The American Political Economy Blog

Debt relief has always been a central political question in U.S. politics—since quite literally the founding. How can we understand the unfolding politics of new forms of debt relief? Emily Zackin and Chloe Thurston articulate a persuasive account of how America’s primary debt relief policy regime—bankruptcy—evolved over time.

Of numerous scholarly treatments on our current crisis, the most helpful research (1) takes a longer view of federal institutions conferring rights to citizens, and (2) takes seriously the marginalized peoples' mobilization—especially in periods where we would least expect organizing. Zackin and Thurston's brilliant book successfully meets both marks, providing an important contribution on the contestation of "citizenship" and "democracy" over centuries.

The United States was born in debt, and in debt it remains. Knowing how central the debtors' repression was to the founding, and observing the contemporary landscape, we might be forgiven for thinking that not much had changed. We would be wrong. Emily Zackin and Chloe Thurston’s brilliantly illuminating The Political Development of American Debt Relief traces the at-times contradictory history of federal and state debt relief.

There was no major legislative initiative leading to the development of mandatory arbitration. No political figures included it in their policy platforms. The statutory basis for this new institution was an act passed in the 1920s. So why did it emerge? In Privatizing Justice: Arbitration and the Decline of Public Governance in the U.S., Sarah Staszak takes on this puzzle.

Staszak tells the story of how arbitration in the United States, rooted in Progressive-era commitments to easier, more accessible, and fairer dispute resolution, became the powerful tool corporate actors now use to protect their interests, impose their will, and evade accountability.

Sarah Staszak’s Privatizing Justice is a worthy successor to her award-winning No Day in Court. Both books capture how seemingly obscure aspects of the law are integral to understanding the scope of the modern American state and political economy.

Political conflict in the United States unfolds iteratively in the context of a complex multi-level, multi-venue political landscape. Courts play an enormously important role in shaping political-economic outcomes. Sarah Staszak’s new book, Privatizing Justice, powerfully illustrates these points.

Lainey Newman and Theda Skocpol's new book shows the importance of union structure and strategy for the formation of social identities.

Understanding the Biden-Harris Administration's response to the risks posed by Artificial Intelligence for workers.

Assessing the intersection of power, race, and market structure in the health care workforce.

Understanding why and how low-paid workers are mobilizing through the alt-labor movement.

Taking stock of the levers states and localities are exploring to build worker power--including their strengths and limits.

Assessing the transformation of the National Labor Relations Board and current legal clashes in historical perspective.

Reviewing current labor organizing and federal policy using an American Political Economy framework.