Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) was launched by the U.S. Department of Justice in 2002 to reduce gun violence across 94 federal districts. The City of Chicago adopted this program the same year, targeting neighborhoods inflicted with high rates of poverty, un... More »
In the United States, prostitution has long been declared illegal for moral, safety, and public health concerns. Recently, states like New Hampshire and California are challenging these laws, opening the topic for public debate. The effects of legalizing prost... More »
When a gang member on the south side of Chicago posted a photo of himself throwing down a gang sign in enemy territory on his social media account, the backlash was immediate and severe. The response was not limited to the comments section alone; it took only ... More »
Most countries in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) offer one form or another of tax breaks for commuting expenses. In countries like Germany and Denmark, the cost of commuting to and from one’s place of work is exempted from tax... More »
In 2016, the FBI reported a 4.1 percent increase in violent crime from the previous year. With more than 1.2 million incidences, that report claims that cities like Chicago, Baltimore, and Las Vegas—cities that have all struggled with pervasive crime for decad... More »
Initiatives that aim to address geographically concentrated poverty often focus on providing affordable housing. While such housing projects may increase quality of life for residents, they are unlikely to reduce the concentration of poverty in particular area... More »
On October 6, the Trump Administration rolled back the federal requirement that all employers must include birth control coverage in their health insurance plans. As a result, some employees will be asked to pay for contraceptives on their own. By making contr... More »
The Urban Institute recently released a report highlighting a significant gap in the amount of affordable housing available, and the number of individuals who need it. This gap has widened in many parts of the country, especially in Cook County, Illinois (the ... More »
As many cities across the country actively seek solutions to stem violence, researchers from Emory University, New York University, and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute have confirmed a relationship between Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and exposure... More »
The terms “economic mobility” and “social mobility” are used figuratively to describe ascending the wealth ladder, usually by accruing income. But such mobility can take on a more literal connotation: if a better paying job is across the country it might be wo... More »
During the most recent presidential election, the issue of raising the federal minimum wage was intensely debated. Political debates about the federal minimum wage often center on the effects of a minimum wage increase on employers’ labor decisions, changes in... More »
Over the course of the last two decades, there has been a significant trend toward urbanization worldwide as the promise of jobs and wealth has driven many people to relocate. A record 54 percent of the world’s population now lives in urban areas, with the lar... More »