Maxwell Faculty News

Faricy quoted in MarketWatch article on Child Tax Credit payouts

The U.S. government is preparing to send up to $300 a month per child in expanded Child Tax Credit payouts to millions of families this summer. The payouts are due to start July 15 and stem from March’s $1.9 trillion stimulus law. "The Child Tax Credit isn’t new," says Christopher Faricy. "What might be new is the motivation driving this in the Biden administration, which is a real understanding about how outdated the social safety net is—and recognizing the dual-earner status as becoming much more common since the post-World War II era, when a lot of the safety net was built." Read more in the MarketWatch article, "Monthly payments of up to $300 per child are starting for most families — and could keep coming for years."

Reeher comments on probes into Gov. Cuomo allegations in Newsday

Inquiries regarding the Cuomo administration's handling of nursing homes and deaths from COVID-19, the governor's possible use of state personnel and resources to help produce his most recent book and the multiple allegations of sexual harassment leveled at the governor are advancing. "You’ve got three different institutions looking at accusations and he’s going to have to have clean bills of health on all of them to survive," says Professor Grant Reeher. "And the state-level institutions are all in his (Democratic) party, so he can’t claim partisan politics. That makes it tougher for him." Reeher was quoted in the Newsday article, "Cuomo probes move toward critical points with his tenure, legacy at stake."

Heflin discusses food insecurity in military, veteran families in MT

Professor Colleen Heflin and other advocates participated in a roundtable discussion of hunger in the military and veteran communities before the House Rules Committee on May 27. They discussed the stigma in asking for help that’s perceived by service members, veterans and their families; difficulties families face in qualifying for assistance; and lack of real data to quantify the extent of the problem. Heflin suggests providing automatic SNAP benefits, formerly known as food stamps, to service members in the lower ranks as they separate from the military. "It’s a small dollar item that could really help service members during this critical transition period." Read more in the Military Times article, "‘A national outrage’: Lawmakers seek solutions to food insecurity in military, veteran families."

Flores-Lagunes discusses open jobs, unemployment on Syracuse.com

At a time of high unemployment, CNY businesses are having trouble finding workers to take their low-wage jobs. That’s because an additional $300 a week in unemployment benefits means people who made minimum wage when working earn the equivalent of $15 an hour for sitting at home. “Workers have a little more power for a change,” says Alfonso Flores-Lagunes, professor of economics. Flores-Lagunes says he does not think the unemployment benefits are the only factor keeping people out of the workforce. But, he says, they are making it easier for people on the margin to stay home or to come back to work at a slower pace. Read more in the Syracuse.com article, "An epidemic of open jobs and the unemployed in CNY; for many, work doesn’t work anymore."

Lasch-Quinn explores useful philosophy of Bridgerton in Zócalo

In her piece published in Zócalo, "Can 'Bridgerton' Teach Us How to Live?," Professor Elisabeth Lasch-Quinn looks at whether the "voguish Netflix show that also carries strong resonances from the philosophical past" can help us learn how to live. "Even if renewed interest in ancient philosophies of living has reappeared on the horizon, this does not mean new references or allusions resemble anything more than bits and pieces, no longer recognizably related to a conversation about how to live a morally good life," writes Lasch-Quinn. "While 'Bridgerton,' like many other expressions of all kinds, might refer vaguely to Epicureanism, anyone reading the ancient texts, or about them, will see the difference," she says.

Zeira quoted in Vox story on solution to Israeli-Palestinian conflict

Exclusive national identities on both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict run deep, making a one-state solution difficult. Yael Zeira, associate professor of political science, says identities can be altered: that "physically separating ethnic groups in conflict is not necessarily required to achieve peace." She was quoted in the Vox article, "In defense of the two-state solution."

McCormick comments on violence ahead of Mexico elections in Al Jazeera

There have been 34 candidates murdered nationwide in Mexico ahead of the June 6 legislative elections that will fill thousands of local seats and nearly half of the country’s governors. "There’s always been violence with elections and electoral cycles especially at the mayoral level where you really see things get heated, but this time it feels like it’s way more than ordinary," says Gladys McCormick. "It’s a testament of the influence of organized crime with these local elections trying to sway the institutions,” McCormick says. "Organized crime has infiltrated municipalities, law enforcement at the municipal levels,” she says. "This is working its way up." Read more in the Al Jazeera article, "Another candidate assassinated in Mexico ahead of June 6 vote."

