Jordan Weissmann

Jordan Weissmann is an associate editor at The Atlantic. He has written for a number of publications, including The Washington Post and The National Law Journal.

Silicon Valley of the 14th Century: What the U.S. Can Learn From 1386 Germany

Silicon Valley of the 14th Century: What the U.S. Can Learn From 1386 Germany

This is a story about how innovation happens. It begins in 1386 after the great Papal Schism (seriously), demonstrates the ability of universities to foster capitalism, and concludes with a surprising hero of the modern world: lawyers. More »

The Wrong People Have Stopped Applying to Law School

The Wrong People Have Stopped Applying to Law School

The number of applicants with low LSAT scores has barely budged, while the number of top scorers has plummeted. More »

The Incredible Shrinking U.S. Government

The Incredible Shrinking U.S. Government

Government grew post-recession under the last three Republican presidents. Under Obama? More »

Can This 'Online Ivy' University Change the Face of Higher Education?

Can This 'Online Ivy' University Change the Face of Higher Education?

Meet The Minerva Project, the chest-beating, Silicon Valley-spawned, Larry Summers-backed "E-lite" college that just might reshape the worldwide market for education. More »

The Bigger Story Behind Santa Monica College's Pepper-Spray Showdown

The Bigger Story Behind Santa Monica College's Pepper-Spray Showdown

The problems in California's dysfunctional higher education system came to a violent head More »

How Do You Sell a Car to a Millennial?

How Do You Sell a Car to a Millennial?

Twenty-somethings are unemployed, living with their parents, and driving less. But Chevrolet's youth guru thinks he can convince generation stuck to get behind the wheel. More »

How Soon Could Unemployment Drop Below 5%?

How Soon Could Unemployment Drop Below 5%?

Possibly within 5 years, says the New York Fed. But it'll take some luck. More »

How Is This Recession Different From All Other Recessions?

How Is This Recession Different From All Other Recessions?

It's not. Men, minorities, and the young got the worst of the Great Recession, just like they did in every downturn for the past 30 years. More »

Winning Friday's Mega Millions Jackpot Would Make You Richer Than Mitt Romney

Winning Friday's Mega Millions Jackpot Would Make You Richer Than Mitt Romney

But should you buy a ticket? More »

The Great Construction Worker Mystery

The Great Construction Worker Mystery

A lot of them are still unemployed, but there might not be a special reason to worry about them More »

Why Do So Many Americans Drop Out of College?

Why Do So Many Americans Drop Out of College?

How America's higher education system became one big dropout factory More »

The Green Elite: The Top 10 States for Renewable Power

The Green Elite: The Top 10 States for Renewable Power

Renewable electricity might make up a small portion of the national energy picture. But some states are a whole heck of a lot further along than others. More »

Did the EPA Just Kill Big Coal?

Did the EPA Just Kill Big Coal?

The Environmental Protection Agency's new greenhouse gas rules could hasten the decline of America's top source of electricity. More »

There Are Way Fewer Green Jobs Than You Think

There Are Way Fewer Green Jobs Than You Think

Just 2.4 percent of U.S. workers are employed in green jobs -- and not all of them are high tech. More »

Why Don't Young Americans Buy Cars?

Why Don't Young Americans Buy Cars?

Auto makers are worried about the Millennials. They just don't seem to care about owning a car. Is this a generational shift, or just a lousy economy at work? Reuters.Kids these days. They don't get married. They don't buy homes. And, much to the dismay of the world's auto makers, they apparently don't feel a deep and abiding urge to own a car. This week, the New York Times pulled back the curtain on General Motors' recent, slightly bewildered efforts to… More »

The 1% of the Student Debt Crisis: Owing $150,000 in Loans

The 1% of the Student Debt Crisis: Owing $150,000 in Loans

In a new survey, two-thirds of high-debt borrowers said they didn't fully grasp how much their student loans would cost. More »

The Real Meaning of $1 Trillion in Student Loans

The Real Meaning of $1 Trillion in Student Loans

We're burying our country's future under a mountain of debt. More »

Chart of the Day: A Short History of 200 Years of Global Energy Use

Chart of the Day: A Short History of 200 Years of Global Energy Use

We've gone from the coal age to the oil age to the China age. More »

The Housing Crisis Is Crushing Responsible Homeowners

The Housing Crisis Is Crushing Responsible Homeowners

The GOP says that bailing out underwater homeowners rewards people who borrowed irresponsibly. But most of the homes entering foreclosure today were bought with prime mortgages. More »

Dethroned! How Wendy's Slayed Burger King in the Fast-Food Wars

Dethroned! How Wendy's Slayed Burger King in the Fast-Food Wars

One focused on funny ads. One focused on food. Guess who won? More »

The Biggest Story in Photos

Photos of Tornado Damage in Moore, Oklahoma

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