Supplemental Readings: ENGL 151
How Do I Find
Credible Sources? | Quick Stats | College
Tips | Computer tips
| Brain Candy | Thinking/Cognition/Psychology | Political/Social Issues | Race | Media and Fake News | Head Scratchers
Sources for Essay topics
Purpose of College (Essay 1) | Death Penalty | Civic
Stances/Democracy in America | Income
Inequality
| Health Care | Social Media; Online Privacy/Addiction)
| Immigration | Climate Change |
General
In this section you'll find below readings on a variety of
topics (see above and below for links) -- but first, a quick primer on
evaluating sources and short list of credible web sources.
"How Do I Find Credible Sources?"
Too much to include here: I've
devoted a separate page to this endeavor.
And a meta question to be asked of much research conducted on American college campuses: "Are Your Findings WEIRD"
Quick Reads
These are taken from the Delanceyplace.com, a site which posts (and emails) short excerpts from books on science, math, history, psycology , etc.
Quick Stats
College
Tips
Computer
Tips
- Dropbox.
Install folder on your primary computer and then access from anywhere.
Limited storage is free (more than enough for most classes).
- GoogleDocs.
Online storage and document preparation. Free.
- Get your computer to help proofreading by having
it read your work out loud. You can also try this free online
service.
- Grammarly -- grammar proofreading
software that seems to work pretty well.
Thinking/cognition/psychology/information
literacy
- How
would you disprove your viewpoint?
To see whether you're working on faith or with facts, read this short
description and question. If your answer is "Nothing," then
it's
not an argument but a belief. Beliefs are generally not the
focus
of research based academic writing. That said, they are often
the
focus of editorials and the cherry
picking
that accompanies them. And there's nothing wrong with picking
cherries as long as you're making a pie instead of an argument.
- How can
a fact be true and false? Definitions matter.
- Why
Facts Don't Change Our Minds Elizabeth Kolbert The New Yorker Feb.
27, 2017
- What
are Reasons For? From Delancyplace.org. On the
sociology of reasoning.
- Study Finds Jurors Often Hear Evidence with Closed Minds New York Times 29 Nov. 1994, Daniel Goleman
- "Our
Minds Can Be Hijacked": The Tech Insiders Who Fear a Smartphone Dystopia
From The Guardian. Paul Lewis. 6 October 2017
- Things
I Mean to Know This
America Life
looks at how we function in a world we take for granted. The
segment on voter fraud shows how logic helps us know things, but can be
absolutely powerless in the face of conviction.
- Unexplained events have a big emotional
impact From Delancyplace.org
- The power of fear From
Delancyplace.org
- What
Begins in Fear Usually Ends in Folly From Delancyplace.org. For proof of
these last three points on fear, see
this chart on causes of death in America.
- Outsmarting
Our Primative Responses to Fear New York Times
Oct. 26, 2017
- You
are Influenced in Ways You Don't Realize From Delancyplace.org
- A
Superhero Power for Our Time: How to Handle the Truth New York Times.
Neuroscience on this goal: "to make what feels true
compatible with what is true."
- 6
Scientific Reasons Reading Is Amazing For Your Health Bustle blog post
- What
Is the Multiverse (Or, How Can There Be Two Mr. Spocks)? Studio 360
- Thinking Fast and Slow summary of
a book that breaks down the way we make decisions into categories
- Fear Kills: "We Fear the Wrong Things."
Edge.org
- Thinking for Dummies; Terrible
title; good essay on cognitive fallacies; see also The Attack on Truth
- "Thinking
like a Cave Man" let the shoddy reasoning begin!
- The Plague of Tl;dr on skimming
instead of reading.
- Bad
is Stronger Than Good. from Review of General
Psychology 2001. Vol. 5. No. 4. 323-370.
- Does
High Stress Trigger Creativity at Work? Teresa Amabile.
Marketplace, May 5, 2012.
- "How Emotional Responses To Terrorism Shape
Attitudes Toward Policies" NPR 12/22/2015
- "Extreme
Vetting" Daily Show August 2016
Brain Candy: Just Good Reading
Political/social
issues
- How
America Lost Its Mind. The
Atlantic Kurt Andersen September 2017
- Human
Capital and the United States; General
overview of Human Capital: 2018 The Institute for Health
Metrics and Evaluation report.
- "America's
super rich: six things to know" The Guardian. Natalie Jones
and Alastair Gee. Accessed on 26 Sept. 2018.
- Statistics
on welfare in America
- Is
There Something Wrong with Democracy. New York Times Max
Fisher et al. Jan 23, 2018.
- Islamic
State and Climate Change Seen as World’s Greatest Threats, Poll Says
New York Times
August 2017
- Google
and the Misinformed Public Chronicle
January 15, 2017
- Know-Nothing
Nation Chronicle January 15, 2017
- Democracy's
Dual Dangers Chronicle November 18, 2016
- America's
Top Fears Chapman University, 2016
- Don't
Retreat. Teach Citizenship Chronicle
January 19, 2017
- How
Colleges Can Teach Students to Be Good Citizens Chronicle
of Higher Education, January 13, 2017
- You
Draw It: What Got Better or Worse During Obama’s Presidency
New York Times interactive quiz
- "The
Rise of the Global Far Right" The Takeaway Radio episode
November 30, 2016.
