Will Trump’s carrot and stick economic policy work?

Edition: US - Today's top story: Evidence from states shows why Trump’s brand of Carrier-style dealmaking won't work [Click here to view this message in your browser]. Edition: US 13 January 2017 [[The Conversation]Academic rigor, journalistic flair] Editor's note President-elect Donald Trump is still a week away from taking the oath, yet we’ve already gotten a glimpse of what his economic policy may look like in practice: going after individual companies with carrots and sticks. He took credit for Carrier’s decision to keep manufacturing jobs in Indiana after the air conditioner maker got millions in tax credits, Lockheed Martin promised to cut costs of the F-35 after a Twitter browbeating, and Ford has scrapped plans to build a factory in Mexico after similar criticism. While negotiating via threats and incentives may be novel for a president, it's hardly new: States have been using incentives to lure individual companies for decades, writes Oklahoma State’s Joshua Jansa. The evidence, however, suggests such tactics aren’t very effective. Bryan Keogh Editor, Economics and Business Top story Can Trump restore America’s manufacturing might through threats and incentives? Evan Vucci/AP Photo [Evidence from states shows why Trump’s brand of Carrier-style dealmaking won't work] Joshua Jansa, Oklahoma State University States have been using tax breaks and other incentives like the kind Trump dangled before Carrier for years. There's little evidence they work, and in fact they may lead to widening inequality. Education - [What's missing in the teaching of Islam] Kishwar Rizvi, Yale University The teaching of Islam is often limited to its religious practice. How Christians, Jews and Muslims borrowed freely from each other in the realm of art, music, and literature is seldom discussed. - [Who is Betsy DeVos?] Dustin Hornbeck, Miami University Confirmation hearings for Betsy DeVos, Donald Trump's billionaire nominee for education, start on Jan. 11. Here's what you need to know about her past legislative actions and proposals. Science + Technology - [Getting a scientific message across means taking human nature into account] Rose Hendricks, University of California, San Diego Quirks of human psychology can pose problems for science communicators trying to cover controversial topics. Recognizing what cognitive science knows about how we deal with new information could help. - [Influenza: The search for a universal vaccine] Ian Setliff, Vanderbilt University; Amyn Murji, Vanderbilt University Flu virus mutates so quickly that one year's vaccine won't work on the next year's common strains. But a new way to create vaccines, called 'rational design,' might pave the way for more lasting solutions. - [Does your smartphone make you less likely to trust others?] Kostadin Kushlev, University of Virginia The more often Americans used their phones to obtain information, the less they trusted strangers. How can this be, and what does it mean? - [Fighting online trolls with bots] Saiph Savage, West Virginia University Automated systems that watch online chats and flag racist, sexist and bullying behavior could help curtail internet abuse. Environment + Energy - [Exxon's Rex Tillerson and the rise of Big Oil in American politics] Brian C. Black, Pennsylvania State University Big Oil has historically played a behind-the-scenes role on American policy and politics. No longer. - [New US seafood rule shows global trade and conservation can work together] Matt Burgess, University of California, Santa Barbara; Rob Williams, University of St Andrews A new U.S. seafood import rule requires supplier countries to control accidental bycatch of whales, seals and other marine mammals – showing that global trade and conservation can reinforce each other. Health + Medicine - [Electroconvulsive therapy: A history of controversy, but also of help] Jonathan Sadowsky, Case Western Reserve University Critics have portrayed ECT as a form of medical abuse. Yet many psychiatrists, and more importantly, patients, consider it to be safe and effective. Few medical treatments have such disparate images. - [Uncertainty in blood supply chains creating challenges for industry] Anna Nagurney, University of Massachusetts Amherst Lower demand for blood may sound like good news, yet it is causing problems in the blood supply chain. Hospitals want to pay less for blood, which leads to disruption of previous business models. Arts + Culture - [A same-sex marriage ceremony in... Renaissance Rome?] Gary Ferguson, University of Virginia Same-sex marriage is not a 20th-century phenomenon; couples have long claimed the right to marry. - [Playing it safe: A brief history of lip-syncing] Alex Lubet, University of Minnesota From The Monkees to Mariah Carey, lip-syncers have been getting mocked for decades. Politics + Society - [Rule by the lowest common denominator? It's baked into democracy's design] Firmin DeBrabander, Maryland Institute College of Art Is Donald Trump's election a sign that something is wrong with our democracy? A philosopher argues that just the opposite is true. - [Winning over Congress' key members would spell legislative victory for President Trump] Patrick T. Hickey, West Virginia University An analysis of more than 30 years of congressional voting reveals that a few key members of Congress determine whether a president will achieve their agenda. Who are they, and can Trump win them over? Economy + Business - [How timekeeping software helps companies nickel and dime their workers] Elizabeth C. Tippett, University of Oregon If you think the hours you work are all converted directly into dollars, think again. There are a lot of ways employers can manipulate your time – some of which are legal, others highly questionable. Rest of the World - United Kingdom [The fake news that sealed the fate of Antony and Cleopatra] Eve MacDonald, University of Reading Was a forged document responsible for the defeat of Mark Antony and the rise of Rome's first emperor? - United Kingdom [The Trump dossier and verification in the era of fake news] Ivor Gaber, University of Sussex Buzzfeed is being damned for publishing unverified and salacious information about the president-elect, raising questions about media ethics in the digital world. - Africa [From rural Kenya to a PhD in astronomy: how partnerships made it possible] Willice O. Obonyo, University of Leeds Very few African universities offer postgraduate degrees in astronomy. This gap in knowledge and training can be addressed through international partnerships and collaboration. [The Conversation on Twitter] [The Conversation on Facebook] You’re receiving this newsletter from [The Conversation]. Not interested anymore? [Unsubscribe instantly]. We’ll miss you. 745 Atlantic Ave. 8th Floor Boston, MA 02111