The US Congress is a bedrock of American democracy, but as it stands, it often seems to be stuck in the dark ages. With more and more technology emerging to help connect people, ideas, and information across the country, Congress often still works as if the internet didn’t exist. Dr. Lorelei Kelly dives into the problems facing Congress, what it takes to bring this institution into the 21st century, and how a few members are leading the way. For more on this topic:  Check out Kelly’s report,  Modernizing Congress: Bringing Democracy into the 21st Century. Read her opinion pieces for  The Hill and  TechCrunch. 

Episode 186: Modernizing Congress

No Jargon, the Scholars Strategy Network’s monthly podcast, presents interviews with top university scholars on the politics, policy problems, and social issues facing the nation. Powerful research, intriguing perspectives -- and no jargon. Find show notes and plain-language research briefs on hundreds of topics at www.scholarsstrategynetwork.org/nojargon. New episodes released once a month.

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Misinformation seems to be everywhere. From falsehoods about the coronavirus to lies being spread by political leaders and their followers, in recent years it feels like it’s getting harder and harder to discern fact from fiction. And with social media and AI permeating our lives, new technologies only seem to be making the situation worse. Professor Ray Block dives into the world of misinformation, sharing lessons from his new position as the Michael D. Rich Distinguished Chair for Countering Truth Decay at the RAND Corporation about what’s behind the problem and what can be done to address it. For more on this topic:   Listen to this Call with the Experts podcast episode from the RAND Corporation, featuring Professor Ray Block.   Check out this RAND Corporation Q&A; on the end of Covid-19 public health emergency.    

Episode 259: Countering the Spread of Misinformation

In March, the Justice Department filed a major antitrust complaint against Apple accusing the tech giant of maintaining a monopoly over the smartphone market. This is just the latest action the government has taken against Big Tech in recent years, marking a clear shift from the cozy relationship the industry long had with Washington. What’s behind the love/hate relationship between Big Tech and our government? And what can Silicon Valley’s past reveal about the way this might all play out going forward? In this archive episode, originally recorded in September 2021, Professor Margaret O’mara digs into the history of Silicon Valley – from its early beginnings to the days of the internet boom – to explain the Valley’s ever-present intersection with US politics and make sense of the recent shift. For more of Margaret O’Mara’s work:   Read her most recent book  The Code: Silicon Valley and the Remaking of America.   Check out her prior book,  Cities of Knowledge: Cold War Science and the Search for the Next Silicon Valley   Find her prior opinion pieces about the tech industry in The New York Times    

Episode 258: The Past and Future of Big Tech

Border crossings coming into the United States are at some of their highest levels in recent history. Cities like Chicago and New York are struggling to provide services while the immigration system is running out of funding and faces a massive backlog of asylum applications. The situation is looking tough for many asylum seekers, but what happens when individuals make it through the system and are granted refugee status? Enter refugee resettlement agencies – organizations that provide food, shelter, and of course, job placement to newly arrived refugees. But according to sociologist Dr. Nicole Kreisberg, their current strategy of job placement is deeply flawed: prioritizing immediate yet low-wage work over long-term reliable employment. In this archive episode, originally released in August 2022, Kreisberg spoke to us about the harms of this strategy and what needs to be done to truly support incoming refugees. For more on this topic:  Check out Nicole Kreisberg’s SSN brief, co-written by Els de Graauw and Shannon Gleeson:  Refugee Settlement Should Look Beyond First Job Placements  Read their research paper: Explaining Refugee Employment Declines: Structural Shortcomings in Federal Resettlement Support 

Episode 257: Supporting the Needs of Refugees

Martin Luther King Jr. holds a special place in the American consciousness and is one of the few people to have a federal holiday celebrating his legacy. But what exactly is MLK’s legacy? From immigrants rights groups to gun rights activists to politicians, the history of the civil rights movement and MLK’s work and words have long been used, and contested, by many different people. Drawing from her new book, Professor Hajar Yazdiha explained why MLK holds such a prominent place in our shared memory, how politicians and social movements have used his legacy for their own causes, and how all this has impacted policy decisions. For more on this topic:   Read Yazdiha’s book,  The Struggle for the People’s King: How Politics Transforms the Memory of the Civil Rights Movement   Check out her opinion piece in TIME Magazine, The Problem With Comparing Today’s Activists to Martin Luther King Jr.    

Episode 256: MLK's Contested legacy

From healthcare strikes to auto workers strikes to the Writers Guild and Hollywood actors strikes, 2023 was an eventful year for union activity. Professor Nathan Wilmers examined the implications of that activity and what it may mean for the future of the labor movement as employees fight for fair wages, equality, and protection in the workplace. Importantly, Professor Wilmers highlighted the history of the labor movement over the past few decades – as it may provide some answers for the future.  For more on this topic: Read Wilmers’ paper, co-written by Maxim Massenkof: Economic Outcomes of Strikers in an Era of Weak Unions.  Read his SSN policy brief:  Does Union Activism Actually Raise Wages?

Episode 186: Modernizing Congress

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