by Daniel J. Smith In 2011, I was flying back and forth between Joplin, Mo. and Tuscaloosa, Ala. following those cities’ devastating tornadoes. I was conducting field research to determine how communities can better prepare and respond to future disasters. I kept hearing community leaders discuss the problems that in-kind donations like clothing, shoes, and other … Continued
By Bruce Caldwell Three thinkers who have written about the ideas that are most likely to spur bottom up improvement in peoples’ everyday lives are Friedrich Hayek, Frédéric Bastiat, and Adam Smith. What they wrote so long ago still resonates today, but for our purposes let’s concentrate mostly on one. The social theorist and Nobel laureate … Continued
Americans are worried about polarization and what it means for our friendships, families, and, certainly, our society. For people to come together to solve pressing challenges, we need to trust each other. Is that coming together possible in our current moment? From what we’re reading, the answer is yes. We think we’re more divided than we actually are. … Continued
Federal data indicates there are more than 10 million jobs that employers need to fill right now. Many of these positions are at thriving companies. In fact, it’s estimated there are 680,000 jobs that do not require a college degree open now at Fortune 500 firms. Meanwhile, there are millions of Americans living in marginalized communities who have … Continued
By Ilana Redstone Many instructors of social science research methods caution students that correlation doesn’t equal causation. In other words, just because two factors are related to one another doesn’t mean that one caused the other. As important as this reminder is, it doesn’t go far enough. Rather than passively bearing this instruction in mind, students … Continued
By Kevin Vallier Free societies need social trust — the faith that strangers will follow established norms. Researchers have found that social trust advances human well-being. It helps create markets and wealth, manage corruption, and spur a robust civil society. It can even improve our psychological health. But social trust has an under-appreciated feature: it … Continued
What are the factors adult learners weigh when considering a postsecondary education program? What barriers keep them from enrolling, and how can universities, community colleges, and training programs better attract and retain adult workers? The Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) has provided some potential answers. CAEL’s research offers actionable insights postsecondary education programs … Continued
Joel Mokyr is the Robert H. Strotz Professor of Economics at Northwestern University. He also is a professor of history and co-directs the university’s Center for Economic History. Mokyr conducts research on the economic history of Europe, specializing in the period from 1750 to 1914, or what has been coined The Great Enrichment. We sat down … Continued
By Deirdre McCloskey This essay is adapted from “Liberalism Caused the Great Enrichment,” a paper by McCloskey published by the University of Chicago. Find the full paper here. Any innovation — mechanical, biological, institutional, scientific, artistic, personal — begins as a new idea in a liberated human mind. That point is obvious. But it has not … Continued
The competition for teachers is fierce, particularly in rural areas. By offering individuals like Eveon Rivers better pathways toward a job, Reach University is solving this problem. As The74 explained, Rivers had 18 years of experience as a paraprofessional in pre-kindergarten. She wanted to lead a classroom, but didn’t have a bachelor’s degree. Through Reach … Continued
