Joshua Rosenbloom
jlrosenbloom.bsky.social
Joshua Rosenbloom
@jlrosenbloom.bsky.social

Economic historian with an interest in the economics of science, technology and innovation. Professor of Economics at Iowa State University. All opinions are my own and not those of my employer.

Economics 59%
Political science 13%
The Race and Stratification Working Group at @nber.org will have its annual meeting on Friday, March 27, 2026. Francisca Antman, Bocar Ba, Robynn Cox and I are organizing the program. December 11, 2025 is the deadline to submit your paper!

www.nber.org/conferences/...
Economics of Race and Stratification, Spring 2026
www.nber.org
"Well, congratulations, America. We did it. They said you'd never do it, but we've gone 35 and a half days without a government."
Hi all, please spread the word and we hope everyone can make good use of this new data drop: cmfdata.org

The full surviving establishment-level Census of Manufactures manuscripts and digitized data from 1850, 1860, 1870, and 1880!
Historical Census of Manufactures Microdata - Historical Census of Manufactures Microdata
CMFdata.org
"The Sanders/Mamdani style of democratic socialism is, whatever its merits, at least compatible with America’s tradition of liberal democracy. The Trump style of national socialism is not."
Donald Trump Is a Commie
Bernie’s democratic socialism is still compatible with liberal democracy. Trump’s national socialism is not. Thank you for your attention to this matter!
www.thebulwark.com

So, according to my seemingly senile senator #ChuckGrassley, the Biden DOJ was weaponized, but what Trump, Bondi and Patel are doing is cleaning things up!!!

Trump’s Supporters Should Be Careful What They Wish For by Simon Johnson, et al @projectsyndicate.bsky.social prosyn.org/PgTFfXS
Trump’s Supporters Should Be Careful What They Wish For
Simon Johnson & Stan A. Veuger urge the US Supreme Court to rule against the Trump administration's “reciprocal tariffs.”
prosyn.org

Are you interested in agricultural economics? Come be my colleague. The ISU economics department is seeking to fill 6 positions at a variety of different ranks. Details here: www.econ.iastate.edu/employment-o...
Employment Opportunities
www.econ.iastate.edu
What I Said at: The State of the National Labor Market for Recent College Graduates
UC System-Wide Academic Congress on the Labor Market Destinations of Recent College Graduates: The UC Systemwide Academic Congress is Oct. 28–29, 2025, focused on recent…
braddelong.substack.com/p/what-i-sai...
What I Said at: The State of the National Labor Market for Recent College Graduates
UC System-Wide Academic Congress on the Labor Market Destinations of Recent College Graduates: The UC Systemwide Academic Congress is Oct. 28–29, 2025, focused on recent grads’ labor outcomes, with...
braddelong.substack.com

The Python Software Foundation was recommended for a $1.5M grant from the National Science Foundation. The terms of the award said PSF could not work on DEI, whether or not the grant funding was used for it.

PSF therefore declined the funding.

Science suffers, but commitment to core values remains
TLDR; The PSF has made the decision to put our community and our shared diversity, equity, and inclusion values ahead of seeking $1.5M in new revenue. Please read and share. pyfound.blogspot.com/2025/10/NSF-...
🧵
The official home of the Python Programming Language
www.python.org
Tim Walz: "People are gonna be lined up out here to get food, and we're talking about a damn ballroom. Don't lose the plot."
The Federal minimum wage was established in 1938.

It was in effect for about 85 years.

It has now, for better or worse, been effectively abolished.
By law the Republicans were required to have a budget for the new fiscal year in place on September 30th.

Anyone seen the budget? Are they are here in DC working on one?

Don't we think media, commentators should be asking Rs where their budget is? Do they intend to actually create one?
AG James. "I am a proud woman of faith, and I know that faith and fear cannot share the same space. And so today I am not fearful, I am fearless, and as my faith teaches me, no weapon formed against me shall prosper." More like her and the Republic will stand.
“If the gov't can punish professors and universities for viewpoints it dislikes, then no field of research, no classroom discussion, & no scholar’s speech is safe. That is precisely what the First Amendment forbids.” Cato joins ACLU, other groups in amicus supporting AAUP's Columbia suit. @cato.org
Legal Organizations Across the Ideological Spectrum Urge Court to Reinstate Lawsuit Against Trump Administration’s Unconstitutional Attack on Academic Freedom | American Civil Liberties Union
Federal interference in academic affairs at Columbia University violates the First Amendment, the brief argues
www.aclu.org
Our cities aren’t war ravaged. They’re ICE ravaged.
The lesson of history is that tyrants cannot be appeased.

Appeasement only feeds their insatiable hunger for power.

Tyrants prey on people who feel unsafe and vulnerable.

But without mass submission, a tyrant is powerless.
Blowing up boats in the Caribbean without any legal authority risks dragging the United States into another war, and provoking attacks against American citizens.

I'm getting ready to force a vote with @kaine.senate.gov to ensure Congress' power to declare war is not so easily trampled.
Appeals Court Says Lisa Cook Can Remain on Fed Board www.nytimes.com/2025/09/15/u...
Appeals Court Says Lisa Cook Can Remain on Fed Board
www.nytimes.com
They’re just completely erasing history.
The president is intentionally killing non-combatants who pose no direct threat in violation of domestic, international and military law and his VP and chief policy adviser are promising an authoritarian crackdown on his political opponents. Just today.

Democracy and the rule of law are on the line
When I was placed on the Professor Watchlist in 2021, people sent death threats about my children. I had security officers monitor my 8yo at school.

Where is all the outrage for those of us who have been targeted for years? Where is the outrage for our families?

My own colleagues are silent.
NBER @nber.org · Sep 15
An examination of the distinctive trajectory of American industrialization up to 1870 fresh perspective on American industrialization up to 1870, from @jlrosenbloom.bsky.social https://www.nber.org/papers/w34225
Lisa Cook must stay on as a Fed Governor. She must vote Wednesday. It’s not about her, it’s about us.

I completely agree with Iowa Board of Regents that Charlie Kirk's murder should not be celebrated www.iowaregents.edu/news/board-n.... But their silence about social media scapegoating the left and calling for a violent response is disappointing and suggests their lack of viewpoint diversity
Statement from Iowa Board of Regents President Sherry Bates on Social Media Posts
www.iowaregents.edu
Weird how when a Trump supporter, white supremacist, and reportedly, a former member of Turning Point USA shot up Florida State University (FSU) several months ago and killed two people - there wasn't the same national conversation about "political violence." www.mediaite.com/news/mass-sh...

Nice summary of some lessons from my recent @nber.org WP www.nber.org/papers/w34225
www.aei.org/economics/am...
www.aei.org

And with inflation rising, not looking good for Trumponomics.
The latest jobs report from the B.L.S. shows that, in July, there were more unemployed people than job openings, for the first time since April, 2021. @johncassidysays.bsky.social writes about the impact of MAGAnomics.
MAGAnomics Isn’t Working
A dismal jobs report affirms earlier warnings about the economic impact of Donald Trump’s tariffs, immigration restrictions, and DOGE-led firings.
www.newyorker.com