City Journal Summer 2010


A quarterly magazine of urban affairs, published by the Manhattan Institute, edited by Brian C. Anderson. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •	Jim Manzi What Social Science Does—and Doesn’t—Know Our scientific ignorance of the human condition remains profound. PODCAST: Jim Manzi discusses this story Steven Malanga The Muni-Bond Debt Bomb . . . and how to dismantle it Guy Sorman The Free-Marketeers Strike Back A counter-narrative of the financial crisis Nicole Gelinas Surveying the Wreckage What can we learn from the top books on the financial crisis? PODCASTS: Nicole Gelinas interviews Philip Augar, Roger Lowenstein, Nouriel Roubini E. J. McMahon The Bucks Stop Here New York governors have the power they need to control spending. Pascal Bruckner Europe’s Guilty Conscience Self-hatred is paralyzing the Continent. Sol Stern The Nakba Obsession The Palestinian national narrative is the biggest obstacle to peace in the Middle East. Joel Kotkin The Golden State’s War on Itself How politicians turned the California Dream into a nightmare Joel Mokyr Enlightened and Enriched We owe our modern prosperity to Enlightenment ideas. Marcus A. Winters The Life-Changing Lottery Charter schools offer inner-city kids a shot at success—but only if they’re lucky. Fred Siegel Progressives Against Progress The rise of environmentalism poisoned liberals’ historical optimism. Tevi D. Troy A Twenty-First-Century GOP Republicans need to win back tech-savvy, educated voters. Here’s how. Heather Mac Donald Classical Music’s New Golden Age Thanks to period-music evangelists, breathtaking virtuosity, and millions of listeners, the art form remains vibrant. David Watkin Something to Love Among the Ruins Three young architects offer a beautiful alternative to modernism’s ravages. Steven Malanga Egg on Their Faces Government dietary advice often proves disastrous. Stefan Kanfer The Gold Bubble The latest craze lacks mettle. Heather Mac Donald Misfire A flawed new study finds racial bias in police-on-police shootings. Philippe Nemo Le Squeeze High taxes on the affluent threaten France’s prosperity. James Panero New York’s Pioneer Zones Residents of formerly blighted neighborhoods deserve the city’s support. Nicole Gelinas Eurocrash Despite its promises, a common currency might be holding the Continent back. Bert Useem New York’s Prison Turnaround The population behind bars is falling, even as crime stays low. William Voegeli A Deeper Bench A very brief case for Supreme Court term limits In Prospect Oh, to be in England Theodore Dalrymple Modernity’s Uninvited Guest Civilization makes progress, but evil persists. Letters Contributors Diarist Claire Berlinski Dominican Republic or Bust	Search Site Advanced Search