Over the past decade, opioid-related overdose has become the leading cause of death for American adults under age 50. During the same period, opioid deaths caused by synthetic narcotics increased 13-fold, and by 2017 they accounted for 60% of all opioid-relate... More »
According to the World Bank (2019), close to half the world’s population lives in countries where development goals are hindered by conflict and violence. The UNHCR (2019) claims that by the end of 2018, 70.8 million people had been forcibly displaced from the... More »
Between 1949 and 2009, at least 40 percent of intrastate conflicts were linked to natural resources, according to estimates in a UN report. A growing body of research explores these links to try to explain variation across factors like time, geography, and res... More »
On June 23, 2016, the British people voted in a referendum to withdraw from the European Union — a historic move that is still being processed today. “Brexit” not only impacts the United Kingdom’s relationship with the European Union, but also the rest of the ... More »
In cities around the globe, people can be found street-side asking for money. While there are some who chose to perform or sell small goods, others ask for cash without offering anything of value in return. These individuals, known as panhandlers, face harsh p... More »
Formerly incarcerated individuals are often released only to find social and economic barriers harsher than the penalty itself. The internet age makes this problem even worse given the ease of accessing criminal records. Recognizing these barriers, most jurisd... More »
During the Great Recession, workers around the globe unexpectedly lost their jobs due to large-scale layoffs and firm bankruptcies. The factors that led to their loss of employment were often unrelated to the individual. However, what happened afterward — whet... More »
Developed countries are struggling to tackle growing geographic inequality, a phenomenon fueling populism and discontent at the polls in Europe and the United States. In the face of economic change, large, globally connected cities have thrived, while many for... More »
The issue of regional inequality is endemic to modern developed economies. While some regions experience growing populations and economic innovation, others are subject to decline. Even within specific high-growth metropolitan areas, there are neighborhoods th... More »
In the last decade, transportation network companies (TNCs) such as Uber and Lyft have significantly disrupted urban mobility. Commonly known as “ride-sharing,” TNCs’ app-based services provide millions of customers an alternative to traditional transportation... More »
Surrounding the Arctic Ocean, lying along a nearly continuous 10,000 mile (16,000 km) ring of inhospitable tundra, one of Earth’s most important environmental assets is beginning to collapse.Permafrost — perennially frozen soil and rock — may not look like muc... More »
The challenges of illegal drug use in the United States and around the world have been addressed in many ways over the past decades, from harsh sentencing guidelines to anti-trafficking activities. Decriminalization, or the legalization of drugs, is an approac... More »