Scholars Strategy Network's No Jargon

Trust in our governments is low, and seems to only be getting worse. Professor Donald Kettl explains why widespread distrust plagues governments around the world, what this means for democracy, and how, if at all, governments can earn back our trust. For More on this Topic: Read Kettl’s book, Can Governments Earn Our Trust? Check out the research mentioned in the episode by Professor Vesla Weaver Further Reading: Episode 47: A Path for Police Reform, Tracey L. Meares, Yale Law School How Participatory Budgeting Strengthens Communities and Improves Local Governance, Isaac Jabola-Carolus, City University of New York

Republicans and Democrats alike have complained about the speed with which the recent tax bills are going through Congress. In light of this, we’re bringing you an archive episode with Professor James Curry who explains that lacking expertise, staff, and time, most members of Congress rarely get to analyze or contribute to the bills on which they vote. For More on this Topic: Read Curry’s two-page brief or his book, Legislating in the Dark Check out Professor Frances Lee, mentioned in the episode, and her books on partisanship and competition in Congress. Further Reading: Who are the Most Effective Legislators in Congress?, Craig Volden, University of Virginia, Alan E. Wiseman, Vanderbilt University Why U.S. Conservatives Shape Legislation across the Fifty States Much More Effectively than Liberals, Alexander Hertel-Fernandez, Columbia University, Theda Skocpol, Harvard University

Nicole Bedera and Miriam Gleckman-Krut stay post-interview to discuss their ideas for changing university policies on campus sexual assault.

Campus sexual assault is a problem across the country, but colleges differ widely in how they respond to these cases. PhD candidates Nicole Bedera and Miriam Gleckman-Krut lay out why national standards are changing under the Trump administration and how they are shifting protections and resources to the accused. For More on This Topic: Read Bedera and Gleckman-Krut’s piece in The New York Times Listen to their interview on Michigan Radio Further Reading: Episode 80: Unequal Play to Unwanted Contact, Celene Reynolds, Yale University Fighting Sexual Harassment in the Workplace, Amy Blackstone, University of Maine

This week we are showcasing an episode from The Measure of Everyday Life, a podcast hosted by SSN member Brian Southwell. He spoke with Professor Deondra Rose about the policy moves that helped opened doors for women in higher education. For More on This Topic: Read Rose’s piece for Inside Higher Ed in defense of “me” studies Check out Rose’s brief, How Federal Government Policies Have Helped Women Earn College Degrees Read her piece in Talking Points Memo on women in higher education Further Reading: What We Know - and Need to Learn - about Progress against Sex Discrimination in Higher Education, Celene Reynolds,Yale University Why Higher Education is a Must for Low-Income Mothers, Lisa Dodson, Brandeis University, Luisa S. Deprez, University of Southern Maine

Congress is on the verge of passing major tax reform that many say is tilted in favor of the wealthy. This week we’re looking back at an episode with Professor Rick Hasen to explore why the wealthy often enjoy such outsized benefits and power in American politics - and how changing the Supreme Court is the best way to fix that. For More on This Topic: Check out Hasen’s book, Plutocrats United Read his piece in The LA Times on Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch Further Reading: Evidence that Legislators Grant Special Access to Donors, Joshua Kalla, University of California, Berkeley, David Broockman, Stanford University Why Campaign Finance Reforms That Weaken U.S. Parties Promote Extreme and Unresponsive Politics, Raymond J. La Raja, University of Massachusetts Amherst Episode 1: The Kochs, Americans For Prosperity, and the Right, Theda Skocpol, Harvard University

The neighborhoods we live in help shape our mental and physical health. Professor Antwan Jones explains what happens when some neighborhoods benefit from private and public investments while others are left behind, and what can be done to change this. For more on This Topic: Check out Jones’ brief, The Health Consequences of Moving from Place to Place Read his opinion piece in The Baltimore Sun Further Reading: Episode 19: Changing Neighborhoods for Better or for Worse, Jackelyn Hwang, Stanford University Have Reforms in U.S. Housing Assistance Reduced Neighborhood Poverty?, Ann Owens, University of South Carolina

