Category Archives: BFIA

If You Think You Are Making a Difference in Iowa, You Are Right!

Posted on January 18, 2018 by bfialindathieman

Ahhh!  Remember the “good ol’ days” when Howard Dean set off an explosion of Deaniac fervor in 2003? Democracy for Iowa gave birth to Blog for Iowa, as we joined the cause, in Deaniac style, along with several other non-Dean … Continue reading →

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A Blog for Iowa Independence Day Post

Posted on July 4, 2014 by Paul Deaton

(EDITOR’S NOTE: First posted on Blog for Iowa July 4, 2010). We hear a lot about the founding fathers today, and the truth is who they were, as people, is clouded in the river of time. One admires the portrait … Continue reading →

Posted in BFIA, Progressive Community | Tagged | 1 Comment

Happy 10th Birthday Blog For Iowa

Posted on April 11, 2014 by Paul Deaton

Why Philadelphia Made Me a Deaniac The 2000 election was supposed to have elected Al Gore as the first environmentalist president. He was a shoe-in after a popular Bill Clinton, or so some of us thought. What happened after the … Continue reading →

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BFIA Gets a Guest Editor

Posted on July 15, 2013 by Paul Deaton

Trish Nelson, editor of Blog for Iowa, will be taking a summer break and I’ll be pinch hitting as weekday editor from July 15 until Sept. 2. I’m looking forward to regular posting on the Online Information Resource for Iowa’s … Continue reading →

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Blog for Iowa Interview with Ari Berman, Part II

Posted on November 14, 2010 by Paul Deaton

Ari Berman writes for The Nation magazine and is author of the book Herding Donkeys, published in October 2010 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux. Paul Deaton of Blog for Iowa interviewed Ari this week. Following is the second installment of … Continue reading →

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Blog for Iowa Interview with Ari Berman, Part I

Posted on November 13, 2010 by Paul Deaton

Ari Berman writes for The Nation magazine and is author of the book Herding Donkeys, published in October 2010 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux. Paul Deaton of Blog for Iowa interviewed Ari this week. Following is the first installment of … Continue reading →

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Blog for Iowa Talks Politics

Posted on October 14, 2010 by Paul Deaton

Blog for Iowa Talks Politics On Monday October 11, Blog for Iowa participated in a panel discussion on a new local access television program called “Talking with Yale Cohn.” Host Yale Cohn included Paul Deaton from Blog for Iowa and … Continue reading →

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Waning Republican Enthusiasm in Iowa

Posted on October 3, 2010 by Paul Deaton

Waning Republican Enthusiasm in Iowa by Paul DeatonWhen I read James Q. Lynch's October 1, 2010 post at easterniowagovernment.com, my reaction was immediate and negative. The headline, “Republican Voter Numbers Surge” conveys the impression that there is something new going … Continue reading →

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Bruce Braley Shares our Values

Posted on September 21, 2010 by bfiacarolinevernon

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Posted in BFIA, Bruce Braley, Bush Tax, Calls to Action, Clean Elections, Congress, Corporate Greed, Education, Election Day Registration, Energy, Environment, Health Care & Medicare, Iowans for Voting Integrity, Jobs, Main Page, Progressive Community, Sustainability, Veterans | Comments Off on Bruce Braley Shares our Values

The altruism in economics

Posted on July 20, 2009 by bfiacarolinevernon

The Altruism in Economics


Standard economic theory states that people are interested only in
their own material gain. But new insights from behavioral economics
show that altruism rather than avarice is our primary motivation.

Jeremy Mercer –  http://www.dailygood.org/more.php?n=3716


It was evolutionary biologists, with their penchant for field
observation, who started to explore the question in an empirical
manner. It began with Charles Darwin, who was amazed by the cooperation
among bees; moved to William Hamilton, who studied altruism among
rabbits; and went on to include Robert Trivers’ work on sharing among
vampire bats. Once altruism was established in the natural world, the
same analytical eye inevitably turned toward the human sphere.


In 1973, a landmark experiment was conducted at blood banks in Kansas
City and Denver. It was inspired by the “crowding out” theory of
British social researcher Richard Titmuss, the idea that people perform
certain tasks, such as donating blood, for the common good, but that
their motivation would be “crowded out” if they were offered a
financial reward. The two blood banks were ideal testing grounds
because both had “willing” files bearing the names of previous donors.
For the experiment, a control group was sent the typical letter
… Continue reading →

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