Why Social Science? - Because It's the Most Reliable Way to Understand the Public's Point of View
Dec 8, 2022
This week's Why Social Science? post comes from Kathy Frankovic, former Director of Surveys at CBS News and former President of the American Association for Public Opinion Research, who writes about the science behind public opinion polling and its role in predicting the outcome of elections. When…News Topics: Why Social Science?Public Policy
Grant provides funds to study housing program impact
Apr 13, 2021
A Robert Wood Johnson Foundation grant will provide funding to a team of Penn State faculty as they evaluate the effect of an innovative housing program on neighborhood racial and economic equity in Pittsburgh. Support for “The Impact of Pittsburgh’s Innovative Mobility Vouchers and Mobility…
New funding to test impact of research communication strategies on policymakers
Jul 17, 2020
Penn State’s Research-to-Policy Collaboration (RPC) is responding to legislators’ needs for social and behavioral research related to the coronavirus pandemic, with support from the William T. Grant Foundation. Housed under the Evidence-to-Impact Collaborative (EIC), a unit of Penn State’s Social…
Virtual speaker series to focus on COVID-19 response and policy impact
Jun 4, 2020
Penn State’s School of Public Policy is hosting a virtual speaker series, “Policy and the Pandemic,” every Wednesday at 2 p.m. beginning June 10, 2020. The series will highlight School of Public Policy faculty research analyzing the response to the coronavirus at the local, state and federal level…News Topics: Public PolicyCOVID-19
Health care provider deserts may leave patients in the cold
Nov 5, 2019
People with health insurance under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) may have access to fewer health care providers — and may also have to drive further to see them — than people with other plans, according to researchers. In a new study — published today (Nov. 4) as part of the November issue of…
Evidence lights the way
Sep 5, 2019
By Adam Gamoran, Science Magazine These are dark times for science and public policy in the United States. In June, it was revealed that the White House suppressed the congressional testimony of a State Department scientist on the implications of climate change for national security—just the latest…
Why Social Science? - Because It Guides Us Toward Practical and Attainable Solutions
Aug 6, 2019
By Tom Kecskemethy, Executive Director, The American Academy of Political and Social Science The wisest quote about science that I’ve read in recent years was penned by Vanderbilt University’s Larry Bartels, in an article he wrote during the run-up to 2016 general election. He reminded us simply…
Trustees approve architect for Liberal Arts research and teaching building
Jul 19, 2019
The appointment of Bohlin Cywinski Jackson (BCJ) of Wilkes‐Barre, Pennsylvania, as architect for the Liberal Arts Research and Teaching Building to be constructed on the University Park campus was approved today (July 18) by the Penn State Board of Trustees. BCJ was selected based on its work with…
Penn State podcast series covering issues impacting democracy
Jun 18, 2019
Penn State podcast series covering issues impacting democracy Penn State’s The McCourtney Institute for Democracy has crafted an intellectual podcast series, Democracy Works, to highlight issues in American democracy. Instead of bipartisan debate, the series addresses problems from a broader…
Studying implications of policy and law for treatment of substance use disorders
Jun 3, 2019
People who suffer from substance use disorder need effective treatments, however, 90 percent of those who need treatment do not receive it. One Penn State professor and his team are looking into the legal and financial barriers to treatment and how the law can be used to break down or build…
Marching for climate change may sway people's beliefs and actions
May 29, 2019
Americans have a long tradition of taking to the streets to protest or to advocate for things they believe in. New research suggests that when it comes to climate change, these marches may indeed have a positive effect on the public. A team including Penn State researchers found that people tended…
Penn State participates in Social Science Advocacy Day in Washington, D.C.
May 22, 2019
Penn State researchers recently attended the Consortium of Social Science Association’s (COSSA) 2019 Social Science Advocacy Day in Washington, D.C., taking part in a full schedule of events to bring awareness to social and behavioral sciences. During the advocacy day, COSSA members met with…
Why Social Science? - Because Social Science Can Have an Impact on Public Policy
Sep 11, 2018
By Peter B. Wood, Professor of Sociology and Criminology, Eastern Michigan University Why Social Science? Because social science can—and should—have a real impact on public policy at the federal, state, and local levels. More than a decade ago, while serving as President of the Southern Criminal…