- "Our
Bitter Elections" The American Conservative,
November 2016
- Busted:
America's Poverty Myths. On the Media,
2016.
- "The
White Flight of Derek Black" Once a White Nationalist: the
power of education. Washington Post, October,
2016.
- White
Nationalism: Explained New York Times November 21, 2016
- "Wall
Street Swipes Right for Donald Trump" Conversation about
deregulation, Money Talking. November 2016.
- Privatization
- Questions
about a Trump presidency: David Frum interview from the New
Yorker Radio Hour, November, 2016.
- "Does
it Matter What You Think about Gun Policy?"
(1/14/16)* Part of On the Media's coverage of gun violence, this is
more important for its revealing -- and numbers based -- look at the
effect of the public on public policy. Not much on guns: much
on
powerless people.
- Muslims
in America: click on listen and move bar to 43:17.
- Pew Research on Race
in America (2016)
- Poverty and public/private partnerships in America: 6/27/16
Leonard Lopate show
- 9
Things The Wealthy Don't Want You To Know About Taxes.
By David Cay Johnston
- Steven Pinker on Violence
in America The Afternoon Takeaway 1/1/13: start at around
4:30
- Two American Families: working and
trying to survive in America today. Frontline Documentary
- Short excerpt from the series The Newsroom
on the state of America. From cable TV so it uses adult
language
to make its point. An quick way to get at the issues that
currently face America.
- Wondering
about the deficit?
Have it all explained in 39 minutes: or click on transcript and read it
in about 5 min. Fresh Air "Facing The Fiscal Cliff: Congress' Next
Showdown"
- Wall
Street Sweeps Right for Donald Trump November 18, 2016
Race
Power
of Media/Fake News
- Radiolab
segment on AI creating false audio and video: Breaking News
AUDIO/Podcast
- The
Roots of the 'Post-Truth' Era Brian Leher show segment: April
10, 2018. WNYC AUDIO/Podcast
- Fiction
is Outperforming Reality: How YouTube's Algorithm Distorts Truth. The Guardian.
Paul Lewis. 2 Feb. 2018
- "Our
Minds Can Be Hijacked": The Tech Insiders Who Fear a Smartphone Dystopia
The Guardian.
Paul Lewis. 6 October 2017
- 'Way
too little, way too late': Facebook's factcheckers say effort is failing. The Guardian.
Sam Levin 13 November 2017
- A
Superhero Power for Our Time: How to Handle the Truth New York Times.
Neuroscience on this goal: "to make what feels true
compatible with what is true."
- Why
We Can't Look Away From Our Screens New York Times
March 6, 2017
- "The
Age of Fake Policy" How to separate real news from the
headlines. New York Times Jan 6, 2017.
- "Skinner
Marketing: We're the Rats, and Facebook Likes Are the Reward"
The Atlantic, June 2013
- "Facebook,
Trump, and Twitter." New York Review of Books,
November 11, 2016
- "Can’t Put Down Your Device? That’s by Design"
- on how/why it's impossible to put down electronic devices (called the
Network Effect).
- "Blue
Feed, Red Feed" liberal and conservative Facebook news feed
side by side.
Fake News
- How can
a fact be true and false? Definitions matter: exhibit A in
fake news.
- How
History Should Guide Us Away From Authoritarianism Brian
Leher Show, 4/6/2018 WNYC AUDIO/Podcast
- How to address the effects of fake news? Moving
Past Hate Brian Leher show segment: April 10, 2018. WNYC
AUDIO/Podcast
- Edutopia
page on teaching how to identify fake news
- Commentary:
Where Do Students Learn About Fake News? In Freshman Comp The
Chronicle
- Information
Literacy The Chronicle (listing with
additional links)
- When
Truth Becomes a Commodity Chronicle January 15, 2017
- Facebook
and Falsehood Chronicle January 15, 2017
- "Who
Stands Between Fake News and Students? Educators" NEAToday
- Fake
News Expert On How False Stories Spread And Why People Believe Them.
Fresh Air. December 14, 2016.
- "Radio
Conspiracy Theorist Claims Ear Of Trump, Pushes 'Pizzagate' Fictions"
NPR December 6, 2016
- "Fake
News and the Internet Shell Game." November 28, 2016. New
York Times.
- "Mark
Zukerberg is in Denial" November 15, 2016: best essay yet on
the problem/danger of fake news.
- "How
Fake News Goes Viral: A Case Study." New York Times: November
20, 2016.
- "Pizza
and Fake News" New York Times: November 21, 2016
- "Inside
a Fake News Sausage Factory." New York Times Novermber 25,
2016,
- "Stop
the Spread of Fake News" Chronicle of Higher
Education November 15, 2016
- "Media's
Next Challenge: Overcoming the Threat of Fake News" New
York Times November 6, 2016
- "Did
You Hear the Latest About Hilary?" September 12, 2016:
misinformation, low-trust societies (income inequality), and conspiracy
theories: the perfect storm
It
Just Doesn't Make Sense
Purpose of College Readings: Essay 1
These essays can be useful for fleshing out the ideas from the
assigned essays.
