Scholars Strategy Network's No Jargon

In an annual report, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development found that over half a million Americans were experiencing homelessness on a single night in 2022. According to Professor Megan Welsh Carroll, racial discrimination, criminalization, and of course, the high cost of housing all contribute to this growing crisis. And while progress is being made, many critical public services remain out of reach for this group, including one that has led to serious public health issues: a lack of public restrooms. As the director of San Diego State University's Project for Sanitation Justice, Welsh Carroll explained what her team is doing to combat this specific problem in San Diego and how their work can serve as a model in other parts of the country. For more on this topic: Read Welsh Carroll's OpEd in the Los Angeles Times: California cities don't have enough public bathrooms. Here's one solution Read her SSN policy brief, co-authored by Jennifer Kate Felner and Jerel Pasion Calzo: Increasing Access to Public Bathrooms is Critical for San Diegans' Health Read her policy brief on the criminalization of the unhoused: Why Cities Must End Their Reliance on Police to Manage Homelessness – and How They Can Do it

2023 marks 50 years since the beginning of mass incarceration in 1973, when the U.S. prison population started increasing every single year for nearly four decades, according to Professor Nazgol Ghandnoosh. Ghandnoosh, who works for The Sentencing Project, shared some sobering numbers: today, over five million people are under supervision by the criminal legal system, and nearly two million people, disproportionately Black, are living in prisons. During this conversation, she delved into the different costs of incarceration – both on the incarcerated and on our society – and highlighted efforts needed to bring down our prison population. For more on this topic: Check out Ghandnoosh's brief for the Sentencing Project, Ending 50 Years of Mass Incarceration: Urgent Reform Needed to Protect Future Generations Read her report on racial disparities in the prison system: Black Lives Matter: Eliminating Racial Inequity in the Criminal Justice System

In states across the country, a flurry of new laws are being considered, and often passed, that specifically target transgender individuals – from bills that bar access to gender-affirming healthcare for youth to legislation that bans transgender people from competing in athletics. Professor Zein Murib shared where things stand, why transgender people have become the focus of so much legislative activity, and what these laws mean for the future of the LGBTQ+ movement and American society as a whole. For more on this topic: Check out Murib's forthcoming book, Terms of Exclusion: Rightful Citizenship Claims and the Construction of LGBT Political Identity Read their OpEd for Teen Vogue, Expect More Right-Wing Anti-Trans, Anti-"Critical Race Theory" Pushes in 2023 – and 2024 Find the book, Testosterone: An Unauthorized Biography, mentioned in the episode

Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) Americans may at times feel as though they're invisible. An estimated 3 million of them live in the U.S. yet have no box to mark their identities on government forms, such as the Census, and other surveys. Professor Neda Maghbouleh, who has spent years studying the exclusion faced by MENA Americans, laid out how the misrepresentation of their race impacts their lives. She explained what steps need to be taken to increase visibility for those who fall in the MENA category as well as what changes are already underway – thanks to efforts by Magbouleh and her colleagues René D. Flores and Ariela Schachter. For more on this topic: Check out Neda Maghbouleh's OpEd in Newsweek, coauthored by René D. Flores and Ariela Schachter: 5 Years After Muslim Ban, Middle Eastern and North African Americans Remain Hidden. Read an interview with Maghbouleh conducted by the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights: Why a MENA Category Matters.

In the American school system, math and science are considered essential building blocks of a good education. But for many students, those building blocks can topple over somewhere along the way. We spoke to Professor Lara Perez-Felkner, who laid out invisible barriers faced by racially minoritized and economically disadvantaged students pursuing STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics). Perez-Felkner discussed ways that school administrators, policymakers, and families can come together to remove these barriers and increase opportunity – all the way from kindergarten classrooms to college laboratories. For more on this topic: Check out Lara Perez-Felkner's SSN brief: Transforming Opportunity to Support STEM Success for All. Read her paper, co-authored by Samantha Nix: Difficulty Orientations, Gender, and Race/Ethnicity: An Intersectional Analysis of Pathways to STEM Degrees

Gone are the days of file cabinets, wall calendars and phone books, as advances in technology have made storing information easier than ever. But given a slew of high-profile data breaches in recent years – both at governmental agencies and private companies – cybersecurity is quickly becoming one of the most pressing issues facing our country. How can our government better protect against increasingly sophisticated cyber attacks? And how might these data breaches impact the lives of everyday Americans? Professor Jeremy Straub answered these questions and more, emphasizing what needs to happen to prevent a truly catastrophic data breach – and what such a breach could mean for the world. For more on this topic: Check out Jeremy Straub's SSN brief: Cybersecurity Incidents Can Be Unwelcome Wakeup Calls for Unprepared Agencies. Read his paper: Defining, Evaluating, Preparing for and Responding to a Cyber Pearl Harbor.

