Новости за 23.12.2020

In 1958, a British sociologist named Michael Young, in a book called The Rise of the Meritocracy, portrayed a dystopia. He imagined a society in which the old class system of Britain had been swept aside; instead of inherited wealth or family connections, it was exceptional ability that propelled individuals into the elite. This new system, designed to reward the most talented, was just as rigidly hierarchical as the old one, in Young’s depiction. And in important ways, it was worse: In the past... Читать дальше...

Joe Biden will have to do more about climate change than any president before him. He has no choice. Already, close U.S. allies are openly expressing their relief about the end of the ecologically disastrous Trump era while a coalition of left-wing politicians and organizations are demanding sweeping emissions reductions.

Six months ago, after Minneapolis police killed George Floyd, the city moved to defund the department. That was the headline in June, but the story in the months since has been more complicated. Debates over what defund means, a cop slowdown, conflict over who does the job of police in the meantime, packed city budget meetings—all are part of a power struggle that, far from a failure, is an indication of what it really looks like to take on the work of reimagining the budget as a moral document, a statement about whose life is valued. Читать дальше...

Four years ago, the United States was widely viewed as the towering, swaggering leader of global anti-corruption efforts. While other countries struggled with money-laundering banks and corrupt oligarchs bent on placing profits above patriotism, the U.S. enacted policy after policy to create the most full-throated anti-corruption regime in the entire world.

When Americans learn about Congress in civics classes, they’re taught that passing legislation can be a lengthy, multi-stage process. Bills are introduced by a member of either the House or the Senate, then sent to committee for mark-up and deliberation, from there proceeding to the floor for amendments and a final vote. Bills passed by one chamber generally go to the other chamber for approval and, if it’s granted, to the president for their signature or veto. This is not rocket science; it’s Schoolhouse Rock. Читать дальше...