David Bernstein’s post about conservative Jews being alienated from the liberal Jewish establishment is particularly relevant to the special case of Russian immigrant Jews. Russian Jews are politically well to the right of most native-born Jews. For example, some 75% of Russian Jews voted for Bush in 2004, compared to less than 20% of other […]
Author Archive | Ilya Somin
How not to Argue Against a Constitutional Amendment:
This op ed by prominent federal Judge J. Harvie Wilkinson criticizing anti-gay marriage amendments has gotten a lot of attention in the blogosphere (e.g. here, here, and here). I definitely agree with Judge Wilkinson’s conclusion – that anti-gay marriage constitutional amendments at both the state and federal level are deeply misguided. But I have serious […]
Taking from the Rich to Give to the Rich – Some Lessons from a Highly Unusual Eminent Domain Case:
This Weekly Standard article discusses an unusual attempt to use eminent domain take from the rich to give to the only slightly less rich: Ever since the Supreme Court ruled in Kelo v. New London that forcing the sale of private property to promote economic development and broaden tax revenues passed constitutional muster, Americans have […]
The War on Terror vs. The War on Drugs II:
Earlier this summer, I blogged about how our misguided War on Drugs is impeding the War on Terror by strengthening the Taliban. This recent CBS News report has further proof: Up almost 50 percent from last year, more opium than ever is being grown in southern Afghanistan — the area where the Taliban fighters are […]
Paying for Performance – The Economics of Student Achievement:
Harvard economist Roland Fryer is undertaking an impressive experiment in education reform: paying students for performance. According to Scientific American: Can educators find ways to encourage students to engage in the kind of effortful study that will improve their reading and math skills? Roland G. Fryer, Jr., an economist at Harvard University, has experimented with […]
The End of Israeli Disengagement from the West Bank:
A few weeks ago, I argued that, if the Israelis did not win a clear victory over Hezbollah, there would be little if any prospect of further Israeli withdrawals from the West Bank. That prediction has now been borne out, as Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, until now the leading advocate of withdrawal, now concedes. […]
The Crisis of Conservative Judaism and the Perils of Moderation:
Slate’s Samantha Shapiro documents the recent decline of Conservative Judaism, which despite its name is actually a moderate denomination that seeks to carve out a middle ground between liberal Reform Judaism and traditionalistic Orthodoxy. Conservatism has lost its previous status as the largest single Jewish denomination in the United States to Reform, and has also […]
Libertarians and Science Fiction:
Tyler Cowen asks: “Why do libertarians love science fiction?” He provides several possible answers, and there are more interesting ideas in the comments. It’s also worth noting that not only do libertarians tend to like SF, but a disproportionate number of top SF writers have been libertarians (e.g. – Robert Heinlein, L. Neil Smith, Larry […]
Porkbusting and Political Ignorance:
Porkbusters from across the political spectrum are lining up to support Senator Barack Obama’s Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act, bill that would establish an internet data base describing all federal grants and contracts (see, e.g., here and here). The bill is co-sponsored by conservative Republican Sen. Tom Coburn and “staunch liberals, determined conservatives and […]
Lucrative Job Opportunity for GMU Law Students:
Looking over my research budget, it looks like I can hire as many as 2 or 3 more research assistants this semester than I originally expected. So if you are a GMU Law student and you read the VC regularly, as I know some of you do (perhaps because we’re not assigning you enough classwork […]
The War on Drugs vs. The War on Terror
Apropos David Kopel’s recent post on the conflict between the War on Drugs and the War on Terror, I blogged about a related example of this contradiction a few months ago.
Churches and Eminent Domain:
In this recent Findlaw column, Cardozo Law School Professor Marci Hamilton criticizes Senator Ted Kennedy’s proposal to give church property special protection against condemnation. I agree with Prof. Hamilton’s bottom-line conclusion: that church property should not be given greater protection against takings than other property owners enjoy. I also tentatively agree that Kennedy’s proposal may […]
Advice for Entering Law Students Roundup:
U of Cincinnati law professor Paul Caron of Taxprofblog has a fairly comprehensive roundup of advice for entering law students from a wide range of law professors (myself included), current students, and others here. I don’t endorse all of the advice given, but it’s good to get a wide range of perspectives. One last piece […]
Evaluating Billy Beane and Moneyball:
This analysis of Oakland A’s general manager Billy Beane’s famous “Moneyball” picks in the 2002 major league draft concludes that the Oakland GM’s use of statistical methods to evaluate players has had mixed results. In my view, evaluating Moneyball based on the performance of just seven draft picks is a weak methodology, given the small […]
Distinguishing Original Meaning and Original Intent:
Lawprof Larry Solum of the Legal Theory Blog laments: From the perspective of a constitutional theorist, I am frequently baffled, frustrated, and confused by the carelessness with which the theoretical foundations of debates about original meaning are articulated, both in the blogosphere and in contemporary constitutional scholarship. How can it be that the distinction between […]