According to the CDC, more than 107,000 Americans died of drug overdoses in 2021. And a record-breaking 627 of those deaths occurred in the state of Maine. Substance use disorder is seen as a public health emergency by the medical community – but drug arrests continue to increase all over the country. In light of these developments, professor of political science Rob Glover, alongside his colleague Karyn Sporer (professor of sociology), set out to discover Mainers' attitudes about current drug policy in their state and what reforms they favor. Professor Glover shared these eye-opening findings with us – as well as its policy implications. For more on this topic: Check out Rob Glover and Karyn Sporer's OpEd published in the Kennebec Journal: Maine Voters Want a New Approach on Drug Policy. Read an overview of their findings.

With the midterm elections around the corner, all eyes are on the record-breaking number of Black female candidates on the ballot. We spoke to professor of government Nadia E. Brown, who shared her research on what's contributing to the rising numbers of Black women seeking office. During the conversation, Professor Brown explored what the combined identity of being Black and female means for those who enter into politics and ways in which prior political participation becomes a key motivator for them to run for office. For more on this topic: Check out Nadia E. Brown's book, Sisters in the Statehouse: Black Women and Legislative Decision Making. Read her paper, coauthored by Jamil Scott, Lorrie Frasure, and Dianne Pinderhughes: Destined to Run?: The Role of Political Participation on Black Women's Decision to Run for Elected Office. Read her SSN brief: What's Hair Got to Do With It? Black Women's Bodies and the Traditional Look of Success in American Politics.

With rent prices and mortgage rates continuing to skyrocket, finding and keeping stable housing is getting increasingly challenging for many Americans. But according to sociology professor Prentiss Dantzler, those challenges are amplified for members of marginalized groups, such as Black Americans. Professor Dantzler spoke to us about the ways racial discrimination persists in the housing market, despite laws - such as the Fair Housing Act of 1968 - that were put into place decades ago to prevent it. He emphasized that having a home should not be viewed as a privilege, but rather a human right, and offered policy solutions to help achieve that vision. For more on this topic: Read Prentiss Dantzler's paper, Making Our Way Home: Housing Policy, Racial Capitalism, and Reparations. Check out a paper written by two of his colleagues, Elizabeth Korver-Glenn and Junia Howell, mentioned in the episode: The Increasing Effect of Neighborhood Racial Composition on Housing Values, 1980-2015.

Millions of Americans are poor, food insecure, housing cost-burdened, or medically uninsured. This is where the U.S. social safety net comes in – with programs like Medicaid, food stamps, and unemployment insurance – to catch their fall. But how many experience a smooth landing? And how can society provide tangible relief to those who miss the net entirely? We sought answers from professor of public policy Chris Howard, who broke down what's included when we talk about the "social safety net" and proposed ways to mend the gaping holes. For more on this topic: Check out Chris Howard's new SSN brief: A Realistic Portrait of the Social Safety Net Pre-order his forthcoming book, Who Cares: The Social Safety Net in America

The U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and the war in Ukraine have brought an increased number of refugees to America over the past year. Enter refugee resettlement agencies – organizations that provide food, shelter, and of course, job placement to newly arrived refugees. But according to sociologist Dr. Nicole Kreisberg, their current strategy of job placement is deeply flawed: prioritizing immediate yet low-wage work over long-term reliable employment. Kreisberg spoke to us about the harms of this strategy, and what needs to be done to truly support incoming refugees. For more on this topic: Check out Nicole Kreisberg's SSN brief, co-written by Els de Graauw and Shannon Gleeson: Refugee Settlement Should Look Beyond First Job Placements Read her recent paper, also co-written by Els de Graauw and Shannon Gleeson: Explaining Refugee Employment Declines: Structural Shortcomings in Federal Resettlement Support

