Elbridge Gerry: Revolutionary Statesman Beyond the Gerrymandering Epithet
Original headline: “The Rehabilitation of Elbridge Gerry”
This historical rehabilitation argues that Elbridge Gerry, whose name became synonymous with partisan redistricting abuse, deserves recognition for his broader contributions to American statecraft during the founding era and early republic. The piece implicitly engages the problem of historical reductionism—how single policies or failures come to define public memory, obscuring more complex legacies. It's a useful reminder that intellectual history often benefits from resisting caricature.
Read Full Article at National ReviewThe Marginal Revolution: A 40,000-Word Essay on Economics and AI
Tyler Cowen has published a new essay-length work (40,000 words, entirely human-written) exploring the rise and decline of mainstream economics and implications of artificial intelligence for the discipline. Available free online with an AI-assisted dual-display interface. Significant intellectual project meriting sustained engagement.
Frankfurter on Presidential Power: A Timeless Constitutional Caution
A brief excerpt from Justice Felix Frankfurter's concurrence in Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co. v. Sawyer (1952), the landmark case limiting President Truman's seizure of steel mills during the Korean War. Frankfurter's reasoning on the limits of executive authority in domestic crises remains one of the most cited statements on separation of powers. The reference suggests contemporary relevance—likely to ongoing debates over executive orders and emergency powers.
Plague, Uncertainty, and the Limits of Medical Knowledge
This historical essay examines the Great Plague of 1665-1666, which killed roughly 25% of London's population over 18 months, as a case study in how societies respond to epidemic disease when the mechanism of transmission remains mysterious. The piece implicitly raises questions about institutional authority, public trust, and the relationship between scientific ignorance and social cohesion—themes that resonate beyond historical interest. By anchoring modern epidemiological debates in the pre-germ-theory context, the author illuminates how fear, not understanding, often drives both individual behavior and policy response.
Wharton Economist on Hidden Markets: How Value Gets Allocated
Judd Kessler, a University of Pennsylvania economist, discusses his research into informal allocation mechanisms—the hidden markets that determine who gets access to scarce, desirable goods and services. His work traces how prices, queues, networks, and social mechanisms compete as allocation systems. The analysis is relevant to understanding why markets fail in certain domains and what mechanisms emerge to replace them—a perennial topic in institutional economics.
Wharton Economist on Hidden Market Design and Value Allocation
Judd Kessler, author of "Lucky by Design: The Hidden Economics You Need to Get More of What You Want" and a Wharton professor, discusses research into how markets allocate scarce goods like restaurant reservations and concert tickets—mechanisms often invisible to casual participants. His work examines how institutional design shapes individual outcomes and access to desirable goods, bridging mechanism design theory with practical examples. The topic has relevance to policy debates around allocation efficiency, equity, and how market structures can be deliberately engineered to serve different social objectives.