Helping Leaders Make Better Decisions
Center for Policy Research
faculty experts on a range of disciplines
graduate students conducting research to address pressing issues
research areas connect faculty across departments and disciplines
Featured Event
Paul Volcker Lecture in Behavioral Economics: Alison Buttenheim
April 9, 2026
Featured Research
The “One Big Beautiful Bill” Will Deepen the Farm Crisis, Not Solve It
Rebecca Schewe and Rick Welsh
The One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) promises billions in new farm subsidies, but most of that money won’t go to the farmers who need it most. This brief describes how the OBBB’s changes to agricultural subsidy programs will disproportionately benefit large farms and non-farming investors, accelerating farm loss and consolidation across the United States.
April 2026
US State Policy Contexts and Mental Health Among Working-Age Adults
Iliya Gutin, Jennifer Karas Montez, Emily Wiemers, Shannon M. Monnat, Douglas A. Wolf
The article, co-authored by CPR faculty members Iliya Gutin, Jennifer Karas Montez, Emily Wiemers, Shannon Monnat and Douglas Wolf, finds that residents of states with more conservative policy environments reported significantly worse mental health.
March 2026
Identifying Common Trend Determinants in Panel Data
Yoonseok Lee, Peter C. B. Phillips, Suyong Song, and Donggyu Sul
This CPR Working Paper, led by CPR Senior Research Associate Yoonseok Lee, develops a novel method for identifying observable determinants of latent common trends in nonstationary panel data, which are typically removed or controlled in two-way fixed effects regressions.
March 2026
CPR Research Areas
Faculty in the Center for Policy Research (CPR) conduct a broad range of interdisciplinary research related to public policy in the following research areas:
- Education and Labor
- Population Health
- Social Policy and Inequality
- Econometrics
- Energy, Environment and Food Systems
- Public Finance
- Urban, Rural and Regional Studies
Center for Policy Design and Governance
Integrating policy, political and computational sciences in research and instruction to help scientists, practitioners and future public service leaders understand and address future governance challenges.
Lerner Center for Public Health Promotion and Population Health
Maxwell X Lab
Partnering with the public and nonprofit sectors, the X Lab leverages behavioral science and randomized controlled trials to create cost-effective solutions to complex problems.
CPR/Metro Alumni
The center serves students, graduates and faculty for a lifetime and it's our pleasure to spread the word about the wonderful things going on in CPR and throughout the Maxwell School.
Alums—update us on what you’ve been up to, where you are employed and how your time in CPR impacted your life by filling out our Alumni Update form. We will gladly share your stories in our Connection Newsletter, a publication that shares news about the Center’s students, faculty, staff and alumni. Join us for the events and activities we have throughout the year and connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.
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Center for Policy Research in Action
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Apr 7, 2026
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Apr 6, 2026
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Mar 24, 2026