“When First We Practice to Deceive”  

President Clinton wants to use federal budget surpluses to “save Social Security first.” It’s politically inspired gobbledygook. Informed Americans now understand that Social Security is “pay as you go,” but most take this to mean that current payroll taxes provide …



Richard Rothstein Replies  

Allen Graubard notes my claim that the alliance between so-called progressive school reformers and conservative critics who dominate our public education debates serves only the latter’s purposes. As the growing strength of voucher plans and for-profit contractors (such as Chris …



Richard Rothstein Answers the Response  

Much that Allen Graubard writes would be fair if stated with less exaggeration: of course, public schools continue to track (although less than before); many (not all) high schools are authoritarian (though there’s variety within schools); basic skills tests are …





Richard Rothstein Replies  

Neither H. Brand nor Joanne Barkan finds much to dispute in my analysis of the forces that drive immigration, the impossibility of fully consistent positions in response to calls for its restriction, or the desirability of progressive social policies to …





Immigration Dilemmas  

During the presidential campaign, Bill Clinton delivered a foreign policy speech in Los Angeles; the first question from the audience was a predictable, “Who are your foreign policy advisers going to be?” Clinton demurred, calling such considerations premature. Next, a …



Unions and the New Administration  

Bill Clinton is the first Democratic president in modern times to be elected without strong union identification. At no time during the campaign did he even hint at interest in labor-law reform (beyond a perfunctory visit to Caterpillar picket lines …



Who Are the Real Looters?  

The television reporter on the scene was incredulous. A looter, unconcerned with television cameras, police, or the stares of fellow neighborhood residents, walked by, arms laden with stolen property. The reporter raced after, trying to shove her microphone in the …