The hottest Welfare Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top U.S. Politics Topics

"Defining Deviancy Down" at 30: Reflections on Crime, Welfare, and Mental Health

Glenn Loury • 1690 implied HN points • 05 Nov 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Crime Welfare Mental health Social norms
  1. Moynihan's essay 'Defining Deviancy Down' explores the impact of shifting norms and incentives on society.
  2. Critics of Moynihan's work questioned his motives rather than engaging with the validity of his analysis.
  3. The redefinition of deviancy has implications for mental health, substance abuse, and social control in society, leading to complex outcomes.

Race, IQ and Immigration

David Friedman’s Substack • 206 implied HN points • 22 Feb 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Immigration Race IQ Economics Welfare
  1. IQ is heritable and may differ among different races, but claims about the intelligence of Africans remain a topic of debate.
  2. The fiscal impact of immigrants is a complex issue, with data suggesting immigrants from countries with lower national IQ may have negative fiscal impacts in welfare states.
  3. Restricting immigration from low national IQ countries is debated, with considerations about the potential benefits and drawbacks in terms of societal contributions and economic impacts.
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Hayek, republican freedom, and the minimum income

Hypertext • 139 implied HN points • 15 Nov 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Government Welfare Economics Libertarianism Income
  1. Milton Friedman supported unconditional cash transfers as a solution to poverty in a market economy.
  2. Hayek's republican freedom theory emphasized the importance of free markets and limited government as well as the need for a minimum income to safeguard individual freedom.
  3. Although Hayek did not endorse a Universal Basic Income (UBI), his principles offer a strong argument for a social safety net in the form of unconditional cash transfers.

Liz Truss is right – Britain has become more left-wing

Comment is Freed • 110 implied HN points • 21 Sep 23
🌍 World Politics Public Opinion Welfare Media influence
  1. The British public has shifted towards more left-wing views over the years based on surveys and data
  2. There has been a significant increase in support for government responsibility in areas like reducing income differences and providing a decent standard of living for the unemployed
  3. There is a noticeable change in attitude towards welfare recipients, with more people believing that many who receive benefits deserve help

A negative income tax for today’s America

Hypertext • 19 implied HN points • 02 Feb 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Policy Welfare Values Economics Reform
  1. Repackaging the negative income tax (NIT) for today's America includes starting from the current welfare system and considering path dependency.
  2. Introducing the NIT should focus on value frameworks appealing to both progressives and conservatives, emphasizing inclusivity, accessibility, opportunity, and cost-effectiveness.
  3. Implementing the NIT in steps requires reforms that are small enough to pass legislation, improve the lives of the poor, and align with both progressive and conservative values.

Instead of targeting welfare, charge after-the-fact

Splitting Infinity • 19 implied HN points • 18 Sep 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Welfare Taxation Social programs Privacy Concerns
  1. Consider charging people for welfare aid after they have received it, managed by the IRS on tax day. This could streamline the process and save on administrative costs.
  2. Using the IRS to handle welfare targeting can provide a more cost-effective and efficient way to assist those in need, by utilizing existing data and payment systems.
  3. Implementing a retroactive welfare eligibility system could help quicken aid distribution and potentially increase tax revenue, while also maintaining accountability and transparency.

The Repugnant Conclusion Sounds Rather Nice

The Grey Matter • 19 implied HN points • 17 Jun 23
📖 Philosophy Ethics Population Welfare Conclusion
  1. The Repugnant Conclusion in population ethics presents a scenario where a larger population with slightly lower welfare can be deemed better than a smaller population with very high welfare.
  2. The comparison between different universes demonstrates how the preference shifts from smaller perfect welfare populations to larger populations with slightly lower welfare, leading to a continuously increasing total happiness.
  3. Ultimately, in exploring extreme scenarios, the Repugnant Conclusion challenges our perception with mind-boggling numbers and presents a world where an astronomical number of people would find joy in their existence, highlighting the complexity of ethical dilemmas.

Innovative externality inclusion

Model Thinking • 19 implied HN points • 31 Dec 22
💼 Business Regulation Innovation Economics Welfare Globalization
  1. Regulation impacts economies with benefits like cleaner water but also drawbacks like slower innovation, affecting global progress.
  2. Small differences in economic growth rates have significant welfare implications, drastically altering living standards over time.
  3. The value of regulation changes when considering the impact on foreign welfare, potentially leading to a reevaluation of optimal levels.