The US Supreme Court has a long history of firmly defending its philosophy of neutrality and did the same for the recent and historic overturn of Roe. Wade. But according to law professor Cedric Merlin Powell, the Court's neutral stance on cases impacting marginalized groups – including women and communities of color – ignores inequalities and in doing so, worsens them. Professor Powell sat down to speak with us about the serious harms caused by a judicial branch whose decisionmaking ignores the realities of racism, sexism, and other oppressive forces in our society. For more of Cedric Merlin Powell's work: Check out his SSN brief: How Race-Neutral Rulings by the Supreme Court Perpetuate Inequalities Pre-order his forthcoming book , Post-Racial Constitutionalism and the Roberts Court Last but not least, SSN is excited to highlight a new podcast series, When the People Decide, by The McCourtney Institute for Democracy at PennState. In this series, Jenna Spinelle tells the stories of activists, legislators, academics, and average citizens who changed their cities, states, and the country by taking important issues directly to voters — like Medicaid expansion in Idaho, sentencing reform in California, and LGBTQ workplace protections in Ohio.

More and more Americans are facing massive student debt and daunting payment plans once the federal pause on loan payments runs out. But this burden is not spread evenly, and neither are the challenges of paying it off. In this episode, we spoke to Associate Professor of Public Policy Fenaba Addo about who is really facing a student debt crisis, what contributes to student debt accumulation, and how race and family wealth factor into it all. For more of Fenaba Addo's work: Check out her report on this topic: Ensuring a More Equitable Future: Exploring and Measuring the Relationship Between Family Wealth, Education Debt, and Wealth Accumulation Listen to her on an episode of PitchFork Economics titled Why Should We Cancel Student Debt?

Millennials are often seen as a progressive-minded generation – as 80's and 90's kids, they grew up in a digital landscape that exposed them to a diversity of perspectives. But while expectations were high that this generation would be on the frontlines in the fight for racial equality, recent research by Associate Professor of Political Science Candis Watts Smith paints a different picture. During our conversation, Professor Smith discussed how white millennials' really think about race and the ways in which their views and beliefs have largely halted progress for Black Americans and other racial minorities in the United States. For more of Candis Smith's work: Check out her book on this research, Racial Stasis: The Millennial Generation and the Stagnation of Racial Attitudes in American Politics Read her latest book Stay Woke: A People's Guide to Making All Black Lives Matter Listen to her podcast, Democracy Works, to hear interviews with experts who study all different aspects of what it means to live in a democracy.

Conversations around climate change often focus on the consumption habits of everyday people: the cars we drive, the food we eat, our electricity bills. But according to geography professor Matt Huber, the carbon footprints of consumers are not what we should be so concerned about, despite all the rhetoric. During our conversation, Professor Huber focused on what (and who) he argues are largely responsible for our alarmingly high rate of carbon emissions – and offered solutions. For more of Matt Huber's work: Check out his new book coming out on May 10th: Climate Change as Class War Read his opinion article on this topic published in Jacobin: Rich People are Fueling Climate Catastrophe – But Not Mostly Because of Their Consumption

The 2020 presidential election brought disinformation – defined as false information with the intent to mislead – to the forefront of public conversation. Subsequent events, such as the January 6 riot, reveal the serious danger disinformation can pose to democracy. To learn more about the far-reaching consequences of digital disinformation, we spoke with nationally recognized election law expert Rick Hasen, a Professor of Law and Political Science at University of California, Irvine. During the conversation, Professor Hasen shared tangible solutions to combat the rise of disinformation campaigns during US elections. For more of Rick Hasen's work: Check out his new book coming out on March 8th Cheap Speech: How Disinformation Poisons Our Politics – and How to Cure It Read another one of his recent books on this topic Election Meltdown: Dirty Tricks, Distrust, and the Threat to American Democracy

The postpartum experience can be challenging enough for American mothers in normal times, but add a pandemic to the equation, and you may be left with a postpartum nightmare. To better understand what the birthing and postpartum experiences looked like in the early days of the pandemic and how the current Omicron surge mirrors those early days for new mothers, we spoke with Dr. Tova Walsh, an Assistant Professor of social work at the University of Wisconsin. Dr. Walsh has spent the last two years interviewing women who gave birth in the earliest days of the pandemic - an experience she shares with her research subjects. She explained the challenges these new mothers faced and laid out policy recommendations to improve postpartum care going forward. For more of Tova Walsh's work: Check out her recent opinion article published in NBC News: As COVID surges, health officials must remember that in-person postpartum care is essential Listen to her interviews about the experience of early parenting during the pandemic, on Wisconsin Public Radio and Slate's parenting podcast.

