Economics Commons^™

Was Karl Marx An Ecosocialist?, Carl Boggs

Fast Capitalism

Author Biography

Carl Boggs, National University

Carl Boggs is the author of many books in the fields of critical social theory, American politics, U.S. foreign policy and military history, film studies, and ecology. After receiving his Ph.D. at U.C., Berkeley he taught at Washington University in St. Louis, Carleton University in Ottawa, UCLA, USC, and U.C., Irvine. He is currently professor of social sciences at National University in Los Angeles. He is a regular contributor to the magazine CounterPunch, is a member of the executive board of the Global Studies Association, and is involved with such journals as Theory …

Panic Learning Off (And On) The Covid Campus, Tara Brabazon, Jamie Quinton, Narelle Hunter

Fast Capitalism

Online learning has been flooded with platitudes, promises and possibilities for twenty years. Oversold and undertheorized, online learning reached its "moment' through the Covid lockdown. Underprepared staff and underfunded universities implemented online learning in a crisis. This was a zombie apocalypse of a context in which to summon innovation. This article activates Paul Virilio's University of Disaster to explore the COVID campus and classroom, entering panic learning.

Author Biographies

Tara Brabazon, Dean of Graduate Research / Professor of Cultural Studies Flinders University

Tara Brabazon is the dean of graduate research and professor of cultural studies at Flinders University, Australia, fellow …

Contemptable Safety: Coronavirus, Neoliberalism, And The Moral Value Of Universities, Mark K. Ryan

Fast Capitalism

Author Biography

Mary K. Ryan, Washington & Jefferson College

Mary K. Ryan is an Assistant Professor of Political Science and Director of the Public Policy Program at Washington & Jefferson College. Mary received her Ph.D. in Social, Political, Ethical, and Cultural Thought from Virginia Tech. Mary's research on race, inequality, social justice, and democracy includes chapters in Poverty in American Popular Culture (McFarland); Protecting Whiteness: Whitelash and the Rejection of Racial Equality (University of Washington Press); Critical Insights: Civil Rights Literature Past and Present (Salem); Surveillance, Race, Culture (Palgrave Macmillan); and Spaces of Surveillance (Palgrave Macmillan) as well as journal …

The Pandemic Preferred User, Katie Ellis, Kai-Ti Kao, Tim Pitman

Fast Capitalism

As COVID-19 was declared a pandemic, universities acted quickly to move their core business of teaching and research online. Classes shifted to platforms such as Zoom, Webex, Collaborate and Microsoft Teams and teachers and students alike were expected to adapt. And they did. While there has been much discussion of the unpaid labour involved in making this shift and the difficulties inherent in merging work, study and domestic life, there has been little acknowledgement or analysis of inherent notions of the preferred user in this rapid shift to technology.

This paper draws on critical disability studies to offer a conceptual …

On The Current Situation: Normal Violences, Pandemics, Emergencies, Necropolitics, Zombies, And Creepy Treehouses, Jeremy Hunsinger

Fast Capitalism

This paper argues that the university is changing in the pandemic but it is the broader contexts of the university and specifically neoliberal politics that originated the change. It then identified several situations that upon witnessing undermine the neoliberal systems of legitimation.

Author Biography

Jeremy Hunsinger, Wilfrid Laurier University

Jeremy Hunsinger is an Associate Professor of Communication Studies at Wilfrid Laurier University. He teaches and researches critical internet studies, infrastructure studies, cultural politics, and the politics of knowledge. He has co-edited several volumes including two volumes of the International Handbook of Internet Research.

Who Wouldn't Get The Joke?: Vile Sovereignty, Vanishing Mediators, And Trump, Simon Orpana, Evan Mauro

Fast Capitalism

This article considers Trump as an example of "vile sovereignty," a concept Michel Foucault put forward in the mid 1970s to describe "the exercise of power through the explicit disqualification of the person who wields it" (2003b: 35)—a "childish discourse" that disqualifies the speaker at the very moment that they are being appealed to as a figure of authority (36). We argue that this concept helps illuminate contemporary US politics, where Trump's carnivalesque flaunting of political decorum and morality paradoxically seem to buttress the power of his Republican Party. Building upon our theorization of the role vile sovereignty has played …

