Why Liberals and Conservatives Agree on Uber

Attempts to Regulate the Sharing Economy Unite Politicians in Hypocrisy and Inconsistency

Uber has pulled off what few others can these days: The beloved car service (if I’m allowed to describe it so prosaically) has united politicians of all persuasions. Republicans, Democrats, and libertarians are all vying to outdo each other in portraying the popular company, and its political struggles to avoid regulatory strangulation, as a poignant validation of their worldview.

Uber last month hired David Plouffe, President Obama’s former campaign manager and White House adviser, to direct its “campaign” against “Big Taxi” and local transportation regulators across the country. At the same …

by Andrés Martinez | September 8, 2014

Will the Laptop Destroy the Coffee Shop?

Yes, We’re Using Our Beach Umbrellas to Charge Our Smartphones. No, It Doesn’t Mean the End of Public Space.

by Sarah Rothbard | September 4, 2014

In an age when you can purchase a beach umbrella with solar panels to charge your smartphone, defining a public space—and differentiating it from the digital realm—is complicated. A Zócalo/Getty …

Can U.S. Job Training Enter the 21st Century?

Congress’ New Workforce Act Promises ‘Innovation and Opportunity.’ But the Real Change in Job Training and Placement Is Happening in the Private Sector.

by Michael Bernick | August 20, 2014

This summer, Congress enacted the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), which governs the $3 billion or so spent each year by the federal government on job training. Secretary of …

How Do You Get Someone to Read About Shijiazhuang?

Encouraging Internet Wanderlust Is Tricky, Especially If You Don’t Want People to Get Lost

by Catherine D’Ignazio | August 4, 2014

We imagine ourselves to be citizens of the world, but in fact we are drawn to people like us, to familiar experiences, and to information that confirms our biases. This …

No, That Parking Spot Does Not Belong to You

An App Lets You Find, and Buy, Street Parking in San Francisco—But Is It Legal?

by Stephen Zavestoski and Julian Agyeman | July 10, 2014

MonkeyParking is a smartphone app that gives car-owning San Franciscans an opportunity to auction off the street parking they are about to vacate. Just mark your parking spot in the …

What’s the Difference Between Political Grassroots and Big-Interest Astroturf?

How Corporations—From Verizon to Wal-Mart—Manufacture Citizen Lobbyists

by Edward T. Walker | July 8, 2014

In just a few weeks, the Federal Communications Commission will conclude its public comment period over whether Internet service providers can give some packets of data priority—dismantling what’s become known …

internet