Amidst the dizzying onslaught of crises facing the nation – and the world – over the past several years, we are starting the new year by reflecting on how Americans react and respond to traumatic events, both as individuals and as groups. How do frightening circumstances facing our communities impact us psychologically? Why does so much disparity exist in the ways we process the same harmful events? How can we connect and find unity amidst all the chaos? These are some of the questions we explored with Dr. Maurice Stevens, a professor of comparative studies whose critical trauma theory research focuses on ways individuals and communities react to overwhelming events. For more of Maurice Stevens's work: Check out their SSN brief on this topic: Getting Beyond Trauma. Read a similar piece they published in Oppositional Conversations titled Contesting Catastrophes.

Tribal communities are entitled to federally funded healthcare under treaties signed with the U.S. government. And yet, Native Americans often struggle to access quality healthcare, creating health disparities that take a tremendous toll on their lives . In this episode, research scientist Dr. Emily Haozous explains what those health disparities have looked like over the past few decades, where they stand now, and what needs to be done to better meet the health needs of tribal communities. For more of Emily Haozous's work: Read her SSN brief on this topic: Challenges on the Horizon for Native American Sovereignty and Healthcare Learn about some of her past research on the health needs of the Native population in Santa Fe, in The Santa Fe Reporter.

The decades-long childcare crisis in America -- worsened by the pandemic -- continues to deepen: parents all across the nation have been facing immense challenges in finding quality, affordable childcare, all while childcare providers continue to deal with poor working conditions and cripplingly low wages. This month, we spoke to labor economist Mary King, who focuses on the public provision of high quality preschool and childcare. During our conversation, Dr. King offered a detailed examination of the crisis and explained the many advantages of creating a universal preschool program. For more of Mary King's work: Check out her article in The American Prospect: On Universal Preschool, Multnomah County, Oregon, Moves to the Head of the Class Read her three SSN briefs on this topic: New Preschool Program in Oregon is a Model for the Nation -- But Challenges Remain, The Labor Force for Needed Investments in Public Childcare Already Exists, and To Address the Childcare Crisis, Talk to Low Wage Moms

With a near-total abortion ban that was recently passed in Texas and Mississippi's request to overturn Roe v. Wade making its way to the Supreme Court, many are asking what the uptick in abortion restrictions in the US will mean for reproductive health and justice. On this latest episode, Professor Amanda Stevenson draws on her new research to show how abortion bans lead to an increase in pregnancy-related deaths and steps policymakers can take to expand greater access to reproductive health services. For more on Amanda Stevenson's research and this topic: Check out her latest opinion piece published in Salon: Pregnancy is Much More Dangerous Than Abortion -- Meaning Abortion Bans Like Texas' Will Be More Deadly Take a look at the CDC"s Pregnancy Mortality Surveillance System page that provides stats on pregnancy-related deaths.

Join us for the official relaunch of the No Jargon Podcast! For our first episode since our eleven-month hiatus, we take on Big Tech and government. Tech giants like Amazon and Facebook have been in the news a lot lately, especially after the House Judiciary Committee approved several antitrust bills this past summer that aim to curb the power of the tech industry. We decided to have a conversation with Margaret O'Mara, a renowned historian who has spent most of her career examining the love/hate relationship between Big Tech and government. Dr. O'Mara shares colorful stories about Silicon Valley – from its early beginnings to the days of the internet boom – all while explaining the Valley's ever-present intersection with US politics. She takes us on a journey through the ups and downs of the intensely eventful relationship between the two. For more of Margaret O'Mara's work: Read her most recent book The Code: Silicon Valley and the Remaking of America. Check out her opinion pieces about the tech industry in The New York Times.

