| From | Intercollegiate Review <[email protected]> |
| Subject | The H-1B debate |
| Date | January 9, 2025 8:05 PM |
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The best of intellectual conservative thought.
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CATEGORY: ECONOMY (17 MIN)
H-1B: A snipped STEM
[link removed]
In a somewhat surprising internal battle, elements of the conservative movement teed off on one another in the past couple weeks over the H-1B visa program. Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, the leaders of the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), supported them (though urging reform), while many other of President-elect Donald Trump’s supporters opposed them.
For Compact, Norman Matloff argues that the visa program hurts American workers, even when used for good purposes. Matloff believes that the program has contributed to the huge number of international students in American STEM programs—a whopping 72% of students in U.S. computer science graduate programs were foreign as of 2019.
Thus, Matloff says, American potential STEM students face a losing situation. He claims that the degree doesn’t add much for a U.S. citizen, but for a foreign worker who wants to follow the H-1B path, it means a lot more. And Matloff also notes the rampant abuse of the program, going back to the days of the Clinton administration.
Matloff doesn’t think the program harms Americans alone. He sees the H-1B recipients as stuck in underpaid jobs at the whims of their employers, and he cites sources of evidence from government employers who encouraged keeping down salary level.
So Matloff proposes reform. He urges changes to the wage requirement for H-1B (encouraging higher-paying jobs), immediate green card issuance instead of a yearslong “queue,” and justifying the requirement of a master’s degree.
Do you agree? Read Matloff’s article here.
Read Now
[link removed]
Weekly Poll
What do you think of the H-1B program?
[A] It's as good as it is
[B] It needs reform
[C] It should go
[D] Not sure
[link removed]
RESULTS: 12/19/2024
Is the American educational system fixable?
[A] Yes - 46.2%
[B] No - 40%
[C] It doesn't need fixing - 1.2%
[D] Not sure - 12.5%
CATEGORY: ECONOMY (10 MIN)
H-1B: The balancing act
[link removed]
Underneath the arguments over the H-1B visa program is a debate about immigration as a whole. The visas allow more foreigners to enter America and eventually have a path to citizenship apart from the standard process. Such a system sparks emotional reactions from many Americans, especially in the current supercharged debate around immigration.
In this week’s article from the Modern Age website, Gene Callahan & Robert P. Murphy give their own analysis of the H-1B program. Callahan & Murphy begin by arguing that the language supporters of the visas use to justify them—that there is a “shortage of qualified Americans”—isn’t economically sound. They characterize the situation as one in which businesses are hunting cheaper alternatives.
The roughly 600,000 H-1B employees in our nation aren’t necessarily low-paid workers, Callahan & Murphy say, but they are discounted from the comparable American rate. So the authors believe H-1Bs are a “vehicle for U.S. firms to pay below the prevailing salaries for various occupations.”
But the authors also don’t think America is poorer for having the visas. They agree that American workers aren’t hired for these jobs because of the H-1B program, but at the same time, they believe that if companies had to pay Americans, costs would go up and so would prices, potentially hurting consumers.
Callahan & Murphy conclude by noting the difficult balance between society’s “openness to new members” and preserving a “sense of solidarity among its already existing members.” And there, economics doesn’t have all the answers.
Read Callahan & Murphy’s work here on the Modern Age website.
Read Now
[link removed]
[link removed]
CATEGORY: VIDEO
Failed First Citizen, Failed Republic: Brutus in Julius Caesar
[link removed]
Experience a captivating lecture by Dr. Benedict Whalen, Associate Professor of English at Hillsdale College, presented at the 2024 ISI Annual Honors Conference. Titled "Failed First Citizen, Failed Republic: Brutus in Julius Caesar," this thought-provoking talk examines the complex character of Brutus and his pivotal role in the collapse of the Roman Republic in Shakespeare's timeless play.
Dr. Whalen masterfully unpacks the political, moral, and philosophical dimensions of Brutus's decisions, shedding light on how Shakespeare's portrayal of ambition, loyalty, and civic responsibility continues to offer profound insights into leadership and human nature.
