Scholars Strategy Network's No Jargon

A decade ago, the immigration debate divided Hazleton, PA when the mayor blamed a wave of immigrants for crimes and passed a harsh bill against them. Professor René Flores lays out what happened and how laws like this can actually lead to more violence. For More on This Topic: Read his brief on Hazleton and Arizona, How Restrictive Laws Can Influence Public Attitudes towards Immigrants Check out the NPR story about the history of the town and how it has transformed. Further Reading: Why Does Immigration Arouse Deep Feelings and Conflicts?, John D. Skrentny, UC San Diego How Restrictive Immigration Measures Undermine the Mental Health of Latino Migrants, Whitney L. Duncan, University of Northern Colorado

Residents are experts on their neighborhoods, but their voices often go unheard in local decision making. Professor Tia Gaynor discusses initiatives that bridge the gap between local governments and citizens – and explains how some have fallen short. For More on This Topic: Read her article for the PA Times on the Los Angeles Fire Department Check out her brief, The Unmet Challenge of Fighting Racially Discriminatory Practices in Local U.S. Law Enforcement Agencies Further Reading: Episode 16: Local Agents of Democracy Varieties of Civic Engagement in Contemporary America, Paul Lichterman, University of Southern California How Emergency Managers and Community Organizations Can Cooperate to Handle Disasters, Scott E. Robinson, University of Oklahoma

Millions of Americans struggle to pay their utility bills, and some families are even forced to choose between groceries or energy bills. Professor Tony Reames lays out energy’s unequal burden on low-income Americans and suggests ways to move forward. For More on This Topic: Read his brief, Improving the Effectiveness of Federal Energy Assistance for Low-Income Households Check out a Q&A with Professor Reames about his energy justice work Further Reading: Assessing the Accomplishments of the War on Poverty, Martha J. Bailey, University of Michigan, Sheldon Danziger, Russell Sage Foundation and University of Michigan Have Reforms in U.S. Housing Assistance Reduces Neighborhood Poverty?, Ann Owens, University of Southern California

Is the U.S. Constitution about to change? Professor David Marcus lays out why some states are calling for a constitutional convention to introduce amendments. And Professor David Robertson delves into the history behind this founding document. For More on This Topic Read Dave Robertson’s book, The Original Compromise: What the Constitution’s Framers were Really Thinking Checkout David Marcus’s blog post, “The Misguided Article V Convention” Further Reading Why U.S. Conservatives Shape Legislation across the Fifty States Much More Effectively than Liberals, Alexander Hertel-Fernandez, Columbia University, Theda Skocpol, Harvard University How The Roberts Court Undermines U.S. Democracy, Stephen E. Gottlieb, Albany Law School

The Sanders and Trump presidential campaigns both capitalized on emotional speeches and rallies. But politics weren’t always this way. Professor Jeremy Young examines the history of how charisma and emotional speaking became essential in elections.   For More on This Topic Read his brief, What Emotional Politics More than a Century Ago Says about Winning U.S. Elections Today Check out his book, The Age of Charisma: Leaders, Followers, and Emotions in American Society, 1870-1940   Further Reading Why -- And How -- Modern Politicians Talk About God And Religion, Kevin Coe, University of Utah Are Gender Stereotypes a Problem For Female Candidates?, Nichole Bauer, University of Alabama

Many transgender Americans report being denied a job because of their identity, but that’s just one result of the discrimination they face. Professors Eric Grollman and Lisa Miller explain how unfair treatment also harms their mental and physical health. For More on This Topic: Read Miller and Grollman’s two-page brief, Discrimination as an Obstacle to Wellbeing for Transgender Americans Check out the blog that Professor Grollman mentions, Conditionally Accepted -- and the blog post by Professor Alex Hanna -- and read their OpEd in USA Today. Further Reading: How Discrimination Hurts Health and Personal Wellbeing, Eric Anthony Grollman,  University of Richmond How Fighting Discrimination Can Enhance Well-Being For Aging Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Americans, Gilbert Gonzalez, Vanderbilt University, Carrie Henning-Smith, University of Minnesota The Health Consequences of Moving from Place to Place, Antwan Jones, George Washington University