The 2020 election is quickly approaching and there is no lack of challenges for election administrators to overcome. From a pandemic that's made finding poll workers difficult, to a massive influx of vote-by-mail ballots that are likely to delay results, to perhaps the biggest challenge of them all: the false rhetoric coming from the White House around the validity of the entire process. In this special episode, Professor Thessalia Merivaki lays out how election administrators are addressing these challenges, what we can expect come November, and what types of voter suppression to watch out for. For more on this topic: Read Merivaki's piece in The Conversation, Poll workers on Election Day will be younger – and probably more diverse – due to COVID-19 Read her piece in Forbes, Building Civic Engagement Capacity From The Ground: Voter Registration On College Campuses Check out her SSN brief, What Provisional Ballots Tell Us about the Remaining Challenges in America's Local Voting Systems Find her new book, The Administration of Voter Registration: Expanding the Electorate Across and Within the States

No Jargon is back for a special episode featuring Dr. Emma Sandoe. Medicaid has become the largest source of health care coverage in America. Just this year, even more states expanded their Medicaid programs, meaning that this trend is only going to continue. And yet, many people still don't know much about this program. Dr. Sandoe explains how we got here, what lessons we can learn from the history of this program, and what the future of Medicaid looks like amidst the coronavirus pandemic. For more on this topic: Check out Sandoe's article mentioned in the interview, How Foundational Moments In Medicaid's History Reinforced Rather Than Eliminated Racial Health Disparities Read her other public writing at the Health Affairs Blog

Since the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police at the end of May, the United States has been rocked by weeks of nationwide protests against police brutality, and it doesn't look like they're going anywhere anytime soon. Professor Vesla Weaver dives into how this movement is different from protests of the past, what brought us to the current situation, how our nation's police system has affected Black and Brown people's lives and understanding of our democracy, and what to make of calls for changes, such as abolishing the police. For more on this topic: Check out the Portals Policing Project and the research coming out of it Read Weaver's pieces in The Washington Post and Vox Find her two SSN briefs, How Harsh Policing and Mass Imprisonment Create Second-Class American Citizens and How Mass Imprisonment Burdens the United States with a Distrustful Civic Underclass Note: This episode includes some explicit language.

The 2020 election was already shaping up to be one of the most consequential and contentious in recent memory, and then came the COVID-19 pandemic. While much about the future is uncertain, we know this: the election cannot be run as originally planned. Professor Amel Ahmed lays out what policymakers can do to ensure that all voters can exercise their right to vote, what research can tell us about these various proposals, and how we can ensure that the public knows everything they need to vote before November comes. For more on this topic: Check out Baker's policy recommendation, Ensure Safe Elections for All Read her SSN brief, When Election Rules Undermine Democracy

Even at the best of times, accessing abortion care in the United States can be an arduous process. During a pandemic, the challenges only mount further. Clinics are closed down and, in some places, politicians have begun using COVID-19 to block abortion, calling it "nonessential" healthcare. Professor Carrie Baker explores whether telemedicine abortion could provide a solution, what barriers exist to implementing it, and what this all means for the future of reproductive rights in the United States. For more on this topic: Check out Baker's policy recommendation, Increase Access to Abortion Pills via Telemedicine Read her column in Ms. Magazine

In cities and towns across the country, protests have erupted following the police killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, and others. While many of the protests remained peaceful, others turned violent, with buildings being destroyed or looted and clashes breaking out between the police and protestors. In this archive episode, Professor Ashley Howard explains the history behind these protests, why protests sometimes turn violent, how governments often respond, and what the role of social media is in all of this. For more on this topic: Check out Howard's interview in The Chronicle of Higher Education and her multiple pieces in The Black Scholar. Read her SSN brief, How U.S. Urban Unrest in the 1960s Can Help Make Sense of Ferguson, Missouri, and Other Recent Protests This episode originally aired on February 14, 2017.

Being a college student can be stressful enough, but when you're an undocumented immigrant, there are many additional hurdles in your way. Dr. Sayil Camacho unpacks what it's like to be an undocumented student at our nation's colleges and universities, what more university administrators and faculty can do to support them, and how DACA and the upcoming Supreme Court decision on the program factor into it all. For More on This Topic: Read the report Camacho worked on with Roberto Gonzales, Kristina Brant, and Carlos Aguilar, "The Long-Term Impact of DACA: Forging Futures Despite DACA's Uncertainty" Check out the webinar Camacho put together on Scholar Allyship with and for the Undocumented Community Find the essay by Itziri Gonzalez-Barcenas mentioned in the episode, Growing Up Undocumented

