Rebecca Haw Allensworth

A bottom-up investigation of the broken system of professional licensing, affecting everyone from hairdressers and morticians to doctors, lawyers, real estate agents, and those who rely on their services. Tens of millions of US workers are required by law to have a license to do their jobs—about twice as many as are in unions. The requirements are set by over...

A bottom-up investigation of the broken system of professional licensing, affecting everyone from hairdressers and morticians to doctors, lawyers, real estate agents, and those who rely on their services. Millions of Americans are required to have a license to do their jobs, giving the boards responsible for licensure enormous power. In theory, licensing boards maintain standards of hygiene, skill, and...