Whether you're a Shakespeare aficionado or a curious learner, this lecture is an intellectual feast you won't want to miss.
Watch Now
[link removed]
Because our student editors and writers are bravely bringing conservative ideas to their campuses, we’re highlighting their efforts here.
Research Continues to Build Cornell’s Stature
[link removed]
via The Cornell Review
“Cornell may not have the heft to win the Ivy League Football Championship, but it is certainly the Ivy League’s silver medalist when it comes to sponsored research. A recent report issued by the National Science Foundation’s National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics gave a full breakdown of research performed at college campuses for the year ending Sept. 30, 2023. The reported amount of academic research performed on each campus can be misleading because significant research is conducted at Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs) that are separate from yet closely associated with specific universities. For example, the Applied Physics Laboratory is operated by Johns Hopkins University, but on a separate campus. Yet, its $2.3 billion research budget is counted as an integral part of Hopkins’ operations. In contrast, other FFRDCs, such as the MIT Lincoln Lab, Cal Tech’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and University of Chicago’s
Argonne National Lab are excluded from their host school’s totals.”
Jay Hartzell Leaves UT Austin for SMU
[link removed]
via The Texas Horn
“On Tuesday morning, University of Texas President Jay Hartzell announced that he will be leaving UT to take the same position at the Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX. SMU’s Board of Trustees unanimously voted for Hartzell. In a university-wide email at approximately 11:00 a.m., Hartzell announced his departure to the UT students. He thanked the leadership of Texas, the Board of Regents, the Chancellor and UT System staff, UT Austin’s faculty, staff, students, and alumni for their support, and listed UT’s great achievements during his reign as president.”
The Philosophy Club at UVA: Ph.D. Candidate Jacob Smith Discusses AI Companions, the Loneliness Epidemic, and the Philosophy of Love
[link removed]
via The Jefferson Independent
"Early in December, Jacob Smith, a Ph.D. candidate in philosophy at UVA, presented for the Philosophy Club at a regular meeting. Smith’s presentation coincided with a paper he has been working on as part of his graduate pursuits in philosophy. The topic takes inspiration from the growing prevalence of loneliness among Americans and people around the world with the emergence of more advanced technology. Ironically, some tech companies are looking to AI programs designed to provide companionship of various forms. It is from this set of circumstances that Smith makes his philosophical inquiry.
Smith began the discussion by presenting his ultimate conclusion. Despite AI companions being marketed as substitutes for lovers, close friends, or family members, Smith argues that such AI models are unsuitable objects of love and, similarly, that they cannot genuinely offer the user love or affection."
Is Forbes’ Squad Really Worse than Furman and George Mason?
[link removed]
via The Wake Report
"After a slow start to the season, Wake Forest Men’s Basketball has looked impressive in its last two contests, including a 10-point road win against Syracuse and a dominant 77-59 win at home vs NC State. These games featured continued dominance from Hunter Sallis, who has notched 20 points or more in his last 4 games, and the emergence of Juke Harris who contributed 27 total points between the two games. With this being said, Wake has still earned little respect among various metrics, as they sit 88th in the NET rankings and are 84th according to KenPom. They currently stand behind teams like Furman and George Mason in the NET rankings, which makes us wonder why Forbes’ squad is still ranked so poorly, even with their 11-4 record."
Cornell Faces Financial Challenges
[link removed]
via The Cornell Review
"How are Cornell’s financial plans working in a rapidly changing environment? Cornell’s federal funding is placed at risk when the incoming Trump Administration, including Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, is calling for a drastic reduction in federal spending in order to balance the federal budget. President-Elect Trump and Congressional Republicans are threatening to remove universities’ tax-exempt status if they fail to address antisemitism or “woke” ideology. The demise of Kamala Harris and the Democratic Senate majority in the November 2024 election gives credibility to these threats. Meanwhile, the Ithaca City School District (ICSD) depends on real property taxes to cover 75% of its budget, and in May 2024, its taxpayers revolted and refused to approve a budget based upon a 6.5% tax increase."