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve, it's widely accepted that without a vaccine, life cannot go back to normal. But as it turns out, not everyone is on board. Over the last several years, an anti-vaccine movement has gained steam in the United States, with more and more people deciding to skip vaccines for themselves and their children. In this archive episode, Dr. Matthew Woodruff dives into the science and history behind vaccines and how we can better educate people on their value. This episode originally aired on August 8, 2017. For More on This Topic: Read Woodruff's brief, Why "Personal Belief" Vaccine Exemptions Place Many Vulnerable Americans at Risk Check out his former podcast, Audiommunity

The scene is so common it's almost cliche: two beautiful young people meet at a rowdy college party and drunkenly fall into bed together. American pop culture is fascinated by college hookups, but is casual sex really as widespread as it seems? Professor Lisa Wade breaks down who participates in hookup culture, what they get out of it, and as more students speak up about the problem of on-campus sexual assault, what role universities have to play in shaping their sexual cultures. For more on this topic Check out her book, American Hookup: The New Culture of Sex on Campus Read her opinion pieces in The Guardian, Time, and The Conversation

In any sense of the word, the COVID-19 crisis can be considered a disaster. Tens of thousands of people have lost their lives, millions have lost their jobs, and nearly everyone is experiencing a sense of shock at how quickly our world was turned upside down. But of course, the current crisis is also dramatically different from previous disasters, like hurricanes or wildfires. Professor Susan Sterett dives into how COVID-19 follows the same patterns of previous disasters and how it diverges, what we can learn from previous disasters to inform our current efforts, and how we can prepare for a future where the coronavirus will inevitably collide with other disasters. For more on this topic: Read Sterett's paper, "Disaster assistance and legal accountability: care and surveillance" Check out the book she edited, Disaster and Sociolegal Studies

Every Thursday since America started locking down to prevent the spread of the deadly coronavirus, a tragic new number is released: the latest unemployment claims. Tens of millions of Americans have already filed for unemployment, and that number is likely to keep going up. Professor Anna Gassman-Pines lays out who is most affected by the dramatic economic downturn we're seeing, what job losses mean for children, families, and entire communities, and how policymakers can help buffer against some of the worst effects of this economic crisis. For more on this topic: Check out Gassman-Pines' memo with Professor Elizabeth Ananat for Econofact, Snapshot of the COVID Crisis Impact on Working Families Read her previous opinion piece for NJ.com, Long-term unemployment assistance helps families, communities

With the COVID-19 crisis spreading rapidly across the US, much attention has been paid to the hospitals on the front lines of this pandemic. But there is another set of healthcare providers that also has a crucial role to play in managing this outbreak: community health centers. Professor Peter Shin unpacks what exactly community health centers are, why they were established and who they serve, what role they have to play in the COVID-19 pandemic, and how policymakers can ensure their survival during this unprecedented time. For more on this topic: Check out Shin's SSN policy memo, Invest in Community Health Centers Read his analysis of the current situation for the Milken Institute School of Public Health

We're in April, as the world grapples with the coronavirus pandemic. Today, the U.S. has more reported cases than any other nation on earth - a fact that may in part be due to testing levels, but could also be due to a series of massive public policy mistakes. In the U.S., the federal response has been chaotic, to say the least. And here's one reason: President Donald Trump and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi don't talk to each other. The intense anger and distrust between Republicans and Democrats could literally be costing our nation lives. Lee Drutman explains how we got into this mess and how we can get out of it. For more on this topic: Check out Drutman's book, Breaking the Two-Party Doom Loop: The Case for Multiparty Democracy in America Read his opinion pieces in The Atlantic, Vox, and The New York Times

As policymakers on Capitol Hill work to expand America's safety net in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and economic downturn, it's becoming increasingly clear that it might not be enough. So where can we look for guidance on what more needs to be done? Perhaps another deadly virus, HIV, where a separate and robust safety net has been established to support those who have been diagnosed. Professor Celeste Watkins-Hayes explains what the HIV/AIDS safety net looks like, what we can learn from this previous effort to combat a deadly virus, and how the inequalities of the HIV/AIDS epidemic are playing out with coronavirus. For more on this topic: Check out Watkins-Hayes' book, Remaking a Life: How Women Living with HIV/AIDS Confront Inequality Read her SSN brief, How Neighborhoods Can Help Poor Black Women Fight AIDS

