Henry Farrell

Tom Coburn Doesn’t Like Political Science

Sen. Tom Coburn doesn’t like political science. Since 2009 the Oklahoma senator has been trying to ban National Science Foundation funds for political-science research. His new Senate colleague, Jeff Flake of Arizona, has an M.A. in political science, but doesn’t like it either. Flake tried to block NSF funds when he was in the House of Representatives. When Rep. Eric Cantor gave a speech last month to relaunch the Republican agenda, the Virginia congressman singled out political-science research—a tiny fraction of a tiny fraction of government spending—as a major example of government waste.

Access the full article here.

Other Writing:

Chapter in an Edited Volume

“Social Institutions among Economists in the Wake of the Financial Crisis,” in Economy and Society in Europe: A Relationship in Crisis – eds. Luigi Burroni, Maarten Keune and Gugliemo Mardi

May 18, 2012 eds. Luigi Burroni Maarten Keune and Gugliemo Mardi Edward Elgar: 2012
While an economy is always ‘embedded’ in society, the relationship between the two is undergoing profound changes in Europe, resulting in widespread instability which is emphasised by the current crisis. This book analyses these changes, and in particular pressures of intensifying international competition, globalization and financialization within Europe. Henry Farrell, “Social Institutions among Economists in ...
Read Article
Academic Article

Bias, Skew and Search Engines Suffice to Explain Online Toxicity – with Cosma Shalizi

March 15, 2024 Communications of the ACM with Cosma Shalizi
Henry Farrell and Cosma Shalizi (2024), “Bias, Skew and Search Engines Suffice to Explain Online Toxicity,” Communications of the ACM, preprint, 67,4:25-28. U.S. political discourse seems to have fissioned into discrete bubbles, each reflecting its owndistorted image of the world. Many blame machine-learning algorithms that purportedly maximize“engagement” — serving up content that keeps YouTube or ...
Read Article
Browse the Archives