Since the North American Free Trade Agreement, American processed foods have flooded the Mexican food market -- with dramatic effects on people’s health. Professor Alyshia Gálvez explains how Mexico became a dumping ground for America’s corn.   For More on This Topic: Read her OpEd in the Dallas Morning News, How NAFTA got Mexicans hooked on U.S. junk food, co-authored with Nicholas Freudenberg Check out the book she referenced, The Making of NAFTA: How the Deal Was Done by Maxwell A. Cameron and Brian W. Tomlin   Further Reading: Why Taming Corporation Promotion of Dangerous Consumer Products is Vital to Improving Public Health, Nicholas Freudenberg, City University of New York The Misleading Case for Unmanaged Global Free Trade, John A. Miller, Wheaton College Will International Trade Pacts Promote Shared Prosperity?, SSN Spotlight, February 2015

As Congress and the Trump Administration roll back environmental protections, some communities are especially harmed. But Professor David Konisky explains that unequal protection is nothing new, and lays out a history of failed promises by the government.   For More on This Topic: Read his two-page brief, The Challenge of Achieving Environmental Protection for All Check out his book, Failed Promises: Evaluating the Federal Government’s Response to Environmental Justice   Further Reading: Improving the Effectiveness of Federal Energy Assistance for Low-Income Households, Tony G. Reames, University of Michigan How Environmental Toxins Reduce Life Expectancy in Many American Neighborhoods, John I. Gilderbloom, University of Louisville, Gregory D. Squires, George Washington University

What do Iran’s elections and Trump’s international trip mean for the nuclear deal and US-Iran relations? Professor Kevan Harris discusses the history behind the latest news and paints a different picture of Iranian politics than usually seen in America.   For More on This Topic: Look for his upcoming book, A Social Revolution: Politics and the Welfare State in Iran   Further Reading: Attacking Iran's Nuclear Facilities Would Likely Radicalize the Islamic Republic's Government and Politics, Matthew Gratias, University of Southern California History Shows that President Obama is Wise to Retain a Military Option to Cripple Iran's Nuclear Facilities, Matthew Kroenig, Georgetown University

Quality of healthcare for women in jail varies widely, but it is the only place in the U.S. where they have a legal right to it. Professor Carolyn Sufrin outlines the policies that led to the contradictory system and suggests ways to move forward.   For More on This Topic: Read her 2-page brief, Unsettling Realities Of Care – Especially For Pregnant Women – In U.S. Jails Look for her upcoming book, Jailcare: Finding the Safety Net for Women Behind Bars   Further Reading: How "Tough on Crime" Hurts Families, SSN Spotlight, September 2016 Measuring the Social Impact of Mass Imprisonment on America's Black and White Families and Communities, Hedwig Lee, Tyler McCormick, Margaret T. Hicken, Christopher Wildeman Promising Results from a Program That Trains Women Leaving Jail to Work as Birth Doulas, Monica R. McLemore, University of California, San Francisco

Social security, health insurance, and unemployment insurance help Americans through life’s ups and downs. Benjamin Veghte explains the benefits and challenges to these programs and offers ways they can adapt to changing jobs and family structures.   For More on This Topic: Read his 2015 brief on social security and inequality. Or find the most recent research in his full report, Report to the New Leadership and the American People on Social Insurance and Inequality.   Further Reading: How Social Insurance Protects Americans from Growing Economic Risks, Theodore R. Marmor, Yale University How to Fix America’s Broken Unemployment Benefits, Alix Gould-Werth, University of Michigan, Alexander Hertel-Fernandez, Columbia University

Food stamps, Social Security, and Medicaid are not the only, or even the largest, social welfare programs in America. Professor Suzanne Mettler reveals how hidden benefits in the tax code promote inequality and how to make them more visible.   For More on This Topic: Read her two-page brief, Why Americans Can't See Government - And Why It Matters, Check out this article in New York Times with profiles on who buys homes in America and the impacts of the home mortgage-interest deduction.   Further Reading: Reforming Tax Policy For the Wealthiest One Percent, Michael Nau, Ohio State College of Medicine How Republican Approaches to Social Spending Increase Income Inequality in the United States, Christopher Faricy, Syracuse University

In the 1900s, dictators rose to power across Europe as democracies fell to fascists and communists. History Professor Timothy Snyder argues that democracy today is far from invincible, and translates lessons from the 20th century to guide Americans now.   For More on This Topic: Read his short best-selling book, On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century. Check out his recent piece in TIME Magazine and listen to his interview on NPR.   Further Reading: How Today's Populism Dismantles Democracy Worldwide, Erica Frantz, Michigan State University How Civic Organizations Can Develop Effective Leaders, Attract Members, and Enhance American Democracy, Hahrie Han, University of California, Santa Barbara