- League of Women
Voters for
background info democracy and civic value
- Louis Menand, The New Yorker, "Live and Learn" mentions
soft skills early in essay: good on college as career prep and
intellectual growth
- Nicolas Kristof, New York Times "Starving
for Wisdom" examples of intellectual and
personal growth
- Hart Research Associates It
Takes More Than a Major GREAT essay to connect
career prep to divisions critical thinking, etc. Surveys of business
people.
- Richard Kahlenberg, Chronicle of Higher Education "The
Purposes of Higher Education" short with an overview
of the different thesis ideas.
- "Writing
and Learning to Write" a Writing Director reflects on college
level writing: writing, reading, research as critical
thinking? This is the place.
- The
White Flight of Derek Black Black was once a White
Nationalist: great example of the power of education. Washington
Post, October, 2016.
- What
is College Good For? August 1, 2017 The Chronicle of Higher Education.
- Gary Gutting "What
is College For?"
- Don't
Retreat. Teach Citizenship Chronicle
January 19, 2017
- How
Colleges Can Teach Students to Be Good Citizens Chronicle
of Higher Education, January 13, 2017
- Two page
discussion/definition of civic education in college:
from A Crucible Moment On
college as democracy
- "What is a Civic Education?" from
George Washington University: On college as democracy
- Students:
an Introduction. Phi Kappa Phi ForumSeptember
1, 2014 The voices of students on what they learned in college. Great
essay for examples to support a point by the assigned writers.
- Are Community Colleges Finally 'Having a
Moment'?
- Rethinking Thinking Clayton, Mark. "Rethinking Thinking."
Christian Science Monitor, 14 Oct, 2003, pp. 18-19,
SIRS Issues Researcher, https://sks.sirs.com. Critical
Thinking
- What Learning How to Think Means.
Chronicle, June 28, 2015. Barry Schwartz: Great
essay on college as intellectual growth
- Vocation
or Exploration? Pondering the Purpose of College: [Business/Financial
Desk]Tugend, Alina. New York Times
[New York, N.Y] 05 May 2012: B.5
- "Entering
the Job Market? Your Education Matters More Than Ever." Christian
Science Monitor, Trumbull, Mark Apr 12,
2012 | pg.n.p. SIRS
Issues Researcher
- Business, government, and some educators on the purpose of
college. Time summit: 2013.
- Dave Serchuk "Steve Jobs Liberal, Hippie, Education" Example
of a person who used liberal arts education in technology
- "The
Liberal Arts as Guideposts" 2012: Civics,
critical thinking
Richard Freeland "The
Practical Path, Too, Can be High-Minded" Career
and liberal arts
- Dan Berrett "Habits
of Mind: Lessons for the Long Term" The Chronicle
of Higher Education.
- Report
Encourages Teachers to Help Students Get Involved in Politics;
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Milwaukee, WI), Perez, Erica. Connects
students to civics.
- "In
a New Generation of College Students, Many Opt for the Life Examined"
Winnie Hu. New York Times. 6 April 2008. Voices of
students on desire for critical thinking and developing a philosophy of
life
- Colleges
that Change Lives Loren Pope. Students
discussing college's impact on their lives
- Survival
of the Fittest; New York Times (New York, NY), Merrow, John
April 24, 2005 | pg.Educ. Sec.,
20-25 Students talking about their college experiences
-- lots of negative (which you can use to show what needs to be done)
and some positive.
- 'It
is who knows you'. The positions of university students regarding
intentional investment in social capital. Full Text Available By:
Villar, Esperanza; Albertin, Pilar. Studies in Higher
Education. Mar2010, Vol. 35 Issue 2, p137-154. 18p. DOI:
10.1080/03075070902957080.On importance of making
connections outside of class
- Cultivating
Critical Thinking: An Interview with Stephen Brookfield. Full Text Available By:
Johanson, James. Journal of Developmental Education. Spring2010,
Vol. 33 Issue 3, p26-30. 4p. As title notes, focus is on
critical thinking
- College For all? Full Text Available By:
Carnevale, Anthony P. Change. Jan/Feb2008, Vol. 40 Issue 1, p22-31.
10p. 4 Illustrations, 2 Charts, 2 Graphs. Great source
for info on career prep, critical thinking and developing learning
- Forgoing
College to Pursue Dreams. Caitlin Kelly. New York Times.
9/15/12 Essay on career prep
- Learning
as Freedom. Michael S. Roth Published: September 5, 2012.
NYTimes. Use for critical thinking, personal
development, and democracy.
- Pew
Research Center polling data on purpose of college. Self-explanatory
- College
Board survey of students on purpose of college (2008) Self-explanatory
- Colleges
Should Teach Intellectual Virtues. Full Text Available By:
Schwartz, Barry; Sharpe, Kenneth. Chronicle of Higher
Education. 2/24/2012, Vol. 58 Issue 25, pA72-A72. 3/4p. Emphasis
on intellectual growth, critical thinking, democracy
- Robert M. Hutchins "The Idea of
a College" (1950).Very good older essay on the
purpose of college: use for historical difference?
- Steven Schwartz "The
Higher Purpose" British perspective. Excellent
essay addressing many of the concerns of this topic from intellectual
to career prep. Note that it discusses the British university system
- You
Majored in What? Katherine Brooks. Another
source for student examples (which start around page 5).
