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 »
Amid the election of progressive district attorneys and passage of historic sentencing reforms, many U.S. cities are making strides toward decarceration. In an effort to reduce their prison populations while addressing sentencing bias, at least 20 states emplo... 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 »
Many Americans believe national politics are more polarized than ever. The common narrative is that Americans increasingly self-segregate their neighborhoods, media consumption, and even dating lives along partisan lines. This self-sorting creates enclaves of ... 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 »
The invention and expansion of the internet has revolutionized how citizens engage in political expression and protest. Citizens subject to authoritarian regimes have taken advantage of the instantaneous nature of internet communication to mobilize political d... More »
In March 2018, David Raban traveled to Santiago, Chile, where he conducted research on Chilean copyright law. As part of his trip, he spoke with Claus Krebs, a Chilean copyright attorney with Clara & Cia. You can find the whole interview in podcast form here.T... More »
Over the past several years, questions about racial bias in law enforcement have commanded a great deal of public attention. Across the country, citizens have called for reforms to address—and hold police accountable for—racially motivated misconduct. Many mun... More »
As police officers’ use of lethal force has come to dominate the news cycle, considerable evidence has established a connection between police violence and the race of its victims. The dangers of a poorly trained police force extend beyond those posed to speci... More »
In America today, there is a growing consensus that our politics are becoming increasingly polarized—especially in the U.S. House of Representatives. Many scholars argue that this polarization has had a negative impact on the policy making process. They have a... More »
The manifestation of terrorism in a given country is typically a function of the country’s institutional mechanisms and internal stability. These, in turn, are directly influenced by the political institutions that govern the country. In a recent paper, econom... More »
Do politicians truly represent the populations they serve? Recent research may provide an answer. David E. Broockman and Christopher Skovron’s recent paper asserts that there is a systemic incongruity between true public opinion and elected officials’ percepti... More »