Scholars Strategy Network's No Jargon

The opioid epidemic is ravaging communities across America and there’s no silver bullet to fix it. But communicating to people about risks and steps to prevent addiction is a start. Professor Itzhak Yanovitzky describes how New Jersey uses information to help fight the opioid epidemic and how his research partnership with the state helps to improve these efforts. For More on this Topic: Read this My Central Jersey article about Yanovitzky’s latest research Check out the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey website

Following the 2016 election, suburban well-educated women got together in PTA groups, libraries, and coffee shops to organize—some for the first time. Professor Lara Putnam shares insights on how these groups work, what their goals are, and why they have been so effective at mobilizing voters. For More on this Topic: Read Putnam's pieces in the Democracy Journal, Middle America Reboots Democracy with Theda Skocpol and Who Really Won PA18? Check out her article in The American Prospect, Digital Fixes Won’t Solve the Democrats’ Problems

America—the world’s wealthiest country—is home to over 40 million people living under the poverty line. And for many, there is no safety net to fall back on. Professor Joan Maya Mazelis explains how we got here and highlights one innovative organization, run by and for poor people, that builds community among the poor and provides help when the safety net is missing. For More on this Topic: Check out Mazelis’ book, Surviving Poverty: Creating Sustainable Ties among the Poor Read her brief, How to Help America's Poor People Build Community and Assist Each Other

The Founding Fathers made sure to put checks in place that would prevent a president from becoming a king. But Professor Larry Jacobs explains that when it comes to foreign policy, the president goes largely unchecked. Next, Professor Frances Lee outlines the ways Congress has rebuked presidential power, even under the current administration. And finally, Professor Keith Whittington takes us to the courts, which have been skeptical of many of President Trump’s executive orders. For More on this Topic: Read Jacobs’ book, Who Governs? Presidents, Public Opinion, and Manipulation Find Lee’s book, Insecure Majorities: Congress and the Perpetual Campaign Check out Whittington’s book, Political Foundations of Judicial Supremacy: The Presidency, the Supreme Court, and Constitutional Leadership in U.S. History Find more on the website for the conference, A Republic, If We Can Keep It, organized by the Cornell Center for the Study of Inequality with lead organizer Suzanne Mettler.

US politics is built around two parties, but recently there have been growing rifts between and within them. First, Professor Eliot Cohen explains why some Republicans, like himself, left the party after the 2016 election. Next, Professor Didi Kuo highlights the importance of political parties for democracy and why many voters feel disconnected from them. For More on this Topic: Read Cohen’s articles in The Atlantic and Foreign Affairs Check out Kuo’s article in The American Interest, The Paradox of Party Polarization

From Sean Hannity to Rachel Maddow, TV and radio hosts are taking stronger ideological stances, telling audiences what is right and wrong in America. Professor Sarah Sobieraj examines this “outrage industry” and what it means for the millions who tune in. Later, she dives into new research on the attacks women face in online spaces. For More on this Topic: Read Sobieraj’s and Berry’s book, The Outrage Industry: Political Opinion Media and the New Incivility Check out her academic article on women’s treatment online (paywall)

At only 20 percent, the number of US Congressional seats held by women ranks 101st in the world. Saskia Brechenmacher explains why this underrepresentation is bad for our democracy and looks at examples abroad to see how we might close the gap. For More on this Topic: Read Brechenmacher’s paper, Closing the Gender Gap in U.S. Politics: Lessons from Europe Read her OpEd in The Hill, American Political Parties Must Do More to Get Women in Government

Immigration enforcement measures used to be concentrated on America’s borders. But as Professor Yalidy Matos outlines, federal agencies are increasingly partnering with local law enforcement to carry out deportations, leaving immigrant communities uncertain about their futures. For More on this Topic: Read Matos’ brief, How America's 1996 Immigration Act Set the Stage for Increasingly Localized and Tough Enforcement Further Reading: Will State and Local Crackdowns Prevent Immigrants from Fitting In to American Society?, Helen B. Marrow, Tufts University The Deportation Crisis for Latino Immigrant Men and Their Families, Tanya Golash-Boza, University of California, Merced Episode 73: Sanctuary City Limits, Tom K. Wong, University of California