- THE
COLLEGE MOTIVES SCALE: CLASSIFYING MOTIVES FOR ENTERING COLLEGE. Full Text Available By:
CORTS, DANIEL P.; STONER, ALLISON. Education. Summer2011,
Vol. 131 Issue 4, p775-781. 7p. 3 Charts. Statistics on
student motivation, intellectual curiosity and self discovery.
Radio Essays on
Higher Education: Essay 1
Death Penalty
- Abolish
the Death Penalty. George Will, Washington Post, 28
September 2018. Well-known conservative writer.
- A
Death Penalty Puzzle Washington Post, Cass
R. Sunstein and Justin Wolfers Monday, June 30, 2008. Two scholars
whose work was cited (in opposing sides) in a Death Penalty Supreme
Court decision discuss the evidence surrounding deterrance. Essential
reading.
- 'I
went to death row for 28 years through no fault of my own'
Interview with exonerated death row inmate. Chris McGreal. The Guardian
4/2/2018
- The
National Registry of Exonerations: Listing of people
exonerated from their crimes.
- Death
Penalty Loses Majority Support" New York Times,
October 2016
- Bearing
Witness to Executions: Last Breaths and Lasting Impressions New York Times
April 23, 2017
- Eight
executions in 11 days: Arkansas order may endanger staff's mental health"
The Guardian
- "Why
has the Death Penalty Grown Increasingly Rare?" NPR 12/7/15
- "As
Supreme Court Upholds Death Penalty, Number Of Executions Plummets:"
NPR 12/7/15
- Cause and effect from Good Will Hunting --
how to develop an argument.
- Radio interview of Bruce Stevenson, author
of Just Mercy; book review of the same title with great specifics.
Brian Leher show
interview, August 2015.
- How
Many Innocent People are Sentenced to Death. Forbes.
4/29/14 Elizabeth Lopatto
- Considering
The Death Penalty: Your Tax Dollars At Work. Forbes 5/1/14
Kelly Phillips Erb
- When Whites Just Don't Get It Part 3
Nicholas Kristof New York Times October 11, 2014.
- The Innocent on Death Row New York
Times September 3, 2014
- I was Virginia's executioner from 1982 to
1999. Any questions for me? Jerry Givens. The Guardian 21
November 2013
- Evidence of Concealed Jailhouse Deal Raises
Questions About a Texas Execution New York Times Feb 27, 2014
- America's Retreat from the Death Penalty
New York Times January 1, 2013.
- From Opposing Viewpoints online The
Death Penalty Should Be Abolished Crime
and Criminals,
2009 Amnesty International, "The Death Penalty v. Human Rights: Why
Abolish the Death Penalty?" September 2007. (Document number:
EJ3010119285)
- Death
Penalty Controversies: page 796 has a few paragraphs on
deterrance.
- Calculating
Economics Of an Eye For an Eye; [The Arts/Cultural Desk]
Patricia Cohen. New York Times (Late Edition (East Coast)). New York,
N.Y.: Jul 29, 2008. p. E.1
- Why Pundits Get Things
Wrong .
Sharon Begley. Newsweek 153. 08 (Feb 23, 2009) :
p45 An
essay that raises questions about being "sure" on a topic.
- Deterrance
Studies Are Inconsistent and Unscientific Capital
Punishment, 2008 Opposing Viewpoints
Jeffrey Fagan, "Deterrence and the Death Penalty: Risk, Uncertainty,
and Public Policy Choices
- Tucker,
William. "The Death Penalty Is a Deterrent to Murder." Death
Penalty,
edited by Noël Merino, Greenhaven Press, 2015.
- Schmidt,
Derek. "The Death Penalty Is Essential, and Its Cost Is Irrelevant."
The
Death Penalty,
edited by Jenny Cromie and Lynn M. Zott, Greenhaven Press, 2013.
- Does
Death Penalty Save Lives? A New Debate Adam Liptak. New York
Times (Late Edition (East Coast)). New York, N.Y.: Nov 18, 2007. p. 1.1
- Capital
Punishment Should Be Abolished .
American Civil Liberties Union. Opposing Viewpoints: Criminal Justice.
Ed. Tamara L. Roleff. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2004.
Civic
Stances
Audio and video clips
- Not passing the Naturalization test:
why we need more civic education
- Climate change, business regulation, and governments and
money. Bill
McKibben Lenoard Lopate August 2015
I'm always on the lookout for more articles: send in any good
ones
- The
Secret to a Longer Life? Don’t Ask These Dead Longevity Researchers
New York Times March 11, 2018
- Human
Capital and the United States; General
overview of Human Capital: 2018 The Institute for Health
Metrics and Evaluation report.
- Questions
Emerge Over What Wisconsin Must Give for Foxconn Plant New
York Times August 10, 2017
- "America's
super rich: six things to know" The Guardian. Natalie Jones
and Alastair Gee. Accessed on 26 Sept. 2018.
- "When
You Dial 911 and Wall Street Answers" New York
Times June 2016
- "Death
Rates Rising for Middle Aged Americans" Life isn't so good
for those in the lower middle class. New York Times.
