We hope you enjoy these top news stories about TFAS activities, alumni and events this week. Please visit us on social media for additional up-to-the-moment TFAS news and information and sign up to receive weekly updates.
TFAS alumni, staff and faculty continue to make headlines. Read news, analysis and updates by visiting this week’s “Quick Links.”
100 years later: The importance of economic freedom to women’s right to vote
What is economic freedom? TFAS Guest Lecturer and Mercatus Center Senior Fellow Dr. Jayme Lemke explains it’s more complex than simply the freedom to make financial transactions. In a June discussion with the 2020 TFAS Leadership Scholars, Lemke shared that “economic rights are the rights to make decisions for yourself about your time, energy and resources.”
The kind of independence the suffrage movement fought for requires not just political freedom, but also economic freedom.” – Dr. Jayme Lemke in The Hill.
During the discussion, Lemke gave an overview of the history of women’s economic rights and explored how the historical context and enduring impact of restrictions on women’s property rights and job market opportunities shaped the free society and American history. On the 100th Anniversary of the passing of Women’s Suffrage, Lemke revisited this research topic in a piece for The Hill, reminding readers how political and economic freedoms are intertwined:
“Considering women’s suffrage in the context of a free democratic society is a valuable reminder that the spirit of the women’s suffrage movement was not just about voting,” she writes.
She continues: “Although they used different language, the suffragettes’ concern about issues of economic liberty is clearly reflected by the 1848 Seneca Falls Convention — the first major women’s rights convention, often considered the jumping-off point for first wave feminism and the suffrage movement. Elizabeth Cady Stanton’s ‘Declaration of Sentiments’ included women’s access to property rights and economic opportunity right along with suffrage in its list of the ‘long train of abuses and usurpations’ that women endured under patriarchal political institutions.”
You can read Lemke’s full analysis in The Hill.
FTE Hosts Online Webinars and Workshops to Help High School Teachers Navigate Remote Economic Education
Despite closures of high schools across the country due to the COVID-19 outbreak, TFAS high school programming division, the Foundation for Teaching Economics (FTE) is working hard to help economics teachers adjust to the newly adopted distance learning environment. Over the last four months, more than 1,350 educators have tuned in to FTE webinars on the economic implications of COVID-19, as well as workshops on how to create an interactive virtual classroom.
Learning is social. FTE makes this happen through their hands-on lessons and their adaptability to our new distance learning challenges.” – FTE Online Workshop Participant
Through a series of webinars early this spring, teachers received insights from economists across the country on topics ranging from the economic policy response to the coronavirus pandemic, to economic freedom and pandemics in American history. Featured speakers included Clemson University Professor Scott Baier, Hoover Institution economist Dr. Russ Roberts and University of Arizona Professor Price Fishback.
In addition to these informative webinars, FTE also hosted a series of interactive online workshops titled “Active Learning Can Be Virtual, Too!” for teachers this August. Over the course of the month, FTE faculty discussed best practices for creating an active virtual learning environment and shared the tools that made FTE’s summer Economics for Leaders (EFL) virtual programs a success.
These workshops bring teachers the resources they need to help students better understand and incorporate the importance of economic freedom into their everyday lives by showing how interactive, highly engaging FTE economics games and simulations can be translated to an online platform.
Learn more about how we are equipping the nation’s teachers with economic tools and resources at TFAS.org/ActiveLearningOnline.
Economics Lesson of The Week: Farmers and Fishers
As students return back to school, whether online or in the classroom, TFAS continues to provide resources to help teachers and parents continue the important task of educating our nation’s future leaders. Each week we are featuring practical lessons from our high school programming division – the Foundation for Teaching Economics (FTE).
This week’s lesson is “Farmers & Fishers.” In this group activity, which can be used for in-person or online instruction, students are given role cards and must play the game as either a farmer or fisher, with both parties looking to harvest for profit. In the scenario, we imagine farmers own the water rights where they must grow crops and where the fishers must harvest fish. The farmers’ decision on whether or not to irrigate with the water could hurt the fishers and help the farmers in a “low water year.” Students review U.S. Water Rights law and are tasked with coming up with solutions that will benefit both parties. The key takeaway from the lesson is the importance of property rights. In explaining ownership, benefits and incentives, students are encouraged to come up with a “willing buyer – willing seller” agreement, as opposed to a government imposed regulation. A downloadable lesson guide and instructional video assists teachers in leading the game.
