550: Unit 3
23. Labor
READ: 550 Readings Book 2: 118-132 and in the Appendix, the selections from the book, What Unions no Longer Do, by Jake Rosenfeld (All of the Introduction and from the top of 187-199)
QF: Unions are no longer necessary.
The free rider card was found among the possessions of a man who worked in the aerospace industry for several decades in the mid twentieth century.
24. The Politics of Immigration Policy
READ: 550 Readings Book 2: 133-153 &
WATCH: One of these videos on abuse of H-1B visas: PBS documentary (25 minutes); or CBS promo (4 minutes).
Also, WATCH: Trump's comments from 43 to 46 minutes in this video interview.
UPDATE: Divisions seemed be forming in the MAGA movement at the end of the year over immigration, esp. regarding the H1-B visa program.
At one point, Musk tweeted:
The reason I’m in America along with so many critical people who built SpaceX, Tesla and hundreds of other companies that made America strong is because of H1B. Take a big step back and F*** YOURSELF in the face. I will go to war on this issue the likes of which you cannot possibly comprehend.
The Wall Street Journal reported: "Musk’s argument for merit-based achievement and reforming the H-1B visa program for high-skilled workers doesn’t go over well with a group of people who profess to be worried about Americans losing high-paid jobs to foreign workers for the benefit of rich elites."
NOTE: you have a free subscription to the WSJ through the PEA library.
25. Trade
READ: 550 Readings Book 2: 153-169.
QF: Until Trump came along, no US president cared about the fate of American manufacturing workers.
Extra Reading if you're interested: Thomas Edsall column, Nov. 2, 2022. Ties trade issue to current politics and rise of conservative populism.
26. Miscellaneous Policy Issues
READ: 169-194 and one or two of the articles listed here:
27. Policy paper due.
28. The 2024 Election. How Trump won: 195-217.
29. The 2024 Election. Why Trump won: 217-235. See the color charts from Blueprint here.
30. The 2024 Election. Lessons for Democrats: 235-262