Gina Kolata Nov. 2, 2015
- "Something
is Rotten in Michigan" Salon. June 12,
2015. Problems with local government; environmental concerns;
education
- "Why Don't the Poor Rise Up? New
York Times June 24, 2015
- "Guess Who Else Is a Socialist?"
Socialist Idaho. The New York Times
October 16, 2015.
- A Failed Experiment New
York Times November 12, 2012. Argues
conservative and libertarian policies haven't worked
- "The Hypocrisy of ‘Helping’ the Poor"
New York Times. Paul Thoreaux,
October 2, 2015.
- Heavens, Not Havens New
York Times April 13, 2013: Very
interesting essay on taxes and how people feel about them.
- I
Was a Welfare Mother: [Op-Ed]Larkin, Warren. New
York Times [New York, N.Y] 23 Sep 2012:
SR.11. Example of a person who was on welfare
- Serving Up Fries for a Living in Denmark
New York Times October 27, 2014
- "Reflective liberals and intuitive
conservatives: A look at the Cognitive Reflection Test and ideology."
Deppe, Kristen D., et al. Judgment
& Decision Making 10.4 (2015): 314-331.
- "Accepting
Authoritative Decisions: Humans as Wary Cooperators."
Social sciences article on why people choose particular beliefs
Hibbing, John R., and John R. Alford. "Accepting
Authoritative
Decisions: Humans As Wary Cooperators." American Journal Of
Political Science 48.1 (2004): 62-76. Academic
Search Premier. Web. 18 Nov. 2015.
- The Cracks in the Nation's Foundations
New York Times Decembe 8, 2012. Argues American needs
its infrastructure built up
- Is a Hard Life Inherited? New York
Times August 9, 2014. On social (im)mobility in America
- Phosphorous and Freedom New York
Times August 10, 2014. Essay which discusses the need
for business regulation
- The maturing of democracy: Picking up the tab
The Economist book reviews on governing.
- The Show Off Society NYTimes Sept.
25, 2014: mentions liberals and conservatives and talks
about issues.
- Storybook Plutocracy Review
of a book that shows all sides of the debate. Thomas
Frank
- Scanning the Economic Landscape and Still
Seeing Little on the Horizon. NYT. December 1,
2013. Interviews with workers
- Doctor's Letter Spells End of Job for
Pregnant Worker. New York Times. October 19, 2014. Worker
rights v. business rights
- Demark's Work-Life Balance New
York Times 5/5/13: View from other countries.
- McDonald's Budget Plan Leaves Out Corporate
Welfare Peter S. Goodman 7/17/13
- Private Gain for a Few Trumps Public Gain
for Many Robert Reich. 22 August 2013
- The Unequal States of America a
REUTERS series:
- Those Lazy Jobless: NYTimes Sept.
21, 2014
- When Beliefs and Facts Collide
NYTimes July 5, 2014
- When Whites Just Don't Get It: Part 3
NYTimes Oct. 11, 2014.
- Who
Works the Longest Days NYTimes 7/23/13
Income
Inequality
Videos and Audo
- The American Economy is Rigged Scientific American,
Nov. 2018. Interesting that this particular magazine, with it's
basis, as it's name notes, in science, is addressing income inequality.
- "America's
super rich: six things to know" The Guardian. Natalie Jones
and Alastair Gee. Accessed on 26 Sept. 2018.
- Capuchin
monkeys reject unequal pay -- even primates are upset with
inequality.
- Busted:
America's Poverty Myths. On the Media,
2016.
- Daily show on "Class Warfare" Part
1; Part
2
- TED Talks -- problems with income
inequality by Richard Wilkinson. Includes transcript. Transcript
in clear HTML is available here.
- Freakonomics
on income inequality.
- Inequality in America: animated slide show.
- Stiglitz on the connections
between income inequality and politics
- Bowling
Alone Author Tackles the American Dream. NPR Weekend
Saturday. Interesting points about income inequality.
- Does Money Make You Mean? TED Talk
by Paul Piff
- Short discussion
on the problems of income inequality (animated video we saw
in class)
- Daily show on "Class Warfare" Part
1; Part
2
- TED Talks -- problems with income
inequality by Richard Wilkinson. Includes transcript. Transcript
in clear HTML is available here.
- Short discussion
on the problems of income inequality
- 1955
video on Capitalism -- that's 1955! At around 8:00 are stats
on money. 8:40 or so specifics.10:50 trashes Marx.
- Short
video on connection between health, equity, and a country's success.
Hans Rosling's 200 Countries, 200 Years, 4 Minutes - The Joy of Stats -
BBC Four 2008 BBC documentary on individuality and income inequality http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1087742888040457650#
- POLITICAL EFFECT OF THE RICH Who's
Really Writing States' Legislation? (53) (30) A
group called ALEC — the American Legislative Exchange Council — "is at
the forefront of an effort to push business-friendly, conservative
legislation at the state level," says reporter John Nichols. He
discusses what recently leaked documents reveal about the organization.
- Take your pick: audio or print:
- Audio: When
Will It Come to America? Radio file: Joseph Stiglitz, winner
of the Nobel Prize in Economics and author of Freefall: America, Free
Markets, and the Sinking of the World Economy, discusses
his article in the new issue of Vanity Fair in
which he asks why there aren't mass protests here in the
United States, given that the top 1% of Americans control 40%
of the wealth.
