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Filtered by: Social Policy and Inequality

Do Nonprofit Ratings Help Donors Make Better Decisions?

Ashraf Haque

This brief describes how donors respond to GuideStar's transparency seal ratings and what that means for nonprofit accountability. The author finds that even ratings not tied to verified performance significantly influence giving, with platinum-rated nonprofits receiving 34% more in donations than unrated ones, and that donors do not penalize poorly performing nonprofits that hold ratings.

August 26, 2026

Can the Safety Net Support Families Through Childbirth?

Hyojeong Kim, Colleen Heflin, and Taryn Morrissey
This brief describes how safety net programs respond to the earnings disruptions surrounding childbirth and where they fall short. 
August 19, 2026

The Glass Is Half Full: The Safety Net for Low-Income Women Around Childbirth

Colleen Heflin, Taryn W. Morrissey, Hyojeong Kim

Co-authored by Colleen Heflin, professor of public administration and international affairs, and Maxwell alumna Hyojeong Kim, the article was published in Demography.

August 14, 2026

How Does SNAP Access Prior to Pregnancy Affect Maternal and Infant Health Outcomes?

Sarah Hamersma, Mitchell McFarlane

The article, co-authored Sarah Hamersma, associate professor of public administration and international affairs, and Ph.D. student Mitchell McFarlane, was published in The Milbank Quarterly.

June 25, 2026

US State Policy Index for Population Health Analyses

Jennifer Karas Montez, Iliya Gutin, Shannon Monnat

The article, co-authored by Maxwell professors Jennifer Karas Montez, Iliya Gutin and Shannon Monnat, was published in The Milbank Quarterly.

May 4, 2026

Under the Same Umbrella: Public Health Insurance Expansions and the Uniformity of Insurance for Families

Sarah Hamersma, Daniel Grossman, Sebastian Tello-Trillo

Co-authored by Sarah Hamersma, associate professor of public administration and international affairs, the article was published in the Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization.

April 16, 2026

Differences in COVID-19 Experiences Between U.S. Working Age Adults With and Without Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Nastassia Vaitsiakhovich, Shannon M. Monnat, Andrew S. London, Scott D. Landes

Co-authored by sociologists Shannon Monnat, Andrew London and Scott Landes, the study was published in SSM - Mental Health.

April 7, 2026

Wanting Children: Family-Planning Policies and the Engineering of America’s Population

Leonard M. Lopoo

Leonard M. Lopoo, professor and chair of public administration and international affairs, has written Wanting Children: Family-Planning Policies and the Engineering of America’s Population (University of Chicago Press, 2026). The book traces how America’s first reproductive policies were shaped by eugenicists focused on limiting births among lower-income and minority populations. 

April 1, 2026

Making US Food Pantries More Old-Age Friendly

Madonna Harrington Meyer, Winston Scott

The article, co-authored by University Professor Madonna Harrington Meyer and Ph.D. student Winston Scott, was published in the Journal of Aging and Social Change.

March 4, 2026

Why the US Must Measure Food Insecurity in Old Age

Madonna Harrington Meyer, Colleen M. Heflin

The article, co-authored by Maxwell professors Madonna Harrington Meyer and Colleen Heflin, was published in The Milbank Quarterly.

February 23, 2026

Hold Harmless for Whom? The Impact of COVID Era Policies on School Funding, Teachers, and Students

Michah W. Rothbart, Samantha Cervantes, and Amy Ellen Schwartz
February 18, 2026

Who Should Be on Electronic Monitoring: Conceptualizations of Ideal Supervisees

Gabriela Kirk-Werner

The article, authored by Assistant Professor of Sociology Gabriela Kirk-Werner, was published in Punishment & Society.

February 3, 2026

Strengthening Snap’s Ability to Address Old Age Food Insecurity

Colleen Heflin, Madonna Harrington Meyer,

The article, published in Contexts, was co-authored by Colleen Heflin, professor of public administration and international affairs, and University Professor Madonna Harrington Meyer. 

January 5, 2026

Public School Districts Should Close Their “Alternative” and “Continuation” High Schools

Sean J. Drake

“Alternative” high schools are meant to help struggling students catch up on credits, but they often function as dumping grounds that perpetuate inequality. 

November 5, 2025

See related: United States

Why Aren’t More People Calling 988 for Mental Health Crises?

Michiko Ueda, Colleen M. Heflin, Yanhong Liu, Qingyi Yu, and Seethalakshmi Ramanathan
The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline launched in 2022 is a free, confidential alternative, yet awareness remains low and misconceptions persist. This brief summarizes findings from a study that surveyed nearly 1,900 U.S. adults and found that only 22% knew about 988. Even more striking: nearly 9 in 10 people had concerns about using it, and many of those concerns are based on misconceptions.
October 29, 2025

See related: United States

Policy Recommendations to Reduce Old Age Food Insecurity in the United States

Colleen M. Heflin and Madonna Harrington Meyer

The current policy responses to old age food insecurity are complex, costly, and not nearly effective enough. Based on the book, Food for Thought: Understanding Older Adults Food Insecurity, this brief summarizes five policy recommendations to improve food insecurity among U.S. older adults. 

September 10, 2025

See related: United States

Food for Thought: Understanding Older Adult Food Insecurity

Colleen Heflin, Madonna Harrington Meyer

Written by Colleen Heflin, professor of public administration and international affairs, and University Professor Madonna Harrington Meyer, the book examines the issue of food insecurity among older adults in the United States. 

September 4, 2025

Trends in Breast Cancer Screening between Medicare Beneficiaries with and without Food Insecurity

Yeunkyung Kim, Jihye Kim, Sungchul Park, Colleen Heflin, Hyunjee Kim, Yue Li

Published in AJPM Focus, the study was co-authored by Colleen Heflin, professor of public administration and international affairs.

August 13, 2025

How Can Public Sector Employers Improve the Effectiveness of Email Recruitment?

Leonard M. Lopoo, Robert Bifulco, Hannah Patnaik, Ashraf Haque, Christine Ashby, George Theoharis
This brief summarizes findings from a study that examined which email format - a letter with university logos signed by a university official or an informational flyer with a photograph - was more effective in recruiting applicants for a training program for K-12 teaching jobs. 
April 30, 2025

See related: United States

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