"Radical simplification would be possible, but this bill is not radical simplification, regardless of how may props they use," says Len Burman, Paul Volcker Chair in Behavioral Economics, about the GOP tax bill.

"This is not a burden increase. People who qualify for premium tax credits and drop insurance are better off doing it (their cost of insurance doesn't change). Worse off are those who have incomes too high to qualify for credits and would face much higher premiums," says Len Burman, Paul Volcker Chair in Behavioral Economics.

Shannon Monnat, associate professor of sociology and Lerner Chair for Public Health Promotion, discusses the need to address the underlying causes of distress, despair and disconnectedness in regards to the opioid epidemic.

If Gary Cohn, the White House chief economic adviser, "were trying to make a parody of the rich people’s argument for the estate tax, he couldn’t have done a better job,” says Leonard Burman, professor of public administration and international affairs and Paul Volcker Chair in Behavioral Economics.

Shannon Monnat, associate professor of sociology and Lerner Chair for Public Health Promotion, says her findings indicate that places where rates of death due to drug addiction, alcohol abuse, and suicide are high are also places that heavily supported Trump in the election.

“The Otey and Barbara Scruggs scholarship is a fitting tribute to a treasured member of the History Department and his wife,” said Associate Professor and Chair of History Norman Kutcher. “Otey cared deeply about the University generally and the History Department especially. Graduate education grew substantially in strength and numbers under his leadership, so it is fitting that this scholarship will benefit our most deserving graduate students.”

The Maxwell School has appointed new chairs for the departments of anthropology, economics, history, international relations (undergraduate), political science and sociology, as well as an interim chair of social science. 

"The United States has a long tradition of enlisting immigrants. Immigrants make up an important part of the U.S. military, and have since the formation of the United States. Our country should not make it difficult for them to serve," writes Amy Lutz, associate professor of sociology.

Shannon Monnat, associate professor of sociology and Lerner Chair for Public Health Promotion, and her team secured a grant from the National Institute of Justice to conduct a study that will provide recommendations to law enforcement agencies on how to maximize the efficiency of disrupting the supply of opiates into communities and develop a model for use in other jurisdictions.