- Print: Joseph Stiglitz's article "Of
the 1%, by the 1%, for the 1%" Vanity Fair.
Text
- "Is Poverty Necessary?" Marilynne Robinson, Harper's, Jun 2019
- Busted: America's
Poverty Myths (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.. On
the Media, 2016.
- Capitalism's
excesses belong in the dustbin of history. What's next is up to us
The Guardian
August 1, 2017
- Living on Minimum
Wage (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site."
New York Times
June 15, 2013
- 3
TVs and No Food: Growing Up Poor in America." Nicolas
Kristoff. New York Times,
October 30, 2016
- Why the Rich Are So Much Richer
James Surowiecki NYRBooks
Sept 24, 2015
- How Expensive it is to be Poor
Charles Blow. Jan 19, 2015
- Data on the social mobility: May
1, 2015
- "Living
on Minimum Wage" New
York Times June 15, 2013
- "For
Poor Leap to Colleges Often Ends in a Hard Fall." New York
Times Dec. 22, 2012
- The American Dream is Leaving America.
Nicholas Kristoff. October 25, 2014
- Inequality, Unbelievably, Get's Worse.
Steven Rattner NYTimes November 16, 2014
- Gudrais,
Elizabeth. "Unequal America." Harvard Magazine.
Great essay on politics, employment, etc.
- Rising Wealth Inequality: Should We Care?
By NYTimes.com. Why do Americans seem unperturbed about the growing gap
between the rich and the poor?
- Serving up Fries for a Living Wage in Demark
NYTimes October 27, 2014
- Class
in America: Statistics are old but arguments
are still valid. Personal stories which show individuals from three
different classes
- Is a Hard Life Inherited? New York
Times August 9, 2014. On the social (im)mobility in
America
- "A Huge Threat to Social Mobility"
LA Times 2013. On the problems of income inequality.
- Difference betwee CEO and work pay is
greater than Americans believe. Roberto A. Ferdman
September 25, 2014 Washington Post.
- "America
Out of Whack" Most recent data on the
difference between the bottom 90% and the top 10%.
- America's
'Primal Scream' By Nicholas D. Kristof October 15, 2011. New
York Times.
- Try this link if the above does not work. America's
'Primal Scream'; [Op-Ed]
Nicholas D. Kristof. New York Times (Late Edition (East Coast)). New
York, N.Y.: Oct 16, 2011. p. SR.1
- "Four Lost Decades: Why American
Politics is all Messed Up" John Cassidy 17 September 2013
- "Is American Democracy Headed to Extinction?"
Washington Post 2014 Politics
- "In US
politics, Economic Class Speaks Loudest" 2012 report on connections between
income inequality and political influence
- Unease Grows Over Income Inequality in US.
Political connections.
International Herald Tribune.
- Storybook Plutocracy Review of a
book that shows all sides of the debate. Thomas Frank
- Scanning the Economic Landscape and Still
Seeing Little on the Horizon. NYT. December 1,
2013. Interviews with workers
- Those Lazy Jobless: NYTimes Sept.
21, 2014
- Who
Works the Longest Days NYTimes 7/23/13
- When Beliefs and Facts Collide
NYTimes July 5, 2014
- Why
we can't ignore growing income inequality. (1) - By Timothy Noah -
Slate Magazine
- Costs
Seen In Income Inequality: [Business/Financial Desk]Lowrey,
Annie. New York Times [New York, N.Y] 17
Oct 2012: B.1.
-
When you get to the database, click on PDF icon to the left to access
article: Why
inequality is fatal.: Sargent, Michael. Nature,
4/30/2009, Vol. 458 Issue 7242, p1109-1110, 2p, 1 Illustration; DOI: 10.1038/4581109
- "Bitter
Politics of Envy" Charles Blow. New York Times.
Jan. 13, 2012.
- March 2012 polls on American
views of income inequality.
- I
Was a Welfare Mother: [Op-Ed]Larkin, Warren. New
York Times [New York, N.Y] 23 Sep 2012: SR.11.
- Economic
Inequality Is a Serious Problem in America . Bill Moyers.
Opposing Viewpoints: Social Justice. Ed. William Dudley. San Diego:
Greenhaven Press, 2005.
- Essay on social, political, and economicramifications of
income inequality: Andrew Hacker "We're
More Unequal Than You Think." New York Review of
Books, February 23, 2012.
- Essay on impact of II on education: Class
Matters. Why Won't We Admit It?; [Op-Ed]
HELEN F. LADD and EDWARD B. FISKE. New York Times (Late Edition (East
Coast)). New York, N.Y.: Dec 12, 2011. p. A.23
- Online essay on New York Times: "Is
the U.S. Still the Land of Opportunity?"
- The
New Progressive Movement: Jeffrey D. Sachs.
- Harder
for Americans to Rise From Economy's Lower Rungs; [National Desk]
JASON DePARLE. New York Times (Late Edition (East Coast)). New York,
N.Y.: Jan 5, 2012. p. A.1
- Interesting essay from a writer who wants to ignore income
inequality, but can't. "Whatever
Happened to Discipline and Hard Work?" Tyler Cowen, Nov. 13,
2011.
