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John RoemerAmerican economist and political scientist
Country:
 USA |
Content:
- John Roemer: A Biography
- Academic Career
- Research Interests
- Egalitarianism and Equal Opportunity
- Democracy and Education
- Analytical Marxism and Beyond
- Recent Work
John Roemer: A Biography
Early Life and EducationJohn Roemer, an American economist and political scientist, was born in New York City and raised in a family of academics. In 1966, he graduated summa cum laude from Harvard University with a bachelor's degree in mathematics. He subsequently pursued graduate studies in mathematics at the University of California, Berkeley, but was expelled for his political activities during the Vietnam War. However, he eventually returned to Berkeley and earned a Ph.D. in economics in 1974.
Academic Career
After completing his doctorate, Roemer worked as a union organizer for several years before joining the economics faculty at the University of California, Davis. In 1988, he was appointed as a professor of political science and economics at Yale University, where he has remained ever since.
Research Interests
Roemer's research primarily focuses on political economy, political competition, and the fair distribution of resources. He has published extensively on these topics, authoring and co-authoring over 10 books since 1975. His most notable works include "Political Competition" (2001), "Equality of Opportunity" (1998), and "Theories of Distributive Justice" (1996).
Egalitarianism and Equal Opportunity
Roemer is a proponent of egalitarianism and believes that society should take steps to ensure that individuals' economic opportunities are not determined by factors such as race, gender, or socioeconomic background. Instead, he argues that people's socioeconomic outcomes should be based solely on their own efforts. In his book "Equality of Opportunity," Roemer proposes a system of "partial insurance" to mitigate the effects of social class and ensure that everyone has a fair shot at economic success.
Democracy and Education
In his 2006 book "Democracy, Education and Equality," Roemer explores the relationship between democracy and equality of opportunity. He argues that democracy alone cannot guarantee that an individual's life chances will not be influenced by their parents' education and wealth. True equality of opportunity, he suggests, requires additional measures beyond democratic processes.
Analytical Marxism and Beyond
In his early career, Roemer was affiliated with the philosophical movement of analytical Marxism. Along with scholars such as Gerald Cohen and Jon Elster, he was a founding member of the September Group, a small circle of philosophers and economists who met regularly to discuss Marxian economic theory.
Recent Work
In recent years, Roemer has shifted his focus to new areas of research, including the study of voter racism and xenophobia. His latest book, "Racism, Xenophobia and Redistribution: Multi-Issue Politics in Advanced Democracies," co-authored with two other researchers, examines the complex interplay between prejudice and policy preferences in democratic societies.