Thompson talks to CNY Central about the Jan. 6 commission

An independent, bipartisan commission plans to investigate the Jan. 6 riot, providing new insight into how and why it happened and the security vulnerabilities it exposed of the Capitol complex. "The group of people responsible for this is pretty extensive," says Margaret Susan Thompson, associate professor of history and political science. She was quoted in the CNY Central article, "Bipartisan commission to investigate January 6 attack on U.S. Capitol."

Faricy explains popularity of US's complex tax code in Fortune

Tax experts and economists have long thought the U.S. tax code is inefficient, inequitable and full of opportunities for evasion. Christopher Faricy argues that, despite the complaints, Americans want it that way. "The tax code is so complicated because it is filled with myriad deductions and exclusions that Americans can take for engaging in certain activities, such as buying a home, saving for retirement and paying down student loan debt," writes Faricy and co-author Christopher Ellis. "Rather than spending money directly by subsidizing or providing these things, the government instead places incentives in the tax code for individuals to engage in these activities in private markets." Read more in the article, "America’s messy tax code is actually quite popular," published in Fortune.

Maxwell scholars publish book on public policy and the life course

Janet M. Wilmoth and Andrew S. London, two professors from the Maxwell School’s Department of Sociology, the Aging Studies Institute and the Center for Aging and Policy Studies, co-edited a new book “Life-Course Implications of U.S. Public Policies” (Routledge, 2021). Professors Colleen Heflin, Madonna Harrington Meyer and Jennifer Karas Montez, along with Ph.D. student Amra Kandic, contributed to the book.

Khalil discusses current violence in the Middle East with USA Today

The current violence between Israelis and Palestinians is the deadliest seen in years. The events have prompted increased pressure on President Joe Biden to do more to resolve the conflict. "I don't think Biden wanted anything to do with this issue," says Osamah Khalil, associate professor of history. "He wanted to manage it, and by managing it meaning ignore it. And now, here it is." Read more in the USA Today article, "'Every incendiary ingredient imaginable': Here's what sparked worst Mideast violence since 2014."

Dutkowsky talks to CNY Central about getting people back to work

Employers are struggling to find employees and many say the current unemployment benefits are to blame. Due to the pandemic, the federal government is giving an extra $300 a week in addition to the normal unemployment benefits. Professor Emeritus Don Dutkowsky says, “I want to see what happens in August and September when the unemployment benefits go off because you will see people looking for and accepting jobs.” Dutkowsky was interviewed for the CNY Central story, "CNY economic experts weigh in on the ways to bring people back to the workforce."

Sultana explains why climate, COVID crises need feminism in The Hill

Instead of analyzing the climate change and COVID-19 crises separately, Farhana Sultana, associate professor of geography and the environment, suggests we learn more by looking at how they intersect. "Both climate change and the coronavirus pandemic have uneven, unequal and long-lasting impacts that depend on where you live, who you are, and what you have," says Sultana. "Approaching these crises by centering feminism can help formulate fairer policies and projects that help improve life for everyone." Read more in Sultana's article, "Climate and COVID-19 crises both need feminism – here's why," published in The Hill.

Yingyi Ma weighs in on lack of AAPI history taught in schools in SCMP

Asian Americans represent a diverse population of more than 23 million—or about 7 per cent of the total U.S. population, yet Asian-American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) history remains largely absent in U.S. schools. "There are a lot of reasons, but I think it’s largely the ‘invisibility’ of Asian-Americans," says Yingyi Ma, associate professor of sociology. "They’re almost like a forgotten minority in our discussion of social justice and equality." Read more in the South China Morning Post article, "Amid a wave of violence against Asian-Americans, some push for more of their history in classrooms."

Elizabeth Cohen quoted in TIME article on future of VOICE

For four years, the Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement office (VOICE) was used by the White House to perpetuate Trump’s false narrative of an immigrant crime wave. The VOICE office was an integral part of the effort to "trawl for anecdotes to then trumpet and publicize because there wasn’t good data to demonstrate that there’s a massive problem with non-citizen criminality," says Elizabeth Cohen, professor of political science and expert on immigration. She was quoted in the TIME article, "Trump Created an Office That Highlighted Immigrant Crime. Biden's DHS Plans to Keep It."

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