Public Administration and International Affairs Department News, Media Commentary and Research

Successfully getting more money out to Americans could be tricky, if the experience from the recent stimulus checks is any indication, says Len Burman, Paul Volcker Chair in Behavioral Economics.

Matthew Young, assistant professor of public administration and international affairs, put forth in his new book a threefold strategy to assist government leaders and public managers with how best to approach using AI.

David Popp, professor of public administration and international affairs, has been awarded a $349,380 grant by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. His research will examine how government funding influences the direction of clean energy research, focusing on whether increased government spending attracts more researchers to the field, or merely substitutes for other funding sources within the field.

"The population that has the lowest income and has the least other sources of support have not been given any increase in the ability to provide food for their family," says Colleen Heflin, professor of public administration and international affairs.

"The health care system is a utility," says Tom Dennison, professor of practice emeritus of public administration and international affairs. "We can’t starve it between crises and expect it to be viable when the time comes when we need the services."

"I believe individuals are being prudent concerning risks they take and risks that others are subjected to because of their decision making," says Dean David Van Slyke. "Because many faith communities are now streaming online, individuals are acting appropriately to guard their health and the health of others."

A tariff rollback to encourage cooperation with China "would make sense, but I don't think it will work if the framework is, we're suspending them till January, while we try to get [the two economies stabilised], and then we're going to put them back in again," says University Professor James Steinberg.

A new scholarship fund, benefiting professional master’s students interested in organizational change and development, has been created to honor Theresa A. "Terry" Flynn, whose many connections to the Maxwell School included earning an E.M.P.A. 

Most of the time...America’s military forces have remained in the background, waiting for direction from civilian leaders to respond to crises and then only in limited ways," says William C. Banks, professor emeritus of public administration and international affairs. "That’s by design. We train soldiers to fight and win wars and deter threats overseas."

Sarah Hamersma, an associate professor of public administration and international affairs, recently won a $140,058 award from the WT Grant Foundation to support her project “Keeping the ‘Great Equalizer’ Fed: SNAP Access and Young Adult’s Educational Engagement.” 

"The Insurrection Act may be invoked only following an invasion, insurrection or widespread domestic violence," says William C. Banks, professor emeritus of public administration and international affairs. "Only if states attempt to leave the Union would state defiance enable Insurrection Act authority. Otherwise the states control their citizens' health, welfare and safety."

"If martial law were invoked, the government would be conducted ad hoc by the president or a military commander based entirely on his or her opinion of what was needed to meet the emergency, unbound by any laws and with no transparency or public participation, and probably no accountability afterward," writes William C. Banks, professor emeritus of public administration and international affairs. 

"If there is a gap between voluntary production and what is needed, or anticipated to be needed, the DPA [Defense Production Act] is the mechanism to close that gap," says the Hon. James E. Baker, director of the Institute for Security Policy and Law.

"We are grateful to receive the recognition of our peers, at the same time we recognize with deep appreciation the excellence and hard work of our colleagues and friends at institutions around the country,” says Dean David M. Van Slyke. “Collectively our work has never been more important as public-service oriented professionals around the world are mobilizing in response to the coronavirus pandemic."