Academic Perspective

Americans have become acutely aware of the cost of attending college in the past few years. Tuition had been rising faster than household income even before the recession. Post-recession, income is harder to come by, savings have dwindled, and university endowments, the pool of donations that often fund professorships and scholarships, have shrunk. In a [...]

A little over a decade ago, around 1996, the world believed that Apple Computer was on its deathbed. The company lacked a marketing plan. Its less efficient computers were priced significantly higher than the competition. And by 1996, the company had fallen out of the top 5 in U.S. sales. Nearly 15 years later, on [...]

“Our health care system is in need of major reform, but we need to go more in the direction of free enterprise and free market principles,” said Congressman Jimmy Duncan (R-TN). Tea party supporters, vocal opponents of what they call “ObamaCare”, echo the same sentiment: health care should be a free market. Democrats have taken [...]

The recent heavy snowfall in the Washington D.C. area has given rise to some alarmingly naive comments from conservative pundits and Republican senators. America has come to expect the kind of shaky logic being used from Limbaugh, Hannity, and the rest of the conservative media cohort, but it is frankly distressing to hear Senators Jim [...]

With a new president, Barack Obama, Congress set out to tackle the president’s two biggest goals: to repair the economy and pass healthcare reform. A year later, new healthcare bills have been passed and the economy is on its way to recovery. But all these changes happened with no shortage of fanfare. 2009 was marked by raucous healthcare debate, media controversies, and economic turmoil. [...]

Since it became clear that the U.S. was in the midst of an economic recession in 2008, the federal government has invested trillions to promote economic stability and, eventually, growth. These investments can be classified into two primary categories: bank bailouts and broader economic stimulus. [...]

As a source of conspiracy theories, Google is easily one of the larger contributors when it comes to fears of digitally-based world domination. It isn’t very difficult to see the enormity of Google’s influence and in turn where such fears might take root. Take a look at the Google search bar that you undoubtedly have [...]

The global economic recession has spared no one, not even one of the most consistently profitable industries in the world: sports. The US unemployment rate stands in double digits, its second highest since 1983. Credit is tight, making paying for housing, food and healthcare very difficult. Yet in such dire times, professional athletes always seem [...]

Conservatism used to be known as just another political philosophy. But in the last decade, a group of sensationalist right wing TV personalities and incompetent politicians have become the new face of the Republican party. George Will and William F. Buckley’s conservatism is dead; replaced with fanaticism, deceit, and scare tactics.

The United States of today bears little resemblance to the nation born in 1776. America made a conscious decision then that it would sacrifice peace, a reasonably stable economy, and a few years of prosperity to win its independence.  For a relatively conservative country, the U.S. has become remarkably attached to the freedoms it won. [...]