Blog 7: The G.I. Bill in Economix

I really liked Economix because I thought it explained many aspects of economics and politics in an accessible yet fairly detailed way. I especially liked how it linked certain policies and political ideologies to specific politicians and presidents, because it's hard for me to remember who *actually* did what. Also, I thought Goodwin did a great job connecting policies from the past to contemporary realities and consequences (for example, Reaganomics influencing politicians today.)

I was especially drawn to the parts about the welfare state (135-140) and liked how Goodwin illustrated how effective welfare policies not only benefit individuals, but also the economy as a whole. If people have greater access to education, healthcare, and economic security, the entire country benefits. I hate that conversations about welfare have to be about economic benefits, and not just basic human decency and the right of everyone to health and security, but it's definitely how the conversation can be framed to persuade more conservative politicians into supporting better welfare policies. I notice contemporary pundits and politicians (and the majority of my relatives on facebook) still touting ideas about immigrants and poor people sucking away our country's resources and wasting hard-earned taxpayer dollars. It's really disappointing to see this rhetoric alive and well today, and it calls for us to be more critical of other parts of government spending and excess.

On page 138 Goodwin briefly references the G.I. bill of 1944, which helped veterans get educated, start businesses, and buy homes, which, in turn, stimulated the economy. What Goodwin failed to mention was the deeply racist reality of the G.I. bill. While the wording of the G.I. bill did not explicitly contain any racist elements, the benefits of it were administered by local institutions, such as banks and universities. Many of the banks and universities of the 1940's did not extend the same benefits to Black veterans as they did white veterans. Thus, a huge number of Black Americans were prevented from accessing the economic security and success their white peers enjoyed. I understand that Goodwin's book can only be so detailed, as to not get bogged down in nuance and end up with a book 10 times as long, but I also think making quick reference to unequal access would have benefitted his analysis greatly. The racist and unfair distribution of the G.I. bill's benefits may seem like a minor mistake from the past, but it's a symptom of a widespread historical and contemporary system that prevents people of color from accumulating wealth and achieving greater economic success in the future. This analysis is absolutely crucial, because it helps make sense of race and class differences today, and can begin to explain why so many communities of color have struggled (and still struggle!) to accumulate wealth for the benefit of their future generations.

http://www.demos.org/blog/11/11/13/how-gi-bill-left-out-african-americans