Santiago Perez

In this discussion, economist Santiago Perez from UC Davis, who co-authored a notable paper on the Pendleton Act, sheds light on the complexities of meritocratic hiring in government. He reveals that while the Pendleton Act aimed to reduce corruption and enhance efficiency, its effectiveness has been questionable. The conversation focuses on the unintended consequences of merit-based exams, such as salary manipulations and political dynamics, raising the question of whether reintroducing these exams could address today's bureaucratic challenges or exacerbate them.

Branko Marcetic, Jacobin staff writer and author of Yesterday's Man, delivers a critical farewell to Joe Biden, dissecting his presidency and public approval decline. He also critiques media figures like Joe Scarborough for influencing political discourse. Joining him, Santiago Perez, an economics professor at UC Davis, presents a revealing study on the unchanged socioeconomic dynamics in elite college admissions. Their conversation dives into the stark inequalities within higher education and the broader implications for society and democracy.