Public policy influences just about every part of our lives, and perhaps one of the most important is our health and well-being. In this episode, produced in collaboration with the Health Policy Research Scholar program by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, two PhD candidates share their research on some unintended consequences at the intersection of health and policy. First, Tyler Jimenez explains how existential threats, like the fear of death, can affect people’s support for policies meant to address health inequalities. Next, Amy Jones lays out how the lives of students of color are impacted by our push for diversity on campuses, and what this means for their health.
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Many of us are part of one organization or another that’s hoping to create change. Yet all too often, it feels like the levers of change are stuck. Professor Hahrie Han tells the stories of a few organizations that have been able to break through, get a seat at the table, and create real, tangible results. When it comes to organizing, there is no magic formula, but her research sheds light on patterns from groundbreaking organizations that can lead to success.
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For many renters, evictions can depend on the whims and wishes of their landlord. And with no right to a lawyer in housing court, there’s almost no chance to fight back and win. But that all recently changed in New York City and San Francisco. Professor Jamila Michener explains how both cities came to enact groundbreaking new laws to help tenants get access to a lawyer and what the movements behind these laws say about the power of organizing.
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This Sunday is Mother’s Day. But while this is one day of celebrating moms everywhere, many of them aren’t doing so well the other 364 days of the year. That’s because more moms today are struggling to balance work and family life, often with little support. Professor Caitlyn Collins breaks down how US moms are doing these days, how our family support system compares to other countries, and what needs to change to better support working mothers year-round.
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Presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren recently proposed a massive plan to eliminate most student debt and tuition at public colleges. But student debt is just one part of the larger problem of college affordability. Professor Sara Goldrick-Rab explains the impact of the high cost of college on students at public and community colleges, including hunger, homelessness, and debt without getting a degree, and offers concrete solutions.
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