The hottest Social Policy Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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Top World Politics Topics

‘I Risked Everything to Blow the Whistle on Britain’s Grooming Gangs’

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 3083 implied HN points • 03 Feb 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Justice Social Policy Human Rights Political Accountability
  1. A woman named Maggie Oliver exposed a shocking scandal where gangs of men groomed and raped young girls in Britain for many years. She worked hard to bring attention to these crimes, but faced a lot of obstacles.
  2. Authorities often ignored or covered up the abuse to avoid being seen as 'racist'. This led to many victims not getting the justice they deserved.
  3. Recently, more people are finally talking about this issue, which highlights how some waited until it was safe to speak out. Maggie Oliver wants to remind everyone that she raised alarms about this scandal long before it became a trending topic.

Gini Coefficients...

Brad DeLong's Grasping Reality • 115 implied HN points • 16 Feb 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Inequality Economics Statistics Social Policy Education
  1. The Gini Coefficient measures income equality, where 0 means everyone is equal and 1 means one person has everything. It helps us understand how wealth is distributed in a society.
  2. Intermediate Gini values can be tricky to interpret. It's hard to know what a score like 0.25 or 0.62 really means in terms of real-life inequality.
  3. Understanding historical Gini scores can give insight into how different societies experience inequality, but the differences might not always feel significant or clear.

Fertility Decline

David Friedman’s Substack • 233 implied HN points • 20 Feb 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Demographics Social Policy Public Health Government Role Economic Impact
  1. Fertility rates are dropping worldwide, even in nations that used to have high rates. This is happening due to reasons like better job opportunities for women and fewer economic benefits from having children.
  2. The decline in fertility can have mixed effects, such as less housing and resources per person, but also potential challenges in creating new ideas and technology due to fewer people contributing.
  3. To address the fertility decline, options include promoting family support or medical advancements that make having children easier, although implementing these solutions can be complicated.

munchausen by medical board

bad cattitude • 279 implied HN points • 28 Jan 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Gender Issues Child welfare Social Policy Mental health
  1. There is concern that children are being pushed into identifying as a different gender without proper evaluation, which can cause lasting harm. Many believe that this trend is influenced by society rather than individual feelings.
  2. Medical professionals are often required to affirm a child's gender identity without considering other underlying issues. This can prevent a comprehensive understanding of the child's mental health needs.
  3. Critics argue that the medical approach to gender transition for young people can be harmful. They suggest that the focus should be on providing support and understanding rather than medical intervention.

Kemi Badenoch: How Liberalism Got Hacked

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 1085 implied HN points • 12 Dec 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Political theory Freedom Ideology Governance Social Policy
  1. Liberalism is in danger due to the rise of authoritarian ideologies. It's important to protect classic liberal values like free speech and free markets.
  2. Personal experiences with poverty can highlight the importance of freedom and choice in society. Witnessing life under oppressive government helps people appreciate these values.
  3. Classic liberal principles such as equality under the law and the presumption of innocence are essential for a healthy society. These principles are currently being threatened.
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Why I Hope the Supreme Court Upholds the Ban on Child Transition

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 1275 implied HN points • 03 Dec 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Legal issues Gender Issues Health care Child welfare Social Policy
  1. The Supreme Court is reviewing a case about a law banning transgender treatments for minors, which has raised questions about children's rights and safety. People are concerned about whether it's right to allow medical treatments that might harm young kids.
  2. Jamie Reed, a whistleblower from a gender clinic, highlights problems in the medical field's approach to treating gender distress in children. She believes that the rush to affirm every child's feelings without deeper understanding can lead to severe consequences.
  3. There is a call for more careful consideration and questioning within the medical community regarding treatments for gender dysphoria. Reed suggests that a balance is needed to ensure children receive appropriate care without compromising their well-being.

Europe's absent-minded revolution

Wrong Side of History • 759 implied HN points • 10 Dec 24
🌍 World Politics Migration Populism European Politics Cultural Issues Social Policy
  1. Europe is experiencing a political shift to the right, with right-wing populist parties gaining support and power in multiple countries. This reflects a broader public concern about immigration and economic challenges.
  2. The initial intent behind mass immigration to Europe was to fill labor gaps, but many assumptions about immigrants and their integration proved to be wrong. As a result, tensions have risen over the cultural and economic impacts of immigration.
  3. The debate over immigration in Europe is more about culture and community than economics. Many people value cultural sameness and fear the changes that immigration brings to their society.

My Brain Is Fried — Let’s Do A Quick Singal-Minded Exclusive Ask Me Anything RIGHT NOW

Singal-Minded • 359 implied HN points • 19 Dec 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Gender Issues Public Health Media Analysis Social Policy
  1. The author is working on two important pieces of writing related to youth gender medicine, which are coming soon.
  2. There's a concern about misinformation spreading in this field, especially regarding a response to a review on youth gender medicine.
  3. Despite feeling overwhelmed, the author is open to answering questions for a short time through an Ask Me Anything session.

I'm pro-assisted dying in principle, but I'm not sure about the proposed law

Odds and Ends of History • 1407 implied HN points • 19 Nov 24
🏥 Health Politics Ethics Legislation Public Health Social Policy
  1. Assisted dying has good intentions, as it offers a choice to people in pain, but how it’s implemented is very important. We need to make sure that laws respect individual decisions and do not lead to negative outcomes.
  2. The proposed law on assisted dying could be rushed, which raises concerns about its effectiveness and potential problems. It's better to take time to create a solid law that can address all the issues carefully.
  3. Looking at examples from other countries suggests that assisted dying laws can lead to serious issues if not properly controlled. We should learn from their experiences to avoid similar mistakes.

