PPL Faculty Fellow Nate Ela (Beasley School of Law) presents in our Colloquium Series

Slack in American Law and Political Economy

Slack the pervasive disuse of resources is a defining feature of the American political economy. Across a wide range of contexts, incumbents who stand to benefit from slack shape laws that block the activation of productive and civic capacity. Drawing on case studies from urban land use and elections, Dr. Ela explore one reason why the United States often fails to live up to its productive and democratic potential, and why its economic and political systems are often rigid rather than resilient in moments of crisis.