Monthly Archives: July 2016

Surveys Produce Unreliable Information

Posted on July 28, 2016 by George Beam

Christopher Jencks’ New York Review of Books article, “Why the Very Poor Have Become Poorer” is based on surveys and, as Jenks inadvertently acknowledges, surveys produce unreliable information; that is, information that may or may not be correct.  For example, the Census … Continue reading →

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Addition to Blog Post, “Religion, Oil, and the Middle East

Posted on July 27, 2016 by George Beam

Here’s a paragraph I’ve added to my blog post, “Religion, Oil, and the Middle East” that further develops my point concerning the overriding significance of oil in US Middle East policy: In the June 2, 2016, issue of the London Review … Continue reading →

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Employment at the Going Rate Counters Criminal Behavior

Posted on July 24, 2016 by George Beam

Employment at the going rate counters criminal behavior because those who produce, earn income comparable to others at their socioeconomic level, and have opportunities for advancement–e.g., trade union carpenters, dentist, teachers, first line supervisors, government personnel, corporate managers, hospital executives, nurses, TV meteorologists, … Continue reading →

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Unbiased Language Not Possible

Posted on July 13, 2016 by George Beam

Updated December 15, 2020 Here’s my review of Rosalie Maggio, Unspinning the Spin, which I’ve also posted on Amazon: Unspinning the Spin is a worthwhile effort to counter what I, the author, and Robin Morgan and Gloria Steinem who wrote … Continue reading →

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How Smart Are Smarter Governments?

Posted on July 9, 2016 by George Beam

Updated December 15, 2020 Here’s my review of Beth Noveck’s, Smart Citizens, Smarter State.  A previous, unrevised, version is posted on Amazon. Noveck says governments can use the Internet for structural and procedural reforms, as well as for problem solving and … Continue reading →

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Question Formatting Makes Answers Unreliable

Posted on July 3, 2016 by George Beam

Updated November 19, 2020 Question formatting makes answers unreliable because the physical features of instruments (e.g., instrument length), structures of questions (e.g., open-ended, and fixed response questions), and patterns in which questions are related to each other (e.g., placing questions about personal … Continue reading →

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