Public Policy

Andlinger Center conference tackles challenges of a changing climate

Monday, Oct 1, 2018

by Molly Seltzer, Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment

Hurricane Sandy sent a clear message on climate change, Tammy Snyder Murphy, the first lady of New Jersey, told the audience in her keynote speech at a Princeton climate conference Friday, Sept. 21.

“We’re not looking at Sandy as just some part of our history, but something that we know will happen again unless we take action,” said Murphy, who plays a key role in the governor’s administration on climate and environmental policy. “We are accepting the challenge that climate change has presented. We are committed to making this state the magnet for innovative solutions.”
Funded by new tax credits, U.S. carbon-capture network could double global CO2 headed underground

Tuesday, Sep 25, 2018

by Morgan Kelly, Princeton Environmental Institute

With the right public infrastructure investment, the United States could as much as double the amount of carbon dioxide emissions currently captured and stored worldwide within the next six years, according to an analysis by Princeton University researchers.
Princeton team wins first prize in national anti-gerrymandering contest

Tuesday, Sep 25, 2018

by The Office of Communications

The Princeton Gerrymandering Project has won a national contest for proposing a novel legal theory to constrain gerrymanders.

The contest, sponsored by the leading good-government nonprofit Common Cause, sought to identify ideas and principles of fairer representation in the United States.
Militant groups influenced local politics during conflict in Colombia

Wednesday, Aug 22, 2018

by B. Rose Kelly, Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs

The five-decades-long Colombian conflict weakened government institutions and left millions displaced. With a new president at the helm, many wonder about the future of the country.
Militarization of police fails to enhance safety, may harm police reputation

Tuesday, Aug 21, 2018

by Arva Hassonjee, Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs

This month marks the four-year anniversary of protests over the police killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri. Those protests were met with a heavily armed police response that sparked wide debate over the militarization of local law enforcement.
Princeton economists find that unions had historical role in helping address income inequality

Thursday, Jun 21, 2018

by Denise Valenti for the Office of Communications

The rise in income inequality between skilled and unskilled workers since the 1970s might be due, at least in part, to a decline in union membership, Princeton University researchers have found.
Mental health declining among disadvantaged American adults

Monday, Jun 18, 2018

by B. Rose Kelly, Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs

American adults of low socioeconomic status report increasing mental distress and worsening well-being, according to a new study by Princeton University and Georgetown University.

Between the mid-1990s and early 2010s, self-reports of mental health declined among disadvantaged Americans ages 24 to 76. However, as socioeconomic status increased, mental health deterioration lessened or, in some cases, even improved.
Purple districts elect the most extreme legislators, driving polarization

Wednesday, May 9, 2018

by Jon Wallace for the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs

So-called purple voting districts that change hands between Republicans and Democrats — rather than reliably conservative and liberal districts — are an underappreciated source of rising political polarization in state legislatures, according to a study co-authored by a Princeton University researcher.
Boost in collateral, rather than “feeling richer, ” drives consumers to borrow as home prices rise

Wednesday, Oct 11, 2017

When home prices rise, households tend to borrow and spend more. But economists have had trouble identifying exactly what causes that relationship. Is it that when a house becomes worth more, borrowers are able to offer more collateral to secure a loan? Or is it that when a house is worth more, borrowers feel richer so are more willing to borrow and spend?
Dark Side of the Moon: Motorcycle Deaths Linked to Full Moons

Tuesday, Dec 12, 2017

Researchers analyzed data from the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia and found that on nights illuminated by a full moon, fatal motorcycle accidents increased by 5 percent compared to nights without a full moon. On evenings when the supermoon decorated the sky, this increased to 32 percent.