Rutgers economist Mark Paul always thinks before he speaks, and when he shares his ideas, they are worth listening to. Listeners includes staff at several Congressional offices, according to his bio, and his publicist names names: U.S. Sens. Bernie Sanders and Cory Booker and U.S. Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Jamaal Bowman. Paul’s first book, “The Ends of Freedom: Reclaiming America’s Lost Promise of Economic Rights,” describes his vision of an economic bill of rights, including rights to work, housing, education, health care, a basic income and a healthy environment. The idea is increasingly popular and has a historical basis. We spoke with him May 13, the day of his stop at Medford City Hall and not long before he took part in a Boston Review symposium at Harvard University; the interview has been edited for length and clarity.
STEM Pathways are a Two-Way Street, Not a “Leaky Pipeline”
A new article in the Journal for STEM Education Research challenges the longstanding “leaky pipeline” narrative that has shaped U.S. education and workforce policy for decades. The article, “Reconceptualizing College STEM Pathways: Is ‘Leaving STEM’ the Problem?”, was...