TFAS offers a plethora of online lesson plans, readings, handouts, video demonstrations and hands-on activity guides to teach the “economic way of thinking” in engaging and relatable ways. Visit TFAS.org/FTELessons for a one-stop guide to our available resources.
Post of the Week
TFAS Global Political Economy Seminar participant Ani Papian ’20 celebrates the culmination of the virtual program in a post on LinkedIn. Papian was one of the 70 participants who attended the TFAS Global Political Economy Seminar in place of our international programs in Asia and Europe this summer.
QUICK LINKS
Alexandra Hudson, Novak ’19, discusses the impact of COVID-19 on Americans’ mental health in a piece for USA Today.
Sara Giddings ’02 is the chair-elect of the Texas Young Lawyers Association.
Kristin Tate, Novak ’19, opines for The Hill on how the 2020 presidential election will affect economic bailouts in blue states.
National security analyst for ABC News, Thomas Bossert ’97, was named president of Trinity Cyber, Inc.
Helen Andrews, Novak ’17, opines for The American Conservative on how politicians are using the public health crisis to push for their pet initiatives that are unrelated to health issues.
Faysal Itani ’03, ’06 discusses the future of Lebanon after the Beirut Blast on The Lodester podcast by the Center for Global Policy.
Dr. Carmen Geha ’08 shares her thoughts on the devastating explosion in Beirut in a piece for The New Arab.
Sienna Kossman ’13 writes for The Balance on efforts to revamp United Airlines’ credit card with better benefits.
Robby Soave, Novak ’17, writes for Reason on repercussions for kids struggling with distance learning in schools.
Mollie Hemingway, Novak ’04, shares takeaways from night one of the 2020 Republican National Convention in The Federalist.
Matt Continetti, Novak ’08, discusses challenges private schools are facing to make their own reopening decisions in a piece for Commentary Magazine.
Ryan Lovelace, Novak ’17, reports for The Washington Times on a recent lawsuit by TikTok to fight the Trump administration’s potential ban of the app.
Matthew Walther, Novak ’10, opines for The Week on expectations for the 2020 Republican National Convention.
Danyale Kellogg ’18, ’19 was recently named a 2020-21 Women in Defense HORIZONS Scholar by the National Defense Industrial Association.
Read about TFAS President Roger Ream’s ’76 support of the Philadelphia Statement in the National Interest.
Veranika Laputska ’11 discusses the protests in Belarus in an interview with EuroNews.
Dina Aboughazala ’05, ’08 shares how Facebook is being used to find missing children in Egypt in a piece for BBC News.
Gloria Alvarez ’08 discusses the failures of socialism in Latin America in a video by Reason.
Naomi Schaefer Riley, Novak ’01, opines for the Institute for Family Studies on how women are portrayed in literature.
Ryan Lovelace, Novak ’17, reports for The Washington Times on decreased voter confidence in the U.S.
Curt Mills, Novak ’17, opines for The American Conservative on Joe Biden’s choice of Kamala Harris as the Democratic vice presidential pick.
Kari Travis ’12 writes for the Carolina Journal about decisions by North Carolina Governor Cooper to keep gyms closed despite evidence of decreased COVID-19 risks.
Ben Nuelle ’11 reports for AgriPulse on Republicans’ continued support of agriculture policy.
Video of the Week
This week Kristin B. Tate, Novak ’19, announced her new podcast with Young Americans for Liberty. In “You Built That!” Tate and YAL will feature America’s most successful entrepreneurs and business leaders to hear what they have to say about the American Dream.
Tate is a 2019 recipient of the TFAS Robert Novak Journalism Fellowship. She has written three books. Her latest, The Liberal Invasion of Red State America (Regnery Publishing, 2020), reveals the astonishing political consequences of domestic migration from blue states to red states.
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