- Plutocray
Now: series in Mother Jones magazine.
Charts and graphs and specific examples of people who have "made a
killing."
- PLUTOCRACY NOW. By: Drum,
Kevin. Mother Jones, Mar/Apr2011, Vol. 36 Issue 2,
p22-63, 8p, 4 Color Photographs, 6 Charts, 8 Graphs
- More
international data on income inequality and America's
ranking.
- The
Class War Has Begun. Frank Rich. New York Magazine. Oct. 23,
2011
- "Efforts
to Promote Economic Equality Are Misguided" by John Kekes.
Social Justice . William Dudley, Ed. Opposing Viewpoints® Series.
Greenhaven Press, 2005
-
Apr 4,
2011 | pg.n.p. |
Lexile Score: 1090 | Size: 10K
| SIRS Issues Researcher
-
Mar 28,
2011 | pg.AA.3 |
Lexile Score: 1180 | Size: 6K
| SIRS Issues Researcher
-
Aug 22,
2010 | pg.
11-12 | Lexile Score:
1460 | Size: 7K
| SIRS Issues Researcher
- Why
we can't ignore growing income inequality. (1) - By Timothy Noah -
Slate Magazine
- "Middle-Class Squeeze" CQ Researcher.
March 6, 2009 • Volume 19, Issue 9 By Thomas J. Billitteri. Use
the Library Links and go to CQResearcher to get copy of essay
-- and use PDF version. Longest essay of the group
- CQ Researcher Income
Inequality. If link does not open, click on Library Links
from the course menu to the left, and go to CQ Researcher. From there,
find the 12/3/2010 article titled "Income Inequality
- Equality
and Efficiency Andrew Berg and Jonathan Ostry (Income
Inequality)
- Economic
Inequality Is a Serious Problem in America . Bill Moyers.
Opposing Viewpoints: Social Justice. Ed. William Dudley. San Diego:
Greenhaven Press, 2005.
-
Apr 4,
2011 | pg.n.p. |
Lexile Score: 1090 | Size: 10K
| SIRS Issues Researcher
-
Oct 10,
2011 | pg.n.p. |
Lexile Score: 1330 | Size: 12K
| SIRS Issues Researcher
-
2009 | pg.n.p. |
Lexile Score: 1330 | Size: 16K
|
- Corporations,
People, and Truth. Gary Gutting. October 12, 2011. New
York Times. Essay on arguing the corporations are not people.
- Fast
Track to Inequality; [Op-Ed]
Bob Herbert. New York Times (Late Edition (East Coast)). New York,
N.Y.: Nov 2, 2010. p. A.31
- The
Inequality Conundrum
Roger Lowenstein. New York Times Magazine. New York: Jun 10, 2007. p.
11 (3 pages)
- Income,
Poverty and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States... ;
Census Bureau News Sep 10,
2009 | pg.
n.p. | Lexile Score:
420 | Size: 11K
| SIRS Government Reporter
Summary: "The U.S. Census Bureau announced today [September
10, 2009] that real median household income in the United States fell
3.6 percent between 2007 and 2008, from $52,163 to $50,303. This breaks
a string of three years of annual income increases and coincides with
the recession that started in December 2007. The nation's official
poverty rate in 2008 was 13.2 percent, up from 12.5 percent in 2007.
There were 39.8 million people in poverty in 2008, up from 37.3 million
in 2007. Meanwhile, the number of people without health insurance
coverage rose from 45.7 million in 2007 to 46.3 million in 2008, while
the percentage remained unchanged at 15.4 percent." (Census Bureau
News) This article summarizes the findings of the report Income,
Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2008 .
- The
Richest of the Rich, Proud of a New Gilded Age; [Series]
Louis Uchitelle, Amanda Cox contributed reporting. New York Times (Late
Edition (East Coast)). New York, N.Y.: Jul 15, 2007. ; p. A.1
- In
the Real World of Work and Wages, Trickle-Down Theories Don't Hold Up
Robert H. Frank. New York Times (Late Edition (East Coast)). New York,
N.Y.: Apr 12, 2007. p. C.3
- "Income
Inequality Obstructs Social and Economic Mobility" by
Charles R. Morris. Is the Gap Between the Rich and the Poor Growing? .
Robert Sims, Ed. At Issue Series. Greenhaven Press, 2006
- PLUTOCRACY
REBORN . (cover story) Source: Nation; 6/30/2008, Vol. 286
Issue 25, p24-25, 2p, 3 graphs Document PLUTOCRACY Geographic Terms:
UNITED States Abstract: Charts describing the inequality of incomes and
the top income tax brackets in the U.S. that are creating a new
plutocracy, are presented.
- Leaked
investor report by Citibank financial planners on the
Plutonomy that is America. Interesting view on how the financial class
views America.
- Haves
and Have Nots
2007 essays on this topic. Seven part series on National Public Radio
(NPR). You can read the transcript or download and listen to the
stories.
Health
Care
- Stripping
Americans of health insurance could be deadly: study.
Reuters.com, June 26, 2017, Ronnie Cohen
- The
Health Care Waiting Game. New York Times
July 5, 2014.