For undocumented youth, the chance to receive legal status would be a life changer. Professor Amy Hsin shows how legalization could encourage young immigrants to get a college degree and even reduce the national deficit, all without threatening the wages of U.S. born workers. For More on this Topic: Read Hsin’s opinion piece in The Hill, How the DREAM Act Can Actually Lower the Deficit Check out an Econofact memo on her research, The Economic Gains from Legalizing DREAMers Further Reading: How Restrictive Immigration Measures Undermine the Mental Health of Latino Migrants, Whitney L. Duncan, University of Northern Colorado Educational Aspirations and Realities for the Children of Immigrants in France and the United States, Amy Lutz, Syracuse University, Yaël Brinbaum, Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers

Family, education, and work—for undocumented people in the U.S., these areas of life are filled with uncertainty. As Professor Roberto Gonzales explains, growing up undocumented can throw your future into limbo. For More on this Topic: Read Gonzales’ book, Lives in Limbo: Undocumented and Coming of Age in America Check out his piece for Vox, “I Study Young Undocumented Immigrants. Here’s How DACA Changed Their Lives.” Further Reading: The Impact of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) on the Psychological Wellbeing of Young Immigrants, Caitlin Patler, University of California Davis The New Challenges Facing Young Undocumented Immigrants, Elizabeth Aranda, University of South Florida

It’s no secret. Our political future is uncertain and unpredictable. Author and scholar Yascha Mounk outlines how economic inequality, a backlash against increasing diversity, and the rise of social media all threaten democracies across the globe—and what we can do to save them. For More on this Topic: Read Mounk’s new book, The People vs. Democracy: Why Our Freedom Is in Danger and How to Save It Check out his interview in The Atlantic Further Reading: How Today's Populism Dismantles Democracy Worldwide, Erica Frantz, Michigan State University Episode 81: On Tyranny, Timothy Snyder, Yale University

Birth control has helped many avoid unwanted pregnancies, but getting access to it can be a challenge. Professor Anu Manchikanti Gómez dives deep into a law that tried to change this by giving pharmacists the power to prescribe birth control. The only problem, is anyone using it? For More on this Topic: Read Gómez’s brief, Tracking the Implementation of a California Law Allowing Pharmacists to Prescribe Birth Control Further Reading: Why Coverage of Prescription Contraception Matters for Men as Well as Women, Krystale Littlejohn, Occidental College How Intrauterine Devices and Contraceptive Implants Help Young Mothers Avoid Quickly Becoming Pregnant Again, Rebecca Cohen, University of Colorado

Ballot questions let voters decide on big issues. But with ad campaigns and special interests, reliable information can be hard to find. Professor John Gastil outlines an innovative solution—give a small group of citizens all of the information they need to make up their minds and share their findings with fellow voters. For More on this Topic: Read Gastil’s two-page brief on Citizens’ Initiative Reviews. Check out his piece in The Washington Post Further Reading: Building Public Trust and Improving Policy Through Deliberative Engagement Between Officials and Citizens, Daniel Patterson, University of Utah How Do Effective Associations Spur Citizen Engagement?, Hahrie Han, University of California, Santa Barbara

Raising taxes on the rich encourages job creators to skip town. Or so say some economists and policymakers. This week, Professor Cristobal Young dispels the myth of millionaires leaving high tax states and shows the many ways the wealthy are invested in the places they live. For More on this Topic: Read Young’s piece in The Washington Post on millionaire taxes. Check out Young’s easy to read book, The Myth of Millionaire Tax Flight Further Reading: How States Can Fight Growing Economic Inequality, Megan E. Hatch, Cleveland State University, Elizabeth Rigby, The George Washington University Episode 28: Americans Like Taxes, Vanessa Williamson, Brookings Institution

