Scholars Strategy Network's No Jargon

Back-to-school season is upon us, and back as well are some familiar debates. From charter schools to voucher programs, education in America is becoming more privatized than ever - and some communities are pushing back. Professor Janelle Scott reveals why so many schools are shifting toward privatization, why these reforms are so controversial, and what they mean for inequality in America’s education system. For more on this topic: Check out Scott’s research paper with Jennifer Holme on this topic (paywall)

Imagine a nation where the political rules are unfair. In this imagine nation, there are two parties. The Big Country party has its strengthen in rural areas and gets a big head start in every election - they get to win if they earn around 46 percent of the vote. The other party, the party of the city people, gets held back - to win, they need to earn about 54 percent of the vote. As it turns out, this is not an imaginary nation at all, it’s the United States of America. Professor Jonathan Rodden dives into the research from his book on why cities lose when it comes to elections, what that means for our political system, and what can be done to change the situation. Read Rodden’s book, Why Cities Lose: The Deep Roots of the Urban-Rural Political Divide Check out his opinion piece for The Washington Post, and The New York Times Upshot article highlighting this research.

El Paso, Texas. Dayton, Ohio. These two cities are the latest in a long string of communities that have experienced horrific mass shootings. And once again, the news of these shootings bring up many questions. Dr. Sierra Smucker lays out what we know about mass shooters and the connection to domestic violence, what gun regulations are already on the books and whether or not they seem to be effective, and what more can be done to prevent future shootings.  For more on this topic: Read Sierra’s SSN brief, Why the United States Remains Hobbled in Protecting Women from Gun Violence. Check out her opinion piece for The American Prospect Find the RAND project on Gun Policy in America

The US Congress is a bedrock of American democracy, but as it stands, it often seems to be stuck in the dark ages. With more and more technology emerging to help connect people, ideas, and information across the country, Congress often still works as if the internet didn’t exist. Dr. Lorelei Kelly dives into the problems facing Congress, what it takes to bring this institution into the 21st century, and how a few members are leading the way. For more on this topic: Check out Kelly’s report, Modernizing Congress: Bringing Democracy into the 21st Century. Read her opinion pieces for The Hill and TechCrunch.

Around five years ago, Ferguson, Missouri erupted in violent protests after the fatal police shooting of teenager Michael Brown. The Ferguson protests were part of a wave of protests nationwide spurred by police shootings of unarmed black men and the disproportionate violence that communities of color have often faced. In this archive episode, Professor Ashley Howard explains what these protests mean, what their history is, and how new laws, policing methods, and social media are changing the way people demonstrate. For More on this Topic: Check out Howard’s interview in The Chronicle of Higher Education and her piece in The Black Scholar. Read her SSN brief, How U.S. Urban Unrest in the 1960s Can Help Make Sense of Ferguson, Missouri, and Other Recent Protests

At the beginning of his campaign for president, Donald Trump disparaged Mexican immigrants coming to the US and since then, immigration has been a centerpiece of his administration. But to say that America’s immigration debate started with Donald Trump is simply not true. Professor James Hollifield highlights the long history of immigration policy in this country and argues that the conversation won’t be going away any time soon, no matter what happens in 2020. For more on this topic: Check out Hollifield’s paper, The Migration Challenge Read his essay, What Makes Immigration Reform So Hard

When the 2016 Academy Award acting nominations all went to white performers for the second consecutive year, a trending hashtag - #OscarsSoWhite - swept Twitter. But in the span of just a few years, things seem to have changed. Professor Nancy Yuen explains the state of diversity in Hollywood, what challenges persist today, and how to reform the industry. Check out Yuen’s book, Reel Inequality: Hollywood Actors and Racism Read her SSN brief, How Racial Stereotypes in Popular Media Affect People - and What Hollywood Can Do to Become More Inclusive

When politicians run for local office, they try to appeal to lots of different kinds of voters. And one way they do this is by collecting endorsements from public figures and organizations those voters trust. But does that actually influence the way people vote? Professor Andrea Benjamin explores the role of endorsements in local elections, how race plays into the equation, and what this means for campaigns both big and small. For more on this topic: Check out Benjamin’s book, Racial Coalition Building in Local Elections Read her SSN brief, The Impact of Endorsements in Racially Mixed Elections

The CIA has become an almost mythical government agency, viewed as full of super spies who carry out the US government’s wishes across the globe. And perhaps one of the most infamous of these accounts is the CIA’s supposed orchestration of the 1973 coup in Chile. But Professor James Lockhart’s new research casts doubt on this common narrative. He digs into the CIA’s actual influence in Chile, why this narrative has become so ingrained, and what it all means for the US today. For more on this topic: Check out Lockhart’s book, Chile, the CIA and the Cold War: A Transatlantic Perspective Read his SSN brief, How Getting History Right Can Improve Relations between America and the Global South Find his article with the Marine Corps University Press, How Effective Are Covert Operations?: The CIA’s Intervention in Chile, 1964–73

In 1890, the Supreme Court called solitary confinement “barbaric,” speculating that it would be abandoned altogether as a correctional practice. But now, nearly 130 years later, it’s clear that their prediction couldn’t have been more wrong. Professor Keramet Reiter tells the story of how solitary confinement became so widespread in the US, what this practice means for prisoners, and what can be done to change the system. For more on this topic: Check out Reiter’s book, 23/7: Pelican Bay Prison and the Rise of Long-Term Solitary Confinement Read her SSN brief, The Root of America's Over-Use of Solitary Confinements in Prison — and How Reform Can Happen Listen to her interview on NPR’s Hidden Brain podcast