Quibbling with Cofnas: I

Not On Your Team, But Always Fair • 1690 implied HN points • 21 Jan 24
🌍 World Politics Ideology Social Policy Genetics Human Evolution Race relations
  1. The hereditarian thesis acknowledges that different human groups have varied traits, but using the term 'race realism' may not be the best way to describe this concept.
  2. Social outcomes are influenced by both genetic differences and cultural patterns, making 'race' a limited descriptor for these variations.
  3. While genes play a role in social outcomes, factors like culture and social circumstances also significantly impact these outcomes, suggesting that a broader perspective than 'race realism' is needed.

BIWEEKLY BRIEFLY NOTED: For 2024-12-14 Sa

Brad DeLong's Grasping Reality • 92 implied HN points • 14 Dec 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Economic Policy Healthcare policy Social Policy Foreign Relations
  1. Economic growth in the G-5 has faced challenges due to policy choices, like the Reagan deficits and insufficient public investment. These choices have slowed growth compared to earlier times.
  2. ObamaCare has effectively controlled entitlement spending, shifting the focus to new financial issues. It's become clear that previous crises have changed over time.
  3. Wages for non-managerial workers have started to rise compared to managerial workers. This shift shows a significant change in the workforce that isn't just due to technology but reflects broader social dynamics.

What a Second Trump Term Might Mean for Disability Policy

Can We Still Govern? • 105 implied HN points • 03 Nov 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Health care Education Housing Social Policy
  1. Project 2025 suggests changes that could make it harder for people with disabilities to get education and support. This may mean less help from federal programs that many rely on.
  2. The housing situation for disabled individuals could get worse. The plan wants to remove protections against housing discrimination without offering new solutions.
  3. Health care coverage for disabled people is at risk. Proposed changes could make it easier for insurance companies to deny coverage and make Medicaid harder to access.

The Case for Unabashed Black Patriotism

Journal of Free Black Thought • 55 implied HN points • 25 Nov 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Race relations Patriotism Social Policy Inequality Identity politics
  1. Racial inequality is a real issue, but focusing only on it can be harmful. It's important to recognize broader social problems while also acknowledging these realities.
  2. The narrative that black people adopt about their country matters greatly. They can choose to see the U.S. as a place of opportunity or as a site of oppression.
  3. True equality for black Americans comes from claiming their rights and opportunities directly, rather than waiting for others to grant them equality.

Can a child identify as a woman?

A B’Old Woman • 499 implied HN points • 10 May 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Gender Issues LGBTQ Rights Political Commentary Social Policy
  1. Some people believe that if anyone can identify as a woman, it could also include children. This raises concerns about how society defines gender.
  2. There are fears that if children are allowed to identify as women, it could create safety issues, especially in spaces meant for women and girls.
  3. Without a clear definition of what being a woman means, there’s anxiety about where boundaries will be drawn and how this may affect children and society.

Two reasons to care about boys and men

Sex and the State • 18 implied HN points • 25 Nov 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Gender Issues Social Policy Political Discourse Identity politics
  1. It's important to care about boys and men because they face challenges that need attention. Recognizing these challenges can help improve their well-being.
  2. Supporting boys and men can lead to better outcomes for society as a whole. When they thrive, everyone benefits.
  3. Having open discussions about the needs and struggles of boys and men encourages understanding and can lead to positive changes. Communication is key.

Free money: Milton Friedman, unconditional income, and the neoliberal inheritance

Hypertext • 179 implied HN points • 15 Nov 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Social Policy Welfare state Government programs
  1. Milton Friedman advocated for an unconditional negative income tax to create an income floor for all Americans.
  2. Friedrich Hayek and other intellectuals support the concept of a negative income tax or Universal Basic Income.
  3. The idea of a negative income tax failed in the past due to societal views of 'deserving' and 'undeserving' poor, but there is potential for revisiting and implementing it now.

"The progress of man's welfare"

Hypertext • 99 implied HN points • 14 Nov 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Economics Social Policy Government Policy History
  1. Milton Friedman advocated for 'progressive negative taxation' as a way to address poverty and ensure welfare progress. The idea was rooted in a guaranteed minimum income based on nutritional needs.
  2. Friedman's negative income tax proposal faced challenges and opposition, particularly in implementation and acceptance among policymakers. It aimed to bridge left-wing and right-wing perspectives on poverty alleviation.
  3. The concept of negative income tax, though not fully realized in policy, showcased the ideological uniqueness of grounding economic theories in practical welfare solutions. It sought to balance efficiency, individual freedom, and incentives in addressing poverty.

New Zealand’s 2023 Census is a dog (no disrespect to dogs)

A B’Old Woman • 179 implied HN points • 23 Feb 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Gender Issues Public Opinion Government transparency Social Policy
  1. The 2023 Census in New Zealand will focus more on gender than biological sex, aiming to collect data on people's self-identified genders.
  2. Statistics NZ is prioritizing responses about gender and will interpret any unclear answers in favor of a gender identity, even if the participant does not explicitly answer the question about sex.
  3. The approach taken by Stats NZ has raised concerns about clarity and the conflation of biological sex and gender identity, potentially creating confusion and social division.

How inequality reduction happened 80 years ago

America in Crisis • 19 implied HN points • 03 Aug 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Inequality Economic Policy Political History Taxation Social Policy
  1. Inequality reduction 80 years ago was achieved through a combination of high marginal tax rates, pro-labor policies, and strong economic stimulus.
  2. The handling of economic crises by political elites and the choice of policies played a significant role in resolving the issues without internal conflict.
  3. The alignment of political parties and the evolution of party composition have an impact on the feasibility of implementing policies to address inequality and economic instability.