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Maxwell School News and Commentary

Filtered by: Government

Associated Press: Purser discusses the right for renters to have legal counsel

"The push for right to counsel preceded the pandemic, but it’s particularly acute and particularly urgent in light of the pandemic, given just the overall precarity that renters are facing," says Gretchen Purser, associate professor of sociology.
January 4, 2021

Radcliffe quoted in Deseret News article on COVID-19 double standards

For people struggling to stay motivated to continue social distancing and wearing masks, cases where public officials ignore the very rules they are imposing on others can be frustrating. In the field of behavioral ethics, this phenomenon is called "ethical fading," says Dana Radcliffe, adjunct professor of public administration and international affairs. The term describes the way people deceive themselves to hide the wrongness of their choices. But, officials should be held to a higher standard, he says, especially when public health is on the line. "People who have considerable power or ability to influence others have a greater obligation to make sure that their actions match their words—because their words and actions can affect the behavior and welfare of others," says Radcliffe. Read more in the Deseret News article, "7 times public officials had double standards on COVID-19." 
January 4, 2021

McDowell examines how Biden will handle trade in World Politics Review

"While there is some room for Biden to maneuver when it comes to tariffs and other measures, the apparent durability of a Trumpian approach to trade signals that a new era in U.S. trade policy has not only arrived, it plans to stay awhile," writes Daniel McDowell, associate professor of political science.

December 16, 2020

See related: Federal, Trade, United States

Schwartz discusses challenges of post-COVID school mobility in The 74

"The literature says, 'These [mobile] kids do worse,'" says Amy Ellen Schwartz, Daniel Patrick Moynihan Chair in Public Affairs. "But really, on the whole, we’re unable to fully disentangle the effects of moving from the underlying factors that led to it. And from a policy point of view, I’m not sure it matters: You show me a kid who’s moved three times in the last eight months, I’ll show you a kid who needs special attention."

December 16, 2020

Purser cited in Washington Post article on economic relief package

According to research by Gretchen Purser, associate professor of sociology, somewhere between 2.4 million and 5 million American households are at risk of eviction in January alone if Congress fails to reach an agreement on economic emergency relief. 

December 15, 2020

Wiemers examines vulnerability to COVID-19 complications in new study

Emily E. Wiemers, Scott Abrahams, Marwa AlFakhri, V. Joseph Hotz, Robert F. Schoeni & Judith A. Seltzer
December 14, 2020

See related: COVID-19, State & Local

Jacobson comments on Trump's changes at the Pentagon in Politico

"It's likely that most are rolled back by Biden administration," says Mark Jacobson, assistant dean of Washington programs, about Trump's changes at the Pentagon. "But the point is all of these cost money, waste time and hamper the ability of the national security establishment to focus on the real threats the United States faces," he adds.

December 11, 2020

Landes study on COVID-19 impact on people with IDD in California published

Scott D. Landes, Margaret A. Turk & Ashlyn Wong
December 10, 2020

See related: State & Local

Steinberg discusses foreign policy issues facing Biden on Texas Public Radio

"The restoration of the State Department is critical," says University Professor James Steinberg. "That's particularly important with China because it is such an all-encompassing challenge for the United States. So we need to have our best people and we need to have...a comprehensive approach that makes clear what we can live with with China and what we can't," he says. 

December 9, 2020

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