Brains Versus Brawn: Ordinal Rank Effects in Job Training
Is it better to be a big fish in a small pond or a small fish in a big pond?
Using data from Air Force basic military training, Civitas Senior Fellow Scott Carrell and Alexander Chesney examine the impacts of relative rank in cognitive and physical ability on enlistees short and longer-run outcomes. Results show strong evidence for the “big fish, small pond” phenomenon, meaning that individuals of equal ability tend to thrive when they are higher on the proverbial pecking order of ability within their assigned group. Findings also suggest that overall group productivity could be improved by altering the way military personnel are assigned to training groups.
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This paper was originally published by the Journal of Public Economics.
Pursuit of Happiness
National Poll from Civitas Institute: Americans Concerned About AI, Economic Issues
The Civitas Institute Poll, conducted from March 11-20, 2025, asked 1,200 Americans an array of questions about how things are going in the country.
Divorce, Family Arrangements, and Children's Adult Outcomes
This paper uses linked tax and Census records for over 5 million children to examine how divorce affects family arrangements and children's long-term outcomes.
Humanity According to Alasdair MacIntyre
He reminded us that life is mainly about love and friendship, not reason and will.
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Charter Schools Are Not ‘State Actors,’ And SCOTUS Should Have Said So
Charter schools need more autonomy than district schools if American families are going to have real choice in education.
American Renaissance: Penn Station Reborn?
Given the president’s rallying cry to Make America Great Again, it should be evident that one of the best expressions of this message would be to restore one of the nation’s greatest architectural icons and declarations of civic pride.
How Reading Augustine Dispels Ideological Illusions
What is the path through life that Augustine blazed and that so many others have followed?