Capitalism, Racism, And Trumpism: Whitelash And The Politics Of Oppression, David G. Embrick, J. Scott Carter, Cameron Lippard, Bhoomi K. Thakore

Fast Capitalism

That the rising tide of fascism, headwinds of neoliberalism, or persistence of racism in the United States is institutional, systemic, and part of a long history of oppression towards various groups is not new news. The bigger question is how we got to a point in which overt manifestations of racism, sexism, faux democracy, and other forms of illegality and authoritarianism has once again become normalized. What does it mean when a sitting President claims that Mexican immigrants are rapists, criminals, and drug runners? How did we get to a point where we, collectively, are not as outraged as we …

Donald J. Trump And The Politics Of Democratic Dysfunction, Cary Fraser

Fast Capitalism

The United States has entered a profound crisis of governance and governability following the impeachment of Donald Trump by the House of Representatives and, after a parody of a Senate trial, was acquitted - to remain in office by the Senate controlled by a Republican majority. This essay seeks to analyze both the origins and context of the contemporary conundrum where one of the world's oldest representative systems of government has entered a phase of democratic dysfunction. Donald Trump is an elected President – on the basis of a minority of the popular vote cast in 2016 – who has …

Reactionary Technopolitics: A Critical Sociohistorical Review, Sean Doody

Fast Capitalism

This paper outlines a critical social history of reactionary media, political, and information networks ”what I refer to generally as technopolitics” in the United States and their significance to the hostility towards truth and fact that is a central feature of our political present. I begin with a critical review of the unique right-wing media and political ecosystem that emerged from the alliance between neoliberalism and social conservatism in the twentieth-century. In the second section, I focus on digitization, Trump, and the alt-right, and discuss the historical tethers connecting the latter to the cyber-libertarians and white supremacists operating on the …

Social Crises, Political Conflicts, And Cultural Contradictions Of Nixonland: Tracing Constitutional Crisis In The Usa From Nixon To Trump, Timothy W. Luke

Fast Capitalism

Many developments, like greater domestic turmoil, economic dislocation, social immobility, and political gridlock, suggest "the public" and "the private" are different domains with the US than they were decades ago in 1969 when President Nixon entered office. The constitutional state, as a theory and set of practices in the USA in the Nixon era was put under tremendous strains, and it seems clear that those pressures fractured it. After Vietnam, stagflation, Watergate, and the transitional Ford Administration, has it ever been the same? The Reagan-Bush assault on the New Deal and Great Society as well as the essentially permanent mobilization …

The Death Of Neoliberal Realism?, Zachariah William Wheeler

Fast Capitalism

Post-punk theorist Mark Fisher (d. 2017) shows how neoliberalism relies on a "reflexive impudence" imposed on politics and culture by the necessity of "realism." Neoliberalism puts fixed limits on how we can imagine the future, and what degree of deviation can be expected from participating in the political process. This paper takes seriously Fisher's perspective, analyzing recent political events in the U.S. as they relate to the use of neoliberalism as a deflationary political tactic. My analysis expands on how two different figures, Trump and Sanders, politicize discourse and develop consciousness outside of this pre-approved realism enforced by neoliberalism. Figures …

The Carnival King Of Capital, Charles Thorpe

Fast Capitalism

This paper argues that President Donald Trump may be understood as ruling through carnival. The theatrical reversal of conventional standards and rules, his carnivalesque incivility, is key to his political persona. It performs his claim to be an outsider, attacking and subverting the Washington DC establishment. But Trump's carnivalesque performance, far from undermining the dominant order, reflects it. What Trump represents is carnivalized capital, a financialized and globalized form of capital that has broken free of the social and legal restraints of the nation state. The carnivalesque chaos of Trump's presidency reflects the chaos of financialized capitalism.

Author Biography

Charles …

The Frailty Of The Strong Executive, Peter D. Ore, Andrew Paul Davis

Fast Capitalism

This essay reflects on the contemporaneous empowerment of the executive branch under the Trump administration with regard to other branches of government, as well as the disempowerment of the nation's bureacracy. We argue that this combination leads to a simultaneously unfettered, yet feeble executive that has little oversight, yet is routinely ineffective. We explore how tensions in organizational and political theory with regard to private and public governance have presaged this administrative move. This essay concludes by discussing why elite actors might support such an unencumbered, yet ineffective executive.