With governments rushing to put in place policies and guidelines to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus, it's important to look to the past to inform the present. And we don't have to look far. Just 5 years ago, the world was concerned with a completely different outbreak: ebola. Professor Lily Tsai and Dr. Ben Morse examine how governments at the epicenter of the ebola outbreak responded to the spread of the disease, what the role of trust is in ensuring that people comply with government recommendations, and how leaders can build trust and buy-in both during and before a crisis. For more on this topic: Check out Tsai and Morse's SSN brief, Why Citizen Trust in Government Matters — Especially when Crises Strike Read a ScienceDaily article about their research

Around the United States, schools are shutting down due to coronavirus. For some Americans, this means setting up a home office and learning to work with children underfoot. But others are facing a far more serious crisis: with school cafeterias closed indefinitely and employment increasingly precarious, how will they manage to put food on the table? Professor Daphne Hernandez lays out the problem of food insecurity in America, how coronavirus is affecting the situation, and what policymakers can do to help families in need -- now and in the future. For more on this topic: Check out Hernandez's OpEd on what coronavirus means for food insecurity in The Hill Listen to our previous episodes on food insecurity and hunger among college students

Money. Power. Knowledge. Health. Education. When you look around the world, when it comes to resources and opportunities, there are massive imbalances between countries and even inside countries. In the name of making the world a better place, people and institutions with great wealth often donate some of their money around the world through philanthropy. Rakesh Rajani shares stories and lessons learned from years of work in global philanthropy and outlines what changes are needed to make this work more effective and meaningful. For more on this topic: Check out Co-Impact and The Ford Foundation Read Rakesh's interview with CNN on his work in Tanzania

With the 2020 primary in full swing, college campuses are full of conversations about politics, policy, and the future of American democracy. But many of these college students don't turn out when it actually matters, on Election Day. In fact, in the last presidential election, only around half of all young voters came out to the polls. In this archive episode, Dr. Nancy Thomas explores what gets students to vote and how college administrators, faculty members, and students can improve voting rates on their campuses. This episode originally aired on October 11, 2018. For more on this topic: Check out the report co-authored by Thomas, Election Imperatives Read her interview with The Chronicle of Higher Education, Here's How Colleges Can Get More Involved in Elections -- and Not Just the Midterms Visit the website for the Institute for Democracy & Higher Education at Tufts University Check out a Washington Post story about their 2018 midterm election report showing that rates among college students doubled

Social media has permeated countless aspects of our daily lives. But perhaps no platform has influenced the media like Twitter, shaping not only what many journalists cover, but also how they cover it. Professor Shannon McGregor dives into the role of Twitter in today's media environment, why the platform is an imperfect measure of public opinion, and how social media can become a better tool for journalists working with limited resources at their disposal. For More on this Topic: Check out the book McGregor co-edited with Dr. Talia Stroud, Digital Discussions: How Big Data Informs Political Communication Read her opinion piece in The Washington Post, Conservatives Say Google and Facebook are Censoring Them. Here's the Real Background.

Over the last couple of years, states have passed increasingly restrictive laws in an effort to reduce access to abortion. And this year, the Supreme Court is deciding on new cases that could validate some of the harshest laws, potentially opening the door for an end to Roe v. Wade. But at the forefront of this fight over abortion access are providers few people know about: independent abortion clinics. PhD candidate Amy Alterman explains what exactly these independent clinics are, how they are affected by anti-abortion stigma, and how comedians are helping to lift up and support their work. For More on this Topic: Check out Abortion Access Front, the comedy group mentioned in the episode Find your independent abortion clinic at the Abortion Care Network Find your local abortion fund at the National Network of Abortion Funds

In 2009, Barack Obama was sworn in as the first African American president in this country's history after a momentous election. But for many in this country, that election was anything but joyous. Soon after, a movement that became known as the Tea Party took shape on the right in opposition to this president and his policies. Fast forward 8 years and a very familiar story seemed to play out, but this time on the left. It became known as The Resistance. PhD candidate Leah Gose explains what similarities and differences exist between these two groups and what we can learn by looking at the two of them together. Check out the Upending American Politics book Read the SSN brief by Theda Skocpol and Vanessa Williamson, Making Sense of the Tea Party

Over the last few decades, minority enrollment at America's colleges and universities has increased exponentially. These institutions, many predominantly white, like to tout enrollment rates as evidence of their commitment to racial diversity. But do these numbers tell the whole story? Professor Bedelia Richards details how black students still frequently experience discrimination on campus, what this means for their education and wellbeing, and how universities can make change to help create more inclusive campuses. For More on this Topic: Read Richards' brief, How to Create Inclusive Environments for Black Students on Predominantly White College Campuses Check out her post for Inside Higher Ed, Is Your University Racist?

