Scholars Strategy Network's No Jargon

We are living in the midst of an epidemic. Over the past 15 years, the number of Americans dying from opioid-related overdoses has skyrocketed by more than 200%. Facing a mounting death toll, policymakers have proposed solutions from needle exchanges to reducing the availability of prescription opioids. But the crisis seems to rage on. Professor Keith Humphreys digs into how we got here, what we know about which policy responses actually work, and what might be next in the never ending fight against addiction. For more on this topic: Check out his SSN brief, How America Can Effectively Fight the Opioid Crisis Read his opinion pieces for The Washington Post Find the Vox article mentioned in the episode on the rise of meth and cocaine overdoses

What should the next 10 or 20 years look like in the United States? Many Americans say we need to go back to the future. They want to restore something, or protect something they’re worried the United States is losing. And that’s not just the Make America Great Again crowd. But others argue that it’s not time to restore democracy -- it’s time to realize democracy. Dr. K. Sabeel Rahman explains what it would take to make America’s democracy work for everyone  and why the time for big, structural change is now. For more on this topic: Check out Rahman’s article, Realizing Democracy Demands Addressing Deeper Structural Roots of Failure and Possibility of Shared Power, and the full Realizing Democracy series in the Stanford Social Innovation Review Visit the Demos website

Last year, climate change took center stage. With presidential candidates releasing bold plans to tackle the issue, massive protests organized by young people across the globe, and ever more dire reports coming out of the United Nations, this issue is getting attention unlike ever before. Doctor Fernando Tormos-Aponte discusses where climate organizing stands now, how some organizers are focusing on justice and equity in their work, and how this is all playing out in Puerto Rico after the devastation caused by Hurricane Maria in 2017. For more on this topic: Check out Tormos-Aponte’s SSN brief, How Social Movements Build Power through Intersectionality Listen to Leah Stokes’ interview mentioned in the episode, Episode 172: The Battle over Clean Energy

No one likes to believe they would be on the wrong side of history. Most of us prefer to think that in times of crisis, we would do the right thing -- we wouldn’t be complicit in evil. Yet every day, individuals just doing their jobs make decisions that harm people. And when many members of an organization make many small, harmful decisions, that builds up. Professor Ashley Nickels lays out how organizational decisions and structures can lead to real acts of evil that harm individuals and whole communities, how this played out in Flint, Michigan, and what can be done to prevent tragedy before it strikes. Check out Nickels’ book with Guy Adams and Danny Balfour, Unmasking Administrative Evil Read her SSN brief, Stabilization and Equity - Responses to Urban Fiscal Crisis in Flint, Michigan, and Beyond Donate to support No Jargon at www.scholars/donate

This year, millennials officially became the largest generation in America. In passing over Baby Boomers, these young Americans, along with Generation Z, have the potential to change US politics by making their voices heard at the polls. The only problem is, many of them don’t turn out to vote. Professor Jake Grumbach explains what’s behind their low voter turnout, how one policy could change that, and what this all says about the role of states in pushing US policy and democracy forward. Read Grumbach’s opinion pieces with Charlotte Hill on same day voter registration in The New York Times and Forbes  Check out his SSN brief, Why Today's Policy Action is Mostly at the State Level Listen to Alexander Hertel-Fernandez’s No Jargon episode on his research mentioned in the episode Donate to support No Jargon at www.scholars/donate

The old saying goes: breakfast is the most important meal of the day. And yet, across the country, there are thousands of children who struggle to find a good meal in the morning. In fact, hunger is likely a bigger problem in this country than most people realize. Professor Maureen Berner lays out the problem of food insecurity in American, what it can tell us about the larger issue of poverty, and how we need to reframe our thinking to address the problem. For more on this topic: Read Maureen’s SSN brief, Why Local Food Pantries Signal Important Truths about the Economy and the Struggles of Low-Income Households Watch her TEDx talk, Local Economic Security: Think Childhood Hunger

Imagine you’re a working parent. You make ends meet with a part-time job at a department store, but the ever-changing schedule makes life difficult. Some weeks, you work so much that you’re left scrambling for last-minute childcare. Others, you barely get enough hours to cover all your expenses. Professor Susan Lambert describes why this has become the reality for an increasing number of Americans, how these scheduling practices impact both employees and their employers, and what policymakers can do to ease the burden. For more on this topic: Check out Susan’s SSN brief, The Realities of Unpredictable Work Schedules for America's Hourly Employees Read the Harvard Business Review’s article on her research

What works best to teach children in our schools? How does pollution affect public health? Why is economic inequality on the rise? These are just some of the big and important questions researchers try to answer every day. But all too often, their findings don’t actually help usher in improvements in the lives of people. Why not? The William T. Grant Foundation’s Vivian Tseng shares the history of research use in U.S. education policy, how a new approach to research can improve connections between scholars and policymakers, and what further changes are needed to make research matter. For more on this topic: Read Vivian’s blog post about evidence use across sectors and around the globe Find her paper with Professor Cynthia Coburn on using evidence in the U.S. Check out the William T. Grant Foundation’s research grants on improving the use of research evidence

Twenty-one years ago this month, a gay University of Wyoming student by the name of Matthew Shepard was brutally murdered. His story brought national attention to anti-LGBT hate crimes and spurred a popular movement for hate crime legislation. Since then, the LGBT community has won major advances and become more visible than ever - but hateful attacks are on the rise. Professor Liz Coston explores why these crimes keep happening, what they look like in 2019, and what can be done to protect and support the LGBT community in the years to come. For more on this topic: Check out Liz’s SSN brief, Understanding and Handling Hate Crimes against Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender People Read the Virginia Commonwealth University’s write-up on their research and public outreach

America is the richest country on Earth with some of the most advanced healthcare services you can find. And yet, every year, hundreds of women die during childbirth, an issue that particularly affects black women. One of the potential solutions that’s being offered: returning to the centuries old practice of community midwives. Rachel Applewhite lays out what research can tell us about the effectiveness of midwives and doulas, how they help serve communities left behind by our healthcare system, and what can be done to expand access to their potentially life-saving services. For more on this topic: Check out the organizations mentioned in the episode: Roots of Labor Birth Collective and Alabama Prison Project Read about Professor Monica McLemore’s research mentioned in the episode