Author Biographies

Peter D. Ore, University of Arizona

Peter Ore is …

The United States Of Trump Corp.: The 'Not Normal/New Normal' Governing Style Of A Personal Brand, Steven Alfonso Panageotou, Joel M. Crombez

Fast Capitalism

Mired in inconsistency, contradiction, and scandal, Donald J. Trump's presidency appears to be anything but normal. This has prompted a great deal of searching among social scientists and journalists to understand what exactly is behind Trump's erratic governing style. These narratives center the new normal of American presidential politics on the extreme form of Trump's narcissistic behavior and his flagrant commitment to ethno-nationalist, authoritarian, and neoliberal practices. However, because these narratives rely on traditional political strategies and theories, they do not fully capture the most novel aspects of the Trump mode of governance. What is "not normal" about President Donald …

Making It Up As He Goes: Trump's Improvisational Rhetoric And The Hyper-Rhetorical Presidency, Richard Holtzman

Fast Capitalism

Trump disregards the norms of presidential communication by regularly speaking or tweeting off-the-cuff with seemingly little forethought or editorial input. As White House administrations institutionalized presidential speechwriting and strategic communications over the past century, meticulously-crafted rhetoric became the norm. Trump's improvisational rhetoric is the antithesis of the highly-professionalized, disciplined approach to political communication we have come to expect from the presidency. This essay takes the position that his reliance on improvisational rhetoric is more than a matter of communication; it is a matter of governance. Trump regularly uses improvised communication to make important policy decisions. In doing so, the president …

Introduction To "This Is Not Normal", David M. Arditi, Timothy W. Luke

Fast Capitalism

Author Biographies

David M. Arditi, University of Texas Arlington

David Arditi is an associate professor of sociology at the University of Texas at Arlington, where he serves as Director of the Center for Theory. He researches the impact of digital technology on society. His forthcoming book, Getting Signed: Record Contracts, Musicians and Power in Society, explores the way musicians' dreams become their source of exploitation.

Timothy W. Luke, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Timothy W. Luke is a University Distinguished Professor and Chair of the Department of Political Science. Luke's areas of research specialization include environmental and cultural studies …

The Art Of The Deal, The Arts Of Democracy: Trump, Dewey, And Democracy, Nancy Sue Love

Fast Capitalism

Donald Trump's politics has been variously described as "neoliberal," "nationalist," "authoritarian," "populist," and even "fascist," and all these descriptors are appropriate in some respects. In this article, I explore the linkages between Trump, neoliberalism, and fascism through what may seem an unlikely aspect of his politics, that is, his artistry as a candidate and now the president. In elevating deal-making to an art form, Trump is not unique. Fascist leaders have long fancied themselves as artists and regarded politics as an art form. I argue that Trump's "art of the deal" materializes and normalizes the aesthetics of neoliberal capitalism; it …

Beyond Free Trade: Adam Smith On Slavery And Implications For American Capitalism, Amy Ehinomen Eremionkhale, Dollie Davis, Alexandra Digby

Business Analytics Faculty Publications

Contemporary invocations of Adam Smith in policy debates frequently overlook his opposition to slavery and discriminatory institutions. This paper examines how Smith’s integrated economic and moral critique of slavery provides a framework for analyzing current debates over racial equity, particularly regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs and affirmative action in higher education. Smith argued that discriminatory institutions fundamentally undermined “perfect liberty” and market prosperity. The analysis reveals a “paradox of selective intervention” where government action to address racial inequalities faces resistance while interventions perpetuating existing hierarchies remain unchallenged. A genuinely Smi- thian approach would recognize addressing systemic racial inequality …

Using Fed Funds Futures To Predict A Federal Reserve Rate Hike

Journal of Economics and Finance Education

This paper demonstrates formulas used by market participants to predict the probability of an increase in the Fed Funds rate and suggests how these formulas can be used in the classroom. Utilizing Fed funds futures contracts, instructors can demonstrate how the market anticipates actions by the Federal Open Market Committee and can give assignments to students to have them calculate the probability of a rate change. This activity can enhance students’ understanding of financial markets, interest rates, and futures contracts and supply students with a useful tool to use in the business world.

