A Note." (2023)
"The Confusion of the Political Center with the Left: A Note on Some of the Implications." (2023)
"Pseudo-Conservatives, Pseudo-Liberals, the Pseudo-Left and the Incoherence of American Political Discourse." (2023)
"Centrism and the Legitimate Bounds of Political Discourse: A Note." (2023)
"Centrism and Populism: A Note." (2022)
"Revisiting Richard Hofstadter's 'Pseudo-Conservatism.'" (2023)
"What is Fascism? The View From Left, Center and Right: A Note." (2022)
"Centrists' Stance Toward Neoliberalism's Critics: A Note." (2022)
Centrism and the Professional Occupational Groups
"Centrism and the Politics of Expertise in American Discourse: A Note." (2023)
"The Professional Outlook and Political Centrism: A Note." (2023)
Centrism and the Media
"Toward a Fuller Understanding of Media Bias: The Role of Centrist Ideology." (2022)
"Toward a Theory of Media 'Both Sidesism': A Note." (2024)
Centrism Outside the United States
"Centrism, The Labour Party and Keir Starmer in 2023: A Note." (2023)
The Politics of the Media
This page lists my Social Science Research Network (SSRN) working papers addressing the subject of the politics of the American media, with a focus on the news media, and especially the influence of centrist political ideology here.
News Media
"Toward a Fuller Understanding of Media Bias: The Role of Centrist Ideology." (2022)
"Toward a Theory of Media 'Both Sidesism': A Note." (2024)
"Centrism and the Politics of Expertise in American Discourse: A Note." (2023)
"What It Means for the News Business to Be a Business—And Journalism a Profession: A Note." (2022)
Popular Culture
"Liberal Hollywood? A Note on the Conventional Wisdom." (2022)
"Why Does Discussion of Pop Culture Make Up So Large a Part of Political Discourse in Twenty-First Century America?" (2022)
Politics of the Internet
"Cyber-Utopianism and Reality: A Note on the Politics of the Internet." (2024)
"To What Extent Was the Left Ever Actually 'Cyber-Utopian?': A Note." (2024)
"The Ascent of the Internet and the Ascent of the Culture War in American Political Life: A Note." (2024)
News Media
"Toward a Fuller Understanding of Media Bias: The Role of Centrist Ideology." (2022)
"Toward a Theory of Media 'Both Sidesism': A Note." (2024)
"Centrism and the Politics of Expertise in American Discourse: A Note." (2023)
"What It Means for the News Business to Be a Business—And Journalism a Profession: A Note." (2022)
Popular Culture
"Liberal Hollywood? A Note on the Conventional Wisdom." (2022)
"Why Does Discussion of Pop Culture Make Up So Large a Part of Political Discourse in Twenty-First Century America?" (2022)
Politics of the Internet
"Cyber-Utopianism and Reality: A Note on the Politics of the Internet." (2024)
"To What Extent Was the Left Ever Actually 'Cyber-Utopian?': A Note." (2024)
"The Ascent of the Internet and the Ascent of the Culture War in American Political Life: A Note." (2024)
"The Unipolar Moment"
This page lists my Social Science Research Network (SSRN) working papers addressing the subject of the "unipolar moment" of the 1990s--the rationale behind it, the expectations of its long endurance, the contrast between those expectations and the reality with which analysts are now grappling.
"The Mood of America in the 1990s: A Note on the American Political Imagination After the Cold War." (2024)
"U.S. Gross World Product Share in the 1990s and The Anticipations of a Unipolar Era." (2022)
"The Unipolar Moment and the Inflated Technological Expectations of the 1990s: A Note." (2022)
"The 'Information Age' Narrative and the Deflection of the Declinist Critique: A Note on the Tech Boom of the 1990s and Its Impact on American Politics." (2023)
"'The 1990s Are Over': A Note on the Decline of Neoliberalism and the End of Unipolarity." (2022)
"Economic Boom Without End: Visions of Unipolarity and the Shock of the Twenty-First Century." (2022)
"The Waning of Unipolarity in the Military Sphere: A Note." (2022)
"The End of the Unipolar Moment: Revisiting the Issue in the Wake of the Russo-Ukrainian War." (2022)
"What Do We Mean By Unipolarity? A Note on China's Place in the International System." (2024)
"The Mood of America in the 1990s: A Note on the American Political Imagination After the Cold War." (2024)
"U.S. Gross World Product Share in the 1990s and The Anticipations of a Unipolar Era." (2022)
"The Unipolar Moment and the Inflated Technological Expectations of the 1990s: A Note." (2022)
"The 'Information Age' Narrative and the Deflection of the Declinist Critique: A Note on the Tech Boom of the 1990s and Its Impact on American Politics." (2023)
"'The 1990s Are Over': A Note on the Decline of Neoliberalism and the End of Unipolarity." (2022)
"Economic Boom Without End: Visions of Unipolarity and the Shock of the Twenty-First Century." (2022)
"The Waning of Unipolarity in the Military Sphere: A Note." (2022)
"The End of the Unipolar Moment: Revisiting the Issue in the Wake of the Russo-Ukrainian War." (2022)
"What Do We Mean By Unipolarity? A Note on China's Place in the International System." (2024)
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