[link removed]
CATEGORY: PUBLIC SAFETY (3 MIN)
Fiddling with fire
[link removed]
Americans have been flooded with the tragic scenes from the devastating wildfires terrorizing the Los Angeles area this week. Smoke has loomed over one of the largest cities in our nation for days. Many are looking for someone to blame, citing causes ranging from climate change and freak weather to the homeless community and even intentional arson. But some say the answer is simple: poor preparation.
Jonathan A. Lesser, writing in City Journal, targets the California state government and Governor Gavin Newsom for incompetent and even dishonest actions that ultimately helped contribute to the fires above Hollywood. Lesser points out that claims of climate change’s effect and wind alone could not start the fires themselves. Instead, the usual causes are humans and power lines—including the failure to adequately manage forests.
A few years ago, Newsom earmarked more than $1 billion for stopping wildfires. But Lesser says Newsom lied to the public about how much acreage such projects covered. Newsom claimed they helped 90,000 acres. The real number was around 11,500.
Ultimately, Lesser argues, the state failed to remove dead and diseased plants and instituted restrictive land-use provisions that moved developments toward vulnerable areas. He notes that state auditors and reporters even agreed that the government’s efforts were “inadequate.” And still, LA burned.
Read Lesser’s research right here.
Read Now
[link removed]
Thought of the Day:
“The nation which can prefer disgrace to danger is prepared for a master and deserves one.”
- Alexander Hamilton
Join ISI’s new Alumni Giving Club
It’s never been easier for you to support our mission—and stay part of our community—with ISI’s new Alumni Giving Club!
For just $19.53 a month, you can join the fight and “pay it forward” by educating the next generation for ordered liberty.
Join the Club
[link removed]
Follow on Twitter Friend on Facebook Forward to Friend
Copyright © 2025, All rights reserved.
Our mailing address is:
Intercollegiate Studies Institute
3901 Centerville Road
Wilmington, DE 19807
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[link removed]
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Email not displaying correctly?
View it in your browser
[link removed]
.
[link removed]
CATEGORY: ECONOMY (17 MIN)
H-1B: A snipped STEM
[link removed]
In a somewhat surprising internal battle, elements of the conservative movement teed off on one another in the past couple weeks over the H-1B visa program. Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, the leaders of the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), supported them (though urging reform), while many other of President-elect Donald Trump’s supporters opposed them.
For Compact, Norman Matloff argues that the visa program hurts American workers, even when used for good purposes. Matloff believes that the program has contributed to the huge number of international students in American STEM programs—a whopping 72% of students in U.S. computer science graduate programs were foreign as of 2019.
Thus, Matloff says, American potential STEM students face a losing situation. He claims that the degree doesn’t add much for a U.S. citizen, but for a foreign worker who wants to follow the H-1B path, it means a lot more. And Matloff also notes the rampant abuse of the program, going back to the days of the Clinton administration.
Matloff doesn’t think the program harms Americans alone. He sees the H-1B recipients as stuck in underpaid jobs at the whims of their employers, and he cites sources of evidence from government employers who encouraged keeping down salary level.
So Matloff proposes reform. He urges changes to the wage requirement for H-1B (encouraging higher-paying jobs), immediate green card issuance instead of a yearslong “queue,” and justifying the requirement of a master’s degree.
Do you agree? Read Matloff’s article here.
Read Now
[link removed]
Weekly Poll
What do you think of the H-1B program?
[A] It's as good as it is
[B] It needs reform
[C] It should go
[D] Not sure
[link removed]
RESULTS: 12/19/2024
Is the American educational system fixable?
[A] Yes - 46.2%
[B] No - 40%
[C] It doesn't need fixing - 1.2%
[D] Not sure - 12.5%
CATEGORY: ECONOMY (10 MIN)
H-1B: The balancing act
[link removed]
Underneath the arguments over the H-1B visa program is a debate about immigration as a whole. The visas allow more foreigners to enter America and eventually have a path to citizenship apart from the standard process. Such a system sparks emotional reactions from many Americans, especially in the current supercharged debate around immigration.
