Mike Alberti

Mike Alberti has worked for Remapping Debate since its launch. He has been our chief correspondent, and is currently a senior contributing reporter.  Mike graduated with a B.A. in English from Vassar College in 2009. He has previously contributed to The Colorado Springs Independent, The Independent Weekly in Durham, N.C., and The Weekly Beat in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. He is originally from Albuquerque, N.M.

ma@remappingdebate.org
States to residents, localities: forget promises to restore funding
Original Reporting | By Mike Alberti | Budget deficit, State government, Taxes
Despite the fact that revenues in many states are recovering, budget cuts that were once described as undesirable but unavoidable are being left in place (or even exacerbated) as numerous state legislatures opt to double down on tax cuts. More
Demonstrators beware: you won't be seen or heard
Original Reporting | By Mike Alberti | Civil liberties, Law
Three cities set to host large, political gatherings in the next few months are working to impose a variety of “spatial tactics” to restrict where, when, and how demonstrators will be able to exercise their First Amendment rights of free speech and assembly. While legal scholars say that many of these tactics may not be unconstitutional, civil libertarians and good-government advocates argue that they are inconsistent with the proper goal of public policy: welcoming and encouraging free speech. More
What about bending the quality curve?
Original Reporting | By Mike Alberti | Health care, Medicine, Regulation
A recent study showed that the adoption of information technology by physicians did not reduce the number of procedures performed. Our reporting on that study, and on the responses to it, reveals far-reaching implications that are not yet widely appreciated: the overriding focus on cost-cutting has subordinated the goal of improving access to and quality of care, and has ignored entirely the phenomenon of underutilization of appropriate medical interventions. More
What if pension funds grabbed the reins?
Original Reporting | By Mike Alberti | Alternative models, Pensions
U.S. pension funds have billions of dollars in assets and a very long-term investment horizon, making them a unique kind of investor. But, while pension funds could play a powerful role in shaping financial markets, they currently act more like customers than dealmakers, partially because of their reliance on private money managers to invest those assets for them for large fees. If that reliance were reduced and other legal, political, and cultural obstacles overcome, ⎯ many experts said that the funds could improve their investment strategies at the same time they open the door to socially responsible investing, mission investing, and shareholder activism. More
Beware of trade associations bearing gifts?
Story Repair | By Mike Alberti | Corporate influence, Regulation
Proposed ethics rules from the Obama Administration would limit the ability of federal employees to accept gifts from lobbyists, including gifts of free attendance at trade association events. A recent article in The New York Times about these proposals gave opponents of the rule the run of the article, without ever probing their claims. In this Story Repair, the voices of opponents of the regulation continue to be heard, but they are situated in a firmer and broader news context. More
Mainstream economists on the defensive
Original Reporting | By Mike Alberti | Alternative models, Economy, Education
Do economics departments exclude diverse perspectives and fail to foster critical thinking skills? This concluding article in Remapping Debate's six-part series, based on interviews with more than a dozen prominent economists, finds continuing denial and resistance among most, even as some acknowledge that departments need to do better. More
Don't know much about history, don't know much economy...
Original Reporting | By Mike Alberti | Alternative models, Economy, Education
The narrowness of undergraduate economics education in the United States can be seen in the limited course offerings that are available to students at the advanced level of the curriculum, where there are a host of topics and perspectives not available to be studied at many economics departments. It is also reflected in the pervasive pedagogical technique known as "chalk-and-talk," which critics say encourages passivity, discourages interest, and fails to help students build the intellectual tools needed to think critically. More
Reform agenda: economics classes that make you think
Original Reporting | By Mike Alberti | Alternative models, Economy, Education
Why don't introductory economics courses, which are “the single most important point of contact between the economic discipline and the student body,” nor intermediate courses, which shape the curriculum as a whole, offer greater diversity of perspective and increased focus on the real economy? Critics of the status quo offer alternatives and recommend adding additional courses to make the discipline more consistent with a liberal model of education, from economic history to moral philosophy. More

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