At one of #MeToo founder Tarana Burke’s first workshops, 30 high-school girls were asked to write “Me Too” on a sheet of paper if they wanted to anonymously record their experience of sexual harassment. Burke was stunned by how many sheets she counted; two-thi... More »
If every square block of abandoned land in American cities were placed side-by-side, the area would be larger than the state of Maryland. In fact, nearly 15 percent of all urban land is either vacant or barren. This limits the economic vitality of communities ... More »
In 1938, Alvin Hansen—the “American Keynes”—introduced a phrase that would form the basis of worry for policymakers in developed nations the world over. In the face of plunging birth rates and ever-increasing life expectancies, OECD nations were soon to face a... More »
Many economies in the developing world exhibit a dual structure: the formal sector and the informal sector. While large firms operate in the formal sphere, a majority of small- to medium-size firms operate informally. Estimates of the size of the informal econ... More »
When thinking about “dangerous drugs,” illicit substances such as heroin and cocaine usually come to mind. However, there is compelling evidence that alcohol is substantially more harmful to society than illegal drugs; alcohol is the third leading cause of pre... More »
Roughly two years prior to becoming Vice President of the United States, then Governor Mike Pence declared a public health emergency in Indiana. Amid the statewide opioid crisis, and fueled by heightened levels of poverty, Scott County experienced one of the l... More »
La inclusión financiera es uno de los más grandes retos globales. Es particularmente importante para el 43% de las mujeres del mundo que aún no tiene una cuenta en una institución financiera. Las nuevas tecnologías han ayudado a superar obstáculos que antes se... More »
Financial inclusion remains one of the biggest global challenges. This is particularly crucial for the 43% of women worldwide who still do not have an account at a financial institution. Technological development is helping surmount previously intractable barr... More »
When President Obama signed the SPACE Act on November 20, 2015, the U.S. government officially recognized a vision of the future that could previously only be found in the pages of science fiction. Section 51303 of the Act declared: “A United States citizen en... More »
In the early 2000s, police departments across the U.S. began deploying Tasers—devices that deliver an electric current to incapacitate targets—as an alternative use-of-force against civilians. The Taser was considered a non-lethal alternative to firearms and p... More »
Although women have entered the workforce and obtained degrees in higher education in increasing numbers over the past several decades, the wage disparity between genders persists. This phenomenon can be partially explained by differences in choices of college... More »
Since the introduction of the Kalamazoo Public School District’s Promise Scholarship Program in 2005, public school districts across the country have announced similar initiatives, offering college scholarships for students who have attended its public schools... More »