Prescription drugs are expensive. But for years, a little-known program has given some hospitals discounts to help them provide care for low-income and uninsured patients. Professor Sayeh Nikpay explains why this program is now under fire and what this means for America’s safety net. For More on this Topic: Read Nikpay’s piece in the Health Affairs Blog on the 340B program   Further Reading: Episode 83: 21st Century Safety Net, Benjamin Veghte, National Academy of Social Insurance How U.S. Hospitals Often Undervalue Black and Poor Lives, Adam Reich, Columbia University

We all want innovative policies that propel our nation forward. But getting things done in DC isn’t always easy. This week, Thomas Kalil joins us to share some of the practical lessons he learned during his years working in the White House—have a concrete plan of action, make it easy, and don’t worry about who gets the credit. For more on this Topic: Read Kalil’s essay, Policy Entrepreneurship at the White House Check out his TEDx talk on 21st Century Moonshots Further Reading: Episode 96: Informing Policy, Jenni W. Owen, Duke University Regulation, Participation, and Policy Design, K. Sabeel Rahman, Brooklyn Law School

In 1965, the passage of the Voting Rights Act helped secure equal access to the ballot, and it has enjoyed bipartisan support ever since. Right? Professor Rhodes shows how, over the years, politicians who publicly supported this law worked behind the scenes to dismantle it. For More on this Topic: Read Rhodes’ book, Ballot Blocked Check out his opinion piece in The Washington Post Further Reading: The Dismantling of the Voting Rights Act, Dewey M. Clayton, University of Louisville Episode 97: Who Has the Right to Vote?, Douglas Spencer, University of Connecticut

The 2018 midterms are rapidly approaching and voters want to believe they’re going to make rational choices at the polls. But as Professor Casey Klofstad explains, there is an unexpected factor influencing voter behavior and affecting our elections—the tone of a candidate’s voice. For More on this Topic: Read Klofstad’s article in The Scientific American, How Voice Pitch Influences Our Choice of Leaders Check out his book, Civic Talk: Peers, Politics, and the Future of Democracy Find his brief, Talking about Politics Boosts Civic Participation Further Reading: Why Beards and Mustaches are Rare for Modern American Politicians, Rebekah Herrick, Oklahoma State University To Win Elections, Do Women Candidates Have to be Better Qualified than Men?, Sarah Andrea Fulton, Texas A&M University

A $50 citation, $100 in court costs—for many Americans navigating the criminal justice system, fines and fees like these add up quickly. Professor Alexes Harris reveals why local governments charge convicts to pay for the justice system and how this disproportionately burdens marginalized people and communities. For More on this Topic: Read Harris’s  OpEd in the New York Times, Justice Shouldn’t Come With a $250 Fine Check out her book, A Pound of Flesh: Monetary Sanctions as a Permanent Punishment for Poor People. Find her two-page brief, How Reliance on Fees and Charges to Fund U.S. Criminal Justice Weakens Public Faith in Poor Communities Further Reading: Episode 39: Change from the Inside, David Dagan, Johns Hopkins University Using Fines to Fund Municipal Government Hurts Low-Income Minorities, Just as Sharecropping Did a Century Ago, Brandi Blessett, Rutgers University-Camden

Professors all across the country have expertise that can improve public policy, but how can they get their research into the hands that matter? Professor Lee Badgett provides the tips and tools scholars need to make these connections in the new year and tells the stories of a few successful public professors. For More on this Topic: Read Badgett’s book, The Public Professor Find her two-page brief, How Scholars Can Become Influential Public Professors Check out SSN’s new policy engagement workshop Further Reading: Episode 96: Informing Policy, Jenni Owen, Duke University Building Public Trust and Improving Policy Through Deliberative Engagement Between Officials and Citizens, Daniel Patterson, University of Utah