America is getting more diverse, and that means more children of color are students in our schools. But teachers are still overwhelmingly white, so many of these students rarely see teachers who look like them. Professor Michèle Foster tells the little-known story of why America lost many of its black teachers, what that means for students, and what can be done to change things. For More on this Topic: Read Foster's brief, Why America Needs More African-American Teachers and How to Recruit and Retain Them Check out her feature in an episode of Revisionist History on black teachers after Brown v. Board of Education. This episode originally aired on June 14, 2018.

We are living in the midst of an epidemic. Over the past 15 years, the number of Americans dying from opioid-related overdoses has skyrocketed by more than 200%. Facing a mounting death toll, policymakers have proposed solutions from needle exchanges to reducing the availability of prescription opioids. But the crisis seems to rage on. Professor Keith Humphreys digs into how we got here, what we know about which policy responses actually work, and what might be next in the never ending fight against addiction. For more on this topic: Check out his SSN brief, How America Can Effectively Fight the Opioid Crisis Read his opinion pieces for The Washington Post Find the Vox article mentioned in the episode on the rise of meth and cocaine overdoses

What should the next 10 or 20 years look like in the United States? Many Americans say we need to go back to the future. They want to restore something, or protect something they're worried the United States is losing. And that's not just the Make America Great Again crowd. But others argue that it's not time to restore democracy -- it's time to realize democracy. Dr. K. Sabeel Rahman explains what it would take to make America's democracy work for everyone and why the time for big, structural change is now. For more on this topic: Check out Rahman's article, Realizing Democracy Demands Addressing Deeper Structural Roots of Failure and Possibility of Shared Power, and the full Realizing Democracy series in the Stanford Social Innovation Review Visit the Demos website

Last year, climate change took center stage. With presidential candidates releasing bold plans to tackle the issue, massive protests organized by young people across the globe, and ever more dire reports coming out of the United Nations, this issue is getting attention unlike ever before. Doctor Fernando Tormos-Aponte discusses where climate organizing stands now, how some organizers are focusing on justice and equity in their work, and how this is all playing out in Puerto Rico after the devastation caused by Hurricane Maria in 2017. For more on this topic: Check out Tormos-Aponte's SSN brief, How Social Movements Build Power through Intersectionality Listen to Leah Stokes' interview mentioned in the episode, Episode 172: The Battle over Clean Energy

No one likes to believe they would be on the wrong side of history. Most of us prefer to think that in times of crisis, we would do the right thing -- we wouldn't be complicit in evil. Yet every day, individuals just doing their jobs make decisions that harm people. And when many members of an organization make many small, harmful decisions, that builds up. Professor Ashley Nickels lays out how organizational decisions and structures can lead to real acts of evil that harm individuals and whole communities, how this played out in Flint, Michigan, and what can be done to prevent tragedy before it strikes. Check out Nickels' book with Guy Adams and Danny Balfour, Unmasking Administrative Evil Read her SSN brief, Stabilization and Equity - Responses to Urban Fiscal Crisis in Flint, Michigan, and Beyond Donate to support No Jargon at www.scholars/donate

This year, millennials officially became the largest generation in America. In passing over Baby Boomers, these young Americans, along with Generation Z, have the potential to change US politics by making their voices heard at the polls. The only problem is, many of them don't turn out to vote. Professor Jake Grumbach explains what's behind their low voter turnout, how one policy could change that, and what this all says about the role of states in pushing US policy and democracy forward. Read Grumbach's opinion pieces with Charlotte Hill on same day voter registration in The New York Times and Forbes Check out his SSN brief, Why Today's Policy Action is Mostly at the State Level Listen to Alexander Hertel-Fernandez's No Jargon episode on his research mentioned in the episode Donate to support No Jargon at www.scholars/donate