- How
does the US healthcare system compare with other countries? The Guardian July
25, 2017
- Will
Losing Health Insurance Cause Americans Death? The
Guardian. June 24, 2017
Life
in Obamacare's Dead Zone New York Times Magazine Dec. 6,
2017. Good for individual stories about the effects of no
health care
- Radio story Doctors
Say Health Care Rationing Already Exists
- Americans
Do Not Need Health Insurance . Carla Howell. Opposing
Viewpoints: Health Care. Ed. David M. Haugen. Detroit: Greenhaven
Press, 2008.
- A
National Health Insurance Policy Would Be Superior to Market-Based
Plans .
Kip Sullivan. At Issue: Does the United States Need a National Health
Insurance Policy?. Ed. Nancy Harris. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2006.
- A
Health Plan for All And the Concerns It Raises; [Business/Financial
Desk]
Reed Abelson. New York Times (Late Edition (East Coast)). New York,
N.Y.: Mar 25, 2009. p. B.1
- Insured
but Unprotected, and Driven Bankrupt by Health Crises; [Series]
Reed Abelson. New York Times (Late Edition (East Coast)). New York,
N.Y.: Jul 1, 2009. p. A.1
- Universal
Health Care Is Not the Best Solution for the Uninsured . L.
Dean Forman. Opposing Viewpoints: Health Care. Ed. Karen Balkin. San
Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2004.
- Government-Funded
Single-Payer Health Care Would Not Benefit America . David
C. MacDonald. Opposing Viewpoints: Health. Ed. Auriana Ojeda. San
Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2004. )
Immigration
Digital
Life
- "The
Expensive Education of Mark Zuckerberg and Silicon Valley"
Kara Swisher, New York Times, August 2, 2018 - on the "weaponization"
of social media
- "The
Deadly Waterfall in the Instagram Age" New York Times,
William Shannon, August 14, 2018
- "We
Are Hopelessly Hooked" New
York Review of Books Feb. 2016
- "In
the Depths of the Digital Age" New York Review of Books
June 2016
- Short overview on consumer privacy to get you started: SIRS
"At
Issue: Consumer Privacy"
- "Preface
to 'Is Domestic Surveillance a Problem'" Opposing Viewpoints,
Domestic
Surveillance 2016
- "How
the NSA's Surveillance Procedures Threaten Americans' Privacy"
Opposing Viewpoints
- "The
National Security Agency Is Acting Within the Law" Opposing
Viewpoints
- "Introduction
to Are Social Networking Sites Harmful?" Opposing Viewpoints;
Choose a pro
and con essay from this list.
- "Big
Data and Privacy" CQResearcher.
Tom Price. October 2013
- "Government
Surveillance" CQResearcher.
Chuck McCutcheon, August 2013
- "Why Privacy Matters Even If You 'Have
Nothing to Hide'" Daniel Solove. Chronicle of Higher Education.
May 15, 2011.
- "The Real Privacy Problem" Evgeny
Morozov. MIT Technology
Review. October 22, 2013
- RADIO SHOW: History of privacy "Privacy in the Age of Publicity"
Lenoard Lopate Show June 20, 2013.
- Article that the radio show is based on "The Prism" The New Yorker Jill
Lepore. 6/24/14
- "The Real War on Reality" Peter
Ludlow. New York Times. June 14, 2013.
- "Now
They Tell Us" New York Review of Books By Michael
Massing
- "Our
Minds Can Be Hijacked": The Tech Insiders Who Fear a Smartphone Dystopia
From The Guardian. Paul Lewis. 6 October 2017
- Why
We Can't Look Away From Our Screens New York Times
March 6, 2017
- "Skinner
Marketing: We're the Rats, and Facebook Likes Are the Reward"
The Atlantic, June 2013
- "Facebook,
Trump, and Twitter." New York Review of Books,
November 11, 2016
- "Can’t Put Down Your Device? That’s by Design"
- on how/why it's impossible to put down electronic devices (called the
Network Effect).
- Facebook
and Falsehood Chronicle January 15, 2017
- "Who
Stands Between Fake News and Students? Educators" NEAToday
- Fake
News Expert On How False Stories Spread And Why People Believe Them.
Fresh Air. December 14, 2016.
- "Radio
Conspiracy Theorist Claims Ear Of Trump, Pushes 'Pizzagate' Fictions"
NPR December 6, 2016
- "Fake
News and the Internet Shell Game." November 28, 2016. New
York Times.
- "Mark
Zukerberg is in Denial" November 15, 2016: best essay yet on
the problem/danger of fake news.
- "How
Fake News Goes Viral: A Case Study." New York Times: November
20, 2016.
- "Pizza
and Fake News" New York Times: November 21, 2016
- "Inside
a Fake News Sausage Factory." New York Times Novermber 25,
2016,
- "Stop
the Spread of Fake News" Chronicle of Higher
Education November 15, 2016
- "Media's
Next Challenge: Overcoming the Threat of Fake News" New
York Times November 6, 2016
- "Did
You Hear the Latest About Hilary?" September 12, 2016:
misinformation, low-trust societies (income inequality), and conspiracy
theories: the perfect storm
Climate Change
- Lost Years -- Washington Post, Nov. 19, 2018. Statistics on mortality and climate change.