In this week’s article from the Modern Age website, Gene Callahan & Robert P. Murphy give their own analysis of the H-1B program. Callahan & Murphy begin by arguing that the language supporters of the visas use to justify them—that there is a “shortage of qualified Americans”—isn’t economically sound. They characterize the situation as one in which businesses are hunting cheaper alternatives.
The roughly 600,000 H-1B employees in our nation aren’t necessarily low-paid workers, Callahan & Murphy say, but they are discounted from the comparable American rate. So the authors believe H-1Bs are a “vehicle for U.S. firms to pay below the prevailing salaries for various occupations.”
But the authors also don’t think America is poorer for having the visas. They agree that American workers aren’t hired for these jobs because of the H-1B program, but at the same time, they believe that if companies had to pay Americans, costs would go up and so would prices, potentially hurting consumers.
Callahan & Murphy conclude by noting the difficult balance between society’s “openness to new members” and preserving a “sense of solidarity among its already existing members.” And there, economics doesn’t have all the answers.
Read Callahan & Murphy’s work here on the Modern Age website.
Read Now
[link removed]
[link removed]
CATEGORY: VIDEO
Failed First Citizen, Failed Republic: Brutus in Julius Caesar
[link removed]
Experience a captivating lecture by Dr. Benedict Whalen, Associate Professor of English at Hillsdale College, presented at the 2024 ISI Annual Honors Conference. Titled "Failed First Citizen, Failed Republic: Brutus in Julius Caesar," this thought-provoking talk examines the complex character of Brutus and his pivotal role in the collapse of the Roman Republic in Shakespeare's timeless play.
Dr. Whalen masterfully unpacks the political, moral, and philosophical dimensions of Brutus's decisions, shedding light on how Shakespeare's portrayal of ambition, loyalty, and civic responsibility continues to offer profound insights into leadership and human nature.
Whether you're a Shakespeare aficionado or a curious learner, this lecture is an intellectual feast you won't want to miss.
Watch Now
[link removed]
Because our student editors and writers are bravely bringing conservative ideas to their campuses, we’re highlighting their efforts here.
Research Continues to Build Cornell’s Stature
[link removed]
via The Cornell Review
“Cornell may not have the heft to win the Ivy League Football Championship, but it is certainly the Ivy League’s silver medalist when it comes to sponsored research. A recent report issued by the National Science Foundation’s National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics gave a full breakdown of research performed at college campuses for the year ending Sept. 30, 2023. The reported amount of academic research performed on each campus can be misleading because significant research is conducted at Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs) that are separate from yet closely associated with specific universities. For example, the Applied Physics Laboratory is operated by Johns Hopkins University, but on a separate campus. Yet, its $2.3 billion research budget is counted as an integral part of Hopkins’ operations. In contrast, other FFRDCs, such as the MIT Lincoln Lab, Cal Tech’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and University of Chicago’s
Argonne National Lab are excluded from their host school’s totals.”
Jay Hartzell Leaves UT Austin for SMU
[link removed]
via The Texas Horn
“On Tuesday morning, University of Texas President Jay Hartzell announced that he will be leaving UT to take the same position at the Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX. SMU’s Board of Trustees unanimously voted for Hartzell. In a university-wide email at approximately 11:00 a.m., Hartzell announced his departure to the UT students. He thanked the leadership of Texas, the Board of Regents, the Chancellor and UT System staff, UT Austin’s faculty, staff, students, and alumni for their support, and listed UT’s great achievements during his reign as president.”
The Philosophy Club at UVA: Ph.D. Candidate Jacob Smith Discusses AI Companions, the Loneliness Epidemic, and the Philosophy of Love
[link removed]
via The Jefferson Independent
"Early in December, Jacob Smith, a Ph.D. candidate in philosophy at UVA, presented for the Philosophy Club at a regular meeting. Smith’s presentation coincided with a paper he has been working on as part of his graduate pursuits in philosophy. The topic takes inspiration from the growing prevalence of loneliness among Americans and people around the world with the emergence of more advanced technology. Ironically, some tech companies are looking to AI programs designed to provide companionship of various forms. It is from this set of circumstances that Smith makes his philosophical inquiry.
