ACX
Political Backflow From Europe
Scott examines how American political discourse absorbs European narratives that don't fit the US context, particularly around immigration and crime statistics.
14 min read 2,052 words
A thread through the archive
immigration
Essays tagged “immigration”. Follow an idea across the archive.
Essays on immigration
21 essaysACX
Why Is The Central Valley So Bad?
Scott Alexander investigates the reasons behind the extreme poverty in California's Central Valley, comparing it to Mississippi and analyzing various contributing factors.
23 min read 3,510 words
ACX
Slightly Against Underpopulation Worries
Scott Alexander argues that underpopulation concerns are overstated and likely irrelevant due to expected technological changes by 2100.
22 min read 3,325 words
ACX
California Gubernatorial Candidates From Z to Z
Scott Alexander humorously reviews the 26 candidates for California governor in 2022, highlighting their diverse backgrounds and unconventional policy ideas.
74 min read 11,334 words
ACX
Contra Smith On Jewish Selective Immigration
Scott Alexander argues that Jewish overachievement is real and deserves continued study, countering Noah Smith's attempt to downplay its significance.
26 min read 3,906 words
SSC
Book Review: Ages Of Discord
Scott reviews 'Ages of Discord', which applies cyclic theories of civilizational rise and fall to modern America, finding the data interesting but the core theory questionable.
43 min read 6,622 words
SSC
Two Wolves And A Sheep
Scott Alexander presents multiple satirical scenarios of 'two wolves and a sheep deciding what to have for dinner' to critique various aspects of democracy and political behavior.
3 min read 462 words
SSC
Respectability Cascades
Scott Alexander compares two contrasting models of how social movements gain or lose respectability, using examples from gay rights and environmental issues to explore their implications.
11 min read 1,551 words
SSC
Refactoring: Culture As Branch Of Government
Scott Alexander proposes viewing culture as a fourth branch of government to highlight its importance in societal function and governance.
5 min read 759 words
SSC
Trump: A Setback For Trumpism
Scott Alexander examines how Trump's presidency has unexpectedly decreased support for his own policies, analyzing polls and proposing several explanations for this counterintuitive trend.
11 min read 1,600 words
SSC
Fundamental Value Differences Are Not That Fundamental
Scott Alexander argues that fundamental value differences are less common and less aligned with political tribes than often assumed, emphasizing the need for coexistence despite varying values.
23 min read 3,412 words
SSC
Links 3/17: Relinkquishment
A links post featuring various news stories, research findings, and interesting facts, from Jewish pirates to ancient Roman artifacts to the fallout of various Trump-related controversies.
16 min read 2,417 words
SSC
SSC Endorses Clinton, Johnson, Or Stein
Scott Alexander endorses Clinton (or Johnson/Stein in safe states) over Trump, citing concerns about Trump's unpredictability and potential negative impacts on conservatism and social dynamics.
34 min read 5,167 words
SSC
Links 7/16: Grad, Div, and URL
A collection of interesting links spanning drug policy, scientific studies, historical oddities, and current events, with Scott's commentary on each.
8 min read 1,210 words
SSC
Links 1/16: Shaolink
Scott shares diverse links ranging from optical illusions and Bitcoin drama to educational research and medical controversies, with commentary on methodology and social implications.
22 min read 3,388 words
SSC
Lies, Damned Lies, And The Media (Part 6 of ∞)
Scott Alexander dissects and criticizes Breitbart's misleading use of statistics about illegal immigrant crime, emphasizing the need for better understanding and interpretation of data in political debates.
16 min read 2,391 words
SSC
Book Review: Hive Mind
Scott Alexander reviews 'Hive Mind' by Garett Jones, which argues that national IQ matters more for economic success than individual IQ, while raising several criticisms of the book's methodology and conclusions.
29 min read 4,487 words
SSC
Links 10/15: Take Back Your Link
A collection of links covering economics, science, history and technology, ranging from historical oddities and new research to cultural developments and scientific discoveries.
19 min read 2,911 words
SSC
Links 3/15: URL Of Great Price
A collection of interesting links covering technology, science, economics and society, with Scott's commentary and analysis on each topic.
12 min read 1,769 words
SSC
More Links For October 2014
Scott shares a diverse collection of interesting links and brief commentary on topics including linguistics, science, economics, and social issues.
7 min read 1,077 words
SSC
Reactionary Philosophy In An Enormous, Planet-Sized Nutshell
The post provides a comprehensive overview of Reactionary philosophy and its critiques of modern progressive society, attempting to present these controversial ideas fairly for the sake of debate.
108 min read 16,672 words