Scholars Strategy Network's No Jargon

The 2026 midterm elections may be over, but the effort to understand the results is just beginning. Who voted, and what shaped their decisions? Political scientist Carrie LeVan offers a different way to think about what impacts political participation: the design of the communities where we live. From sidewalks and front porches to places where neighbors naturally gather, she explains how our surroundings and everyday interactions can influence whether we get involved in civic life. She also explores how gentrification can disrupt those connections and what local leaders can do to create communities that encourage participation.

For more on this topic:

• Check out LeVan's book, Neighborhoods Matter: How Place and People Affect Political Participation

• Read her op-ed in the Bangor Daily News, Question 1 Would Make it Harder for Rural Mainers to Cast their Ballot

New Medicaid rules could make it harder for millions of Americans to keep their health coverage. Professor Jamila Michener explains how work requirements, more frequent eligibility checks, and higher out-of-pocket costs could push eligible people off the program. Drawing on conversations with Medicaid recipients, she explores why politicians keep invoking fraud to justify cuts, why the people most affected have little say in how Medicaid works, and what it would take to change that.

For more on this topic:

• Read Michener's op-ed in Syracuse.com, Historic Medicaid Cuts Are a Body Blow to Vulnerable Americans

• Read her article in Health Affairs, The Future Of Medicaid And The Imperative Of Organized Power

• Check out her book, Fragmented Democracy: Medicaid, Federalism, and Unequal Politics

Is it Columbus Day or Indigenous Peoples' Day—and what does that choice say about whose history America celebrates? The Trump administration has reaffirmed Columbus Day, praising Christopher Columbus as an American hero while declining to issue a separate proclamation recognizing Indigenous Peoples' Day. Professor Kerri Malloy explains why the debate goes beyond a name on the calendar, how it fits into ongoing efforts to change the way U.S. history is portrayed in museums and national parks, and what we can achieve from taking a more critical approach to learning our past.

For more on this topic:

• Read Malloy's commentary in The Conversation, Universities Returning Native American Remains and Artifacts Isn't Just About Physical Objects – It's About Dignity and Justice

• Check out his essay in the Canopy Forum, From Doctrine to Proclamation: How Faith Still Frames U.S. Indian Policy

• Read his op-ed in Cal Matters, Gov. Newsom and Pres. Trump Tell the Same Inadequate Tale About Native America

Cuts to federal funding have made headlines for months. But what actually happens to nonprofits when that government money dries up? Professor Claire Dunning explains how federal funding helped build the modern nonprofit sector, why this money has long felt invisible, and how public and private funding have become so intertwined. She explores the ways in which philanthropy can shape nonprofits' priorities and influence which policy ideas get funded — and what that means for the people and communities nonprofits serve.

For more on this topic:

• Read Dunning's commentary in Vital City, An Antidemocratic Approach to Democratic Governance

• Check out her book, Nonprofit Neighborhoods: An Urban History of Inequality and the American State

• Read her op-ed in The Washington Post, How the Rise of Urban Nonprofits Has Exacerbated Poverty

Labor Day is supposed to be about honoring workers—but what about the essential work that happens at home, often without a paycheck? Professor Jennifer Greenfield explains why caregiving, paid family and medical leave, and the rising cost of child care are not just private family concerns, but issues that affect workers, employers, and the broader economy. She explores what paid leave policies look like across U.S. states, who gets left out of the current system, and what policymakers can do to better support people caring for children, aging parents, and other loved ones.

For more on this topic:

• Check out Greenfield's findings, A Colorado Guaranteed Income Program Could Help Families, but the Costs Are High, co-written with Kaitlyn Sims and Stefan Chavez-Norgaard, in The Conversation

• Read her op-ed in the Denver Post, Here's How the Big Beautiful Bill Will Hurt Coloradans Most in Need of Assistance

• Check out her op-ed in The Hill, Why paid leave should be kept in Build Back Better

As families head back to school, many students may find themselves in a new school this year because their original school has closed. In the U.S., more than 1,000 schools closed in 2025–26. Professor Mara Tieken explains what's driving closures, why they don't always save money, and how they can reshape communities—especially rural and Black communities. She shares what communities can do when a school is threatened with closure, from fighting to keep it open to making sure the process is handled well when closure is unavoidable.

For more on this topic:

• Check out Rural Schools Open, a resource toolkit created by Tieken to help communities facing possible school closures

• Read her op-ed in The Hechinger Report, Shuttering Public Schools Is a Strategy That Rarely Saves Much Money and Often Leads to Test Score Declines

• Read her commentary in The Washington Monthly, Don't Fall for the School Closure Temptation

As the U.S. birth rate continues to decline, some politicians are calling for policies that encourage Americans to have more children, otherwise known as pronatalism—even as abortion access, contraception, and maternal health care face growing challenges. Professor Carolette Norwood explains what pronatalism is, why debates over population growth are often intertwined with race and immigration, and how these conversations intersect with reproductive justice and policy.

For more on this topic:

• Read an interview with Norwood in The Hilltop, Pronatalism and the Politics of Childbirth

• Check out her article, More than Abortion: Why Reproductive Justice Matters in Cincinnati Post-Roe, co-written with Thembi Carr and published in the Journal of Women, Politics & Policy

• Read her paper, Forced to Birth: A Case Study of Ohio's Six-Week Abortion Ban, Its Impact on Black Women in Cincinnati and Its Relevance for Reproductive Justice in Ohio and Beyond, published in Health Matrix: The Journal of Law-Medicine

College closures are becoming an increasingly common part of higher education, largely driven by declining enrollment, shifting federal funding, and rising operating costs. As more campuses face financial strain, what happens when a college can't survive on its own? Professor Mary Churchill shares the story of Wheelock College's merger with Boston University, widely viewed as one of the most successful mergers in higher education. She explains how leaders can protect a school's mission, support students and faculty through major change, and make difficult decisions before a crisis leaves them with no good options.

For more on this topic:

• Check out Churchill's book, When Colleges Close: Leading in a Time of Crisis, co-written with David Chard

Birthright citizenship has been part of the U.S. Constitution for more than 150 years, but why has it become the focus of such intense political debate in recent years? Professor Anna Law breaks down the Supreme Court's decision in Trump v. Barbara, explains what birthright citizenship actually means, and traces the long history of who gets to be an American. Drawing from her new book, she separates fact from fiction on immigration, citizenship, and the Constitution, and explains why understanding that history matters today.

For more on this topic:

• Check out Law's new book, Migration and the Origins of American Citizenship

• Read her blog post, I Read Trump v Barbara So You Don't Have To

• Read her Made by History essay in TIME Magazine, History Shows Why Birthright Citizenship is so Important

Conservative Christian women are often portrayed as followers in American politics, but sociologist Katie Gaddini says that stereotype misses the bigger picture. Drawing on the research from her new book, she explains how these women have become a powerful force on the American right, what motivates their political engagement, and how faith, motherhood, and social media shape their growing influence.

For more on this topic:

• Read Gaddini's new book, Esther's Army: The Christian Women Who Power the American Right

• Check out her commentary in TIME Magazine, The woman whose crusade gave today's book-banning moms a blueprint