The Experience Of U.S. Fulbright Scholars From Business Disciplines: 1998 – 2005

Journal of Economics and Finance Education

The Fulbright Scholar program provides a long-standing and externally-funded means for internationalizing college and university curriculum. Over the past decade there has been an increasing emphasis on internationalization among faculty, administration and accrediting agencies. This manuscript is drawn from survey data which examines self-reported experiences of recent Fulbright Scholars from business disciplines in AACSBI accredited business programs. An overview of the perceptions and experiences of program participants and an exploratory model identifying factors impacting these experience are presented. Specific policy and process measures to improve the experiences of future Fulbright Scholars are suggested.

Measuring Finance Majors' Communications Abilities Using Aacsb Best Practices For Aol Processes

Journal of Economics and Finance Education

AACSB accreditation of an undergraduate business degree program requires that the institution enumerate its learning goals and demonstrate the successful student’s attainment thereof. AACSB mandates that learning goals be both consistent with the institution’s mission statement and measurable. This study describes the AOL process for assuring oral and written communications abilities in the finance major curriculum. Among finance majors, the findings reveal an adequate level of oral communications skills but written communications skills below the appropriate level for the finance professional. The results reveal that lack of performance is a function of skill and not writing apprehension for this set …

Ethics Across The Curriculum: Application To Economics

Journal of Economics and Finance Education

We propose that the study of economics can be enhanced by students learning ethical reasoning within their economics courses. Our method for introducing more robust discussions of the relationship between ethics and economics is to incorporate principles and strategies from the “Ethics Across the Curriculum” program. The methods we used to enhance our own course can be adapted to any economics course and the resources we provide can help any economist become more comfortable with teaching ethical reasoning.

Changes In Math Prerequisites And Student Performance In Business Statistics: Do Math Prerequisites Really Matter?

Journal of Economics and Finance Education

We use a binary probit model to assess the impact of several changes in math prerequisites on student performance in an undergraduate business statistics course. While the initial prerequisites did not necessarily provide students with the necessary math skills, our study, the first to examine the effect of math prerequisite changes, shows that these changes were deleterious to student performance. Our results helped convince the College of Business to change the math prerequisite again beginning with the 2008/2009 academic year. Thus, this study is also the first to actually help strengthen math prerequisites and improve student performance in business statistics.

A Pedagogical Comparison Between The Use Of Instructor-Led In-Class Cases And Student-Led Out-Of-Class Cases

Journal of Economics and Finance Education

This study compares the attitudes and learning outcomes of students in sections of introductory corporate finance courses. The study was conducted at two different universities. Three sections of the course were taught using the lecture method supplemented with a student-led out-of-class case study project. Three other sections of the course were taught using lecture combined with an instructor-led in-class case study project. The students were given pre-tests and post-tests in each section to determine changes in attitudes and learning. Students in both types of course achieved similar learning outcomes. Students found the subject of finance more interesting when participating in …

Macau Noir: Criminal Brotherhoods, Casino Capitalism, And The Case Of The Post-Socialist Chinese Consumer, Tim Simpson

Fast Capitalism

No abstract provided.

Diseasing The City: Colonial Noir And The Ruins Of Modernity, Robert Peckham

Fast Capitalism

No abstract provided.

"The World Of The Grotesque Is The Darkness Within Us": The Noir Geoaesthetics Of Murakami's Nakata, Rick Dolphijn

Fast Capitalism

No abstract provided.

Noir As Politics: Spanish Language Hardboiled Detective Fiction And The Discontents Of The Left, Patrick Blaine

Fast Capitalism

No abstract provided.

Saviano, Garrone, Gomorrah: Neorealism And Noir In The Land Of The Camorra, Fabrizio Cilento

Fast Capitalism

No abstract provided.

Facebook Killed The Reunion Star: How Facebook Is Changing Who We Are And What We Do, Sara Ridenour

Fast Capitalism

No abstract provided.