Inequality is on the rise in America, but what’s behind it? Professor Steven Teles and Dr. Brink Lindsey lay out how federal and state policies help the rich get richer, slow economic growth, and promote inequality. For More on This Topic: Check out Teles and Lindsey’s book, The Captured Economy Read their opinion piece in the New York Times Further Reading: How States Can Fight Growing Economic Inequality, Megan E. Hatch, Cleveland State University, Elizabeth Rigby, The George Washington University Episode 82: Hidden Tax Benefits, Suzanne Mettler, Cornell University

This week we are highlighting an episode from Have You Heard, a podcast co-hosted by SSN member Jack Schneider and journalist Jennifer Berkshire. They spoke with Sally Nuamah about the long-term effects of school closures on communities, like declining voter turnout. For more on this topic: Read Nuamah’s paper, The paradox of educational attitudes: Racial differences in public opinion on school closure or check out her website. Find more episodes of Have You Heard online or wherever you get your podcasts Further reading: How (and why) to build a better measure of school quality, Jack Schneider, College of the Holy Cross Standardized Ratings of Urban Public Schools Ignore Contributions to their Students and Communities, Keith Eric Benson, Camden City School District Does Public Education Improve When Urban Districts Manage A “Portfolio” of Schools? , Katrina Elizabeth Bulkey, Montclair State University

As Republicans move forward with their tax overhaul, this week’s episode revisits Vanessa Williamson’s interview on the misconception that Americans hate taxes. She outlines how anti-tax policies became popular despite the fact that most Americans support increasing taxes for services they care about.   For more on this topic: Read her brief, Who Pays America’s Taxes?, with Alexander Hertel-Fernandez, Columbia University Check out her opinion piece on Trump’s original tax plan during the 2016 campaign. Further Reading: How Republican Approaches to Social Spending Increase Income Inequality in the United States , Christopher Faricy, Syracuse University Reforming Tax Policy for the Wealthiest One Percent, Michael Nau, The Ohio Colleges of Medicine Government Resource Center

Political rumors are spreading across the country and the widening divide between parties is only making them more potent. Professor Adam Berinsky discusses where these rumors come from and what, if anything, can be done to combat them. For More on This Topic: Read Berinsky’s brief, What Works - and What Doesn’t - To Discredit Harmful Rumors And Correct Information Check out his feature and a web extra on an episode of Full Frontal with Samantha Bee Further Reading: How a Citizen’s Initiative Review Improve Elections Where Voters Directly Decide on Policy Issues, John Gastil, Pennsylvania State University Episode 13: The Misinformation Age, Brian G. Southwell, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

For the final act of the live show, Professors Erin O’Brien and Peter Ubertaccio tackle Massachusetts politics. They dig into the character of the Democratic and Republican parties in the state, and show how the state isn’t as deep blue as many think. For More on This Topic: Check out O’Brien, Ubertaccio, and other scholars on WGBH’s MassPoliticsProfs blog Watch the live show video to see full show and audience Q&A Further Reading: Massachusetts as a Surprising Pioneer in the Turn to Mandatory Sentencing as a Response to Crime, Charles Houston Decker, Yale University Episode 2: Voter Fraud or Voter Suppression?, Erin O’Brien, University of Massachusetts Boston

For the second act of the live show, Professors Deondra Rose and Gunther Peck dive deep into North Carolina’s contentious politics, the impacts of the state’s voting laws and redistricting efforts, and what these deep divides say about national politics. For More on This Topic: Read Peck’s piece, Learning the Right Lessons from Defeat: Organizing a New Democratic Majority in North Carolina Listen to Rose’s interview on North Carolina Public Radio Further Reading: How Conservatives Rewrote North Carolina Election Laws to Discourage Voter Participation, Marion Johnson, NC Justice Center How Colleges in North Carolina- And Beyond- Can Help Students Vote, Laura Elise Bennett, Duke University