Smith began the discussion by presenting his ultimate conclusion. Despite AI companions being marketed as substitutes for lovers, close friends, or family members, Smith argues that such AI models are unsuitable objects of love and, similarly, that they cannot genuinely offer the user love or affection."
Is Forbes’ Squad Really Worse than Furman and George Mason?
[link removed]
via The Wake Report
"After a slow start to the season, Wake Forest Men’s Basketball has looked impressive in its last two contests, including a 10-point road win against Syracuse and a dominant 77-59 win at home vs NC State. These games featured continued dominance from Hunter Sallis, who has notched 20 points or more in his last 4 games, and the emergence of Juke Harris who contributed 27 total points between the two games. With this being said, Wake has still earned little respect among various metrics, as they sit 88th in the NET rankings and are 84th according to KenPom. They currently stand behind teams like Furman and George Mason in the NET rankings, which makes us wonder why Forbes’ squad is still ranked so poorly, even with their 11-4 record."
Cornell Faces Financial Challenges
[link removed]
via The Cornell Review
"How are Cornell’s financial plans working in a rapidly changing environment? Cornell’s federal funding is placed at risk when the incoming Trump Administration, including Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, is calling for a drastic reduction in federal spending in order to balance the federal budget. President-Elect Trump and Congressional Republicans are threatening to remove universities’ tax-exempt status if they fail to address antisemitism or “woke” ideology. The demise of Kamala Harris and the Democratic Senate majority in the November 2024 election gives credibility to these threats. Meanwhile, the Ithaca City School District (ICSD) depends on real property taxes to cover 75% of its budget, and in May 2024, its taxpayers revolted and refused to approve a budget based upon a 6.5% tax increase."
[link removed]
CATEGORY: PUBLIC SAFETY (3 MIN)
Fiddling with fire
[link removed]
Americans have been flooded with the tragic scenes from the devastating wildfires terrorizing the Los Angeles area this week. Smoke has loomed over one of the largest cities in our nation for days. Many are looking for someone to blame, citing causes ranging from climate change and freak weather to the homeless community and even intentional arson. But some say the answer is simple: poor preparation.
Jonathan A. Lesser, writing in City Journal, targets the California state government and Governor Gavin Newsom for incompetent and even dishonest actions that ultimately helped contribute to the fires above Hollywood. Lesser points out that claims of climate change’s effect and wind alone could not start the fires themselves. Instead, the usual causes are humans and power lines—including the failure to adequately manage forests.
A few years ago, Newsom earmarked more than $1 billion for stopping wildfires. But Lesser says Newsom lied to the public about how much acreage such projects covered. Newsom claimed they helped 90,000 acres. The real number was around 11,500.
Ultimately, Lesser argues, the state failed to remove dead and diseased plants and instituted restrictive land-use provisions that moved developments toward vulnerable areas. He notes that state auditors and reporters even agreed that the government’s efforts were “inadequate.” And still, LA burned.
Read Lesser’s research right here.
Read Now
[link removed]
Thought of the Day:
“The nation which can prefer disgrace to danger is prepared for a master and deserves one.”
- Alexander Hamilton
Join ISI’s new Alumni Giving Club
It’s never been easier for you to support our mission—and stay part of our community—with ISI’s new Alumni Giving Club!
For just $19.53 a month, you can join the fight and “pay it forward” by educating the next generation for ordered liberty.
Join the Club
[link removed]
Follow on Twitter Friend on Facebook Forward to Friend
Copyright © 2025, All rights reserved.
Our mailing address is:
Intercollegiate Studies Institute
3901 Centerville Road
Wilmington, DE 19807
unsubscribe from all emails
[link removed]
update subscription preferences
[link removed]
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