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

For many Americans, contact with the criminal legal system comes with a hidden price tag. Without their knowledge, incarcerated people can often rack up large bills owed to the government to pay for the cost of their own incarceration. Sociologist Brittany Friedman explains how these "pay-to-stay" laws work, how civil lawsuits are used to collect that money after release, and why the push to reform these criminal legal fines and fees has drawn bipartisan support.

For more on this topic:

• Read the article mentioned in the episode, Civil Lawfare, co-authored by Friedman and published in the journal Social Problems

• Listen to her podcast, Exploitation Nation

• Check out her book, Carceral Apartheid: How Lies and White Supremacists Run Our Prisons

• Read her SSN key findings brief, Ending Modern-Day Slavery in California

No Jargon celebrates its 300th episode with a conversation about where American democracy and politics stand today, featuring the Scholar Strategy Network's new board chair, Mark Schmitt. Americans are increasingly frustrated with both the Democratic and Republican parties thanks to endless fundraising messages, political gridlock, and the sense that politicians don't represent the people. Schmitt makes the case that political parties are still a vital part of a healthy democracy and talks through the kinds of structural changes that could help rebuild trust and bring more people into the political process.

For more on this topic:

• Read the New America report co-authored by Schmitt, A Blueprint for Healthier Political Parties

• Check out New America's companion report, A Model for Associational Party Building

Pregnancy is often treated as a personal responsibility, but the effects don't stay personal. When expectant parents can't afford basics like stable housing or healthy food, it can have ripple effects for society. That's why some communities are trying a different approach: giving expecting parents direct cash support during pregnancy. Professor Ali Groves explains how these programs work, focusing on the Philly Joy Bank, and why receiving money with no strings attached can ease stress and help families during a critical period.

For more on this topic:

• Read Groves' analysis in The Gender Policy Report, Parenting is Expensive, Guaranteed Income May Help, co-authored with Libby Valdez and Yuan He

• Check out her op-ed in Penn Live, When Washington fails expecting mothers, Philadelphia shows a better way

The EPA's 2009 Greenhouse Gas Endangerment Finding has been the legal foundation for U.S. climate regulation under the Clean Air Act for over a decade. In February, the Trump administration repealed it. That move puts the future of federal climate policy in question. Professor Alejandro Camacho explains what the endangerment finding did and why it mattered for policies ranging from vehicle emissions to power plant rules. Drawing on his new book, he also puts this moment in context: showing how earlier waves of environmental policymaking took shape in the 1960s and '70s, and why today's approach is marked by polarization, legal battles, and uncertainty.

For more on this topic:

• Check out the book Camacho coauthored, Lessons for a Warming Planet: A Vital History of US Environmental Law

• Read his commentary in Legal Planet, The Trump Administration is Squandering Our Natural Heritage

• Read his op-ed in The Hill, Donald Trump's record-breaking race to wreck the planet

By now, most students who applied to college for the fall semester have received their decisions, bringing a mix of emotions, from excitement and relief to disappointment and uncertainty. For many, especially those turned away from top-choice schools, the admissions process can feel arbitrary and even unfair. Professor Julie Park breaks down what's changed for college applicants since the Supreme Court's 2023 decision restricting race-conscious admissions. She also explores the uneven return of standardized testing and how policy shifts are reshaping who gets into selective colleges and what schools can still do to make the process more fair.

For more on this topic:

• Check out Park's new book, Race, Class, and Affirmative Action: College Admissions in a New Era

• Read her op-ed in The Hechinger Report, There's a 'cascade effect' from the Supreme Court's affirmative action ban, and it's hurting Black and Latino students

• Read her essay in the Chronicle of Higher Education, Economic Diversity Is Ticking Up at Elite Colleges. Why?

Nutrition policy is back in the spotlight. Under Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s "Make America Healthy Again" agenda, the federal government has been especially vocal about and involved in what Americans eat, including policies that change what can be bought with federal benefits. Nutrition policy researcher Pasquale Rummo breaks down what the debate about ultra-processed foods is all about, how Americans' diets are shaped by both choice and policy, and what coming changes could mean for consumers and the food industry.

For more on this topic:

• Read Rummo's op-ed in The Hill, co-written with Jesse Strunk-Elkins: SNAP Benefit Cuts Will Leave Millions of Americans Overworked and Underfed

Housing costs keep rising across the United States, and policymakers are scrambling for solutions. In Congress, policymakers from across the aisle are advancing legislation aimed at encouraging more housing construction, based on the idea that increasing supply will help bring prices down. But what actually makes housing "affordable" and who benefits from the policies meant to fix the problem? Drawing on decades of research and experience working on housing issues in New York City, Professor Hilary Botein explains how politics and local housing markets affect who has access and why simply building more housing may not help people with the lowest incomes.

Six years after the World Health Organization declared Covid-19 a global emergency, are we any better prepared for the next pandemic? Professor Joseph Harris reflects on what Covid revealed about the strengths and weaknesses of the U.S. public health system and the fragility of global cooperation. Drawing on his research on universal health coverage and AIDS treatment politics in countries such as Thailand and Brazil, he explains how politics and power shape who has access to care—and how professional and social movements can drive reform.

For more on this topic:

• Listen to Harris's podcast: The Global Health Politics Podcast

• Check out his commentary in The Conversation: What the US could learn from Thailand about health care coverage