In the first of three acts for the 100th episode live show, Professors Theda Skocpol and René Flores discuss the role of national and local organizations on the 2016 election outcome, the Trump presidency so far, and what comes next. For More on This Topic: Read Skocpol’s briefs, Making Sense of the Koch Network and Why U.S. Conservatives Shape Legislation across the Fifty States Much More Effectively than Liberals Check out Flores’ brief, How Restrictive Laws Can Influence Public Attitudes Towards Immigrants Further Reading: Episode 57: Election Autopsy, Theda Skocpol, Harvard University Episode 93: Melting Pot, Boiling Pot, René Flores, University of Washington Donald Trump and the Dynamics of American Public Opinion about Racial Profiling, Deborah Schildkraut, Tufts University

Foster parents and social workers help children in difficult situations, but too often they lack the resources they need. Professor Antonio Garcia describes how this impacts foster children and what a focus on prevention could look like. For More on This Topic: Read Garcia’s brief, To Counter Child Abuse, Administrators and Case Workers Need Support to Implement Evidence-Based Improvements Further Reading: Why U.S. States Vary in Their Responses to Child Abuse and Neglect, Frank Edwards, Cornell University How America's Head Start Program Improves the Lives of Children and Families, Anne Day Leong, National Institutes of Health

High costs are making college unaffordable, or even impossible, for many Americans. Professor Nicholas Hillman outlines why student loan debt has become such a major issue. Professor Laura Perna highlights a potential solution -- free tuition programs. For More on This Topic: Read Hillman’s brief, Designing Better Ways to Regulate Colleges with Too Many Students Who Default on Federal Loans Check out Perna’s research project on college promise programs. Further Reading: Episode 52: Paying the Price, Sara Goldrick-Rab, Temple University Episode 4: The Student Debt Crisis, Nicholas Hillman, University of Wisconsin-Madison Making Loans Work for Today's College Students, Susan Dynarski, University of Michigan

Voting is a pillar of American democracy, but for many, the vote has been out of reach. Professor Doug Spencer explains the past and present of the right to vote in America, and how debates about voter fraud are missing the mark. For More on This Topic: Read his brief, How Surveys Can Strengthen the Voting Rights Act Further Reading: The Dismantling of the Voting Rights Act, Dewey M. Clayton, University of Louisville Restoring the Voting Rights Act Will Not Do Enough to Ensure Fair Elections, Amel Ahmed, University of Massachusetts Amherst

How do policymakers sort through all the information they get? Jenni Owen discusses how she and the office of North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper engage with research, and offers do’s and don’ts for researchers and advocates who want to inform policy.

Colleges highlight how affirmative action increases diversity on campus. Professor Natasha Warikoo discusses new investigations into school admissions and how focusing on diversity ignores the real reasons for affirmative action. For More on This Topic: Read her brief, How the Ways College Authorities Talk about Diversity Can Undercut Efforts to Fight Racial Inequality Check out her recent piece for The Boston Globe Read this article for an in-depth look at the effects of the affirmative action ban on the University of California system Further Reading: Can Universities Maintain Diversity without Directly Considering Race in Admissions?, Mark C. Long, University of Washington Will U.S. College Aid Continue Its Proud Track Record of Enlarging Opportunity and Reducing Inequality? Deondra Rose, Duke University

Come to the first-ever LIVE taping of the Scholars Strategy Network’s podcast, No Jargon. To celebrate No Jargon’s 100th episode, Avi will be joined by researchers from across the country to talk about America’s divided politics, how we got here, and what comes next. Buy tickets at scholars.org/liveshow. In three acts, Avi and his guests will explore our nation’s politics today, and then zoom in on battleground North Carolina and bright blue Massachusetts. Audience members will have the chance to ask the researchers their own questions. Guests for the show include: Sandy Darity, René Flores, Erin O’Brien, Gunther Peck, Theda Skocpol, and Peter Ubertaccio.