Title IX protects against sexual assault and gender discrimination at universities. Celene Reynolds discusses the state of Title IX today, and how a law meant for employment discrimination landed at the center of a movement against campus sexual assault.   For More on This Topic: Read her two-page brief, What We Know - and Need to Learn - about Progress against Sex Discrimination in Higher Education.   Further Reading: The Dangers of Invoking Cultural Explanations in the Fight Against Sexual Assaults on College Campuses, Meg Mott, Marlboro College How Federal Government Policies Have Helped Women Earn College Degrees, Deondra Rose, Duke University

Changing public opinion and high costs have death sentences in decline in America. Professor Frank Baumgartner explains that when they do happen, race, mental illness, and even location predict who is sentenced and executed — not just the crime.   For More on This Topic: Check out his research on state’s death penalty system discussed in the Louisiana Weekly. See the latest from the death penalty debate in the New York Times’ article on the Arkansas executions.   Further Reading: Children of Imprisoned Parents and the Future of Inequality in the United States, Sara Wakefield, Rutgers University, Christopher Wildeman, Cornell University The Troubling Fate of Aged Prisoners on Death Row, Elizabeth Rapaport, University of New Mexico School of Law

Trump’s cabinet is the wealthiest in U.S. history. In light of this news, this episode revisits Professor Nicholas Carnes' interview on the effects of a government run by the rich, for the rich, and ways to get working class Americans a seat at the table. For More on this Topic: Check out the New York Times graphic and article on the financial disclosures of the White House. Read his briefs, How Government by the Privileged Distorts Economic Policy and How Government by the Privileged Distorts Democracies. Further Reading: Why Politically Active Billionaires Threaten the Health of Democracy, Darrell M. West, Brookings Institution Who Gets What They Want from Government?, Martin Gilens, Princeton University  

Poverty can persist in the same communities for generations, especially communities of color. Professor Darrick Hamilton walks through the policies that prevent people from moving up in the economy and proposes solutions from jobs to schooling to banking.   For More on this Topic: Check out his research on ‘Baby Bonds’ discussed in the Institute for New Economic Thinking. Read his two-page brief, co-authored with William Darity Jr. and Mark Paul. Find the book he referenced, When Affirmative Action Was White by Ira Katznelson. Further Reading: Why America's Women of Color Have Lost Ground Since the Great Recession, Marion Johnson, NC Justice Centre, SSN Basic Facts, October 2015 Financial Deregulation, U.S. Party Politics, and Rising Income Inequality, Nathan J. Kelly, University of Tennessee, Giovanny D. Pleites-Hernandez, Eric Keller, University of Tennessee, February 2016

Development efforts in American cities often push out long-term residents and communities of color. Zeroing in on Baltimore, Professor Brandi Blessett breaks down the intentional and unintentional impacts of urban policy decisions.   For More on this Topic: Read more of her work on the impact of public administration on communities of color in her two-page brief. Check out Arnold Hirsch’s book on race and housing in Chicago, Making the Second Ghetto.   Further Reading: The Health Consequences of Moving From Place to Place, Antwan Jones, George Washington University The Real Baltimore Crisis, Eva Rosen, Johns Hopkins University Episode 19: Changing Neighborhoods for Better or Worse, Jackelyn Hwang

Could we fight unemployment by providing government jobs in construction, child care, and other needed public projects? Professor William Darity explains how a Federal Job Guarantee could work and how similar programs have been effective in the past.   For More on this Topic: Check out his oped in The New York Times. Read his two-page brief, co-authored with Darrick Hamilton and Mark Paul.   Further Reading: Why Jobless Americans Experience Deep and Prolonged Distress, Cristobal Young, Stanford University, SSN Key Findings The Great Recession and America's Underemployment Crisis, Leif Jensen, Pennsylvania State University, Tim Slack, Louisiana State University, SSN Key Findings

As charter school debates play out at the local level, out-of-state donors are contributing millions of dollars to school board campaigns in cities like Los Angeles and Denver. Professor Sarah Reckhow breaks down who donates and what that money does.   For More on this Topic: Read her two-page brief, Can Philanthropists Engineer Effective School Reforms? Check out her research discussed in Futurity and her article “Outsiders with Deep Pockets.”   Further Reading: The Promising Launch of Community-Oriented Charter Schools in New Orleans, Brian R. Beabout, University of New Orleans, Joseph L. Boselovic, Loyola University New Orleans, SSN Basic Facts Is Wall Street Looking to Profit from School Reform?, Jeff Faux, Economic Policy Institute Rhetoric and Reality in the "All Charter" Approach to School Reform in New Orleans, J. Celeste Lay, Tulane University, SSN Basic Facts