Ballot questions let voters decide on big issues. But with ad campaigns and special interests, reliable information can be hard to find. Professor John Gastil outlines an innovative solution—give a small group of citizens all of the information they need to make up their minds and share their findings with fellow voters.

For More on this Topic:

• Read Gastil's two-page brief on Citizens' Initiative Reviews.
• Check out his piece in The Washington Post

Further Reading:

• Building Public Trust and Improving Policy Through Deliberative Engagement Between Officials and Citizens, Daniel Patterson, University of Utah
• How Do Effective Associations Spur Citizen Engagement?, Hahrie Han, University of California, Santa Barbara

Raising taxes on the rich encourages job creators to skip town. Or so say some economists and policymakers. This week, Professor Cristobal Young dispels the myth of millionaires leaving high tax states and shows the many ways the wealthy are invested in the places they live.

For More on this Topic:

• Read Young's piece in The Washington Post on millionaire taxes.
• Check out Young's easy to read book, The Myth of Millionaire Tax Flight

Further Reading:

• How States Can Fight Growing Economic Inequality, Megan E. Hatch, Cleveland State University, Elizabeth Rigby, The George Washington University
• Episode 28: Americans Like Taxes, Vanessa Williamson, Brookings Institution

Prescription drugs are expensive. But for years, a little-known program has given some hospitals discounts to help them provide care for low-income and uninsured patients. Professor Sayeh Nikpay explains why this program is now under fire and what this means for America's safety net.

For More on this Topic:

• Read Nikpay's piece in the Health Affairs Blog on the 340B program

Further Reading:

• Episode 83: 21st Century Safety Net, Benjamin Veghte, National Academy of Social Insurance
• How U.S. Hospitals Often Undervalue Black and Poor Lives, Adam Reich, Columbia University

We all want innovative policies that propel our nation forward. But getting things done in DC isn't always easy. This week, Thomas Kalil joins us to share some of the practical lessons he learned during his years working in the White House—have a concrete plan of action, make it easy, and don't worry about who gets the credit.

For more on this Topic:

• Read Kalil's essay, Policy Entrepreneurship at the White House
• Check out his TEDx talk on 21st Century Moonshots

Further Reading:

• Episode 96: Informing Policy, Jenni W. Owen, Duke University
• Regulation, Participation, and Policy Design, K. Sabeel Rahman, Brooklyn Law School

In 1965, the passage of the Voting Rights Act helped secure equal access to the ballot, and it has enjoyed bipartisan support ever since. Right? Professor Rhodes shows how, over the years, politicians who publicly supported this law worked behind the scenes to dismantle it.

For More on this Topic:

• Read Rhodes' book, Ballot Blocked
• Check out his opinion piece in The Washington Post

Further Reading:

• The Dismantling of the Voting Rights Act, Dewey M. Clayton, University of Louisville
• Episode 97: Who Has the Right to Vote?, Douglas Spencer, University of Connecticut

The 2018 midterms are rapidly approaching and voters want to believe they're going to make rational choices at the polls. But as Professor Casey Klofstad explains, there is an unexpected factor influencing voter behavior and affecting our elections—the tone of a candidate's voice.

For More on this Topic:

• Read Klofstad's article in The Scientific American, How Voice Pitch Influences Our Choice of Leaders
• Check out his book, Civic Talk: Peers, Politics, and the Future of Democracy
• Find his brief, Talking about Politics Boosts Civic Participation

Further Reading:

• Why Beards and Mustaches are Rare for Modern American Politicians, Rebekah Herrick, Oklahoma State University
• To Win Elections, Do Women Candidates Have to be Better Qualified than Men?, Sarah Andrea Fulton, Texas A&M University

A $50 citation, $100 in court costs—for many Americans navigating the criminal justice system, fines and fees like these add up quickly. Professor Alexes Harris reveals why local governments charge convicts to pay for the justice system and how this disproportionately burdens marginalized people and communities.

For More on this Topic:

• Read Harris's OpEd in the New York Times, Justice Shouldn't Come With a $250 Fine
• Check out her book, A Pound of Flesh: Monetary Sanctions as a Permanent Punishment for Poor People.
• Find her two-page brief, How Reliance on Fees and Charges to Fund U.S. Criminal Justice Weakens Public Faith in Poor Communities

Further Reading:

• Episode 39: Change from the Inside, David Dagan, Johns Hopkins University
• Using Fines to Fund Municipal Government Hurts Low-Income Minorities, Just as Sharecropping Did a Century Ago, Brandi Blessett, Rutgers University-Camden

Professors all across the country have expertise that can improve public policy, but how can they get their research into the hands that matter? Professor Lee Badgett provides the tips and tools scholars need to make these connections in the new year and tells the stories of a few successful public professors.

For More on this Topic:

• Read Badgett's book, The Public Professor
• Find her two-page brief, How Scholars Can Become Influential Public Professors
• Check out SSN's new policy engagement workshop

Further Reading:

• Episode 96: Informing Policy, Jenni Owen, Duke University
• Building Public Trust and Improving Policy Through Deliberative Engagement Between Officials and Citizens, Daniel Patterson, University of Utah

Trust in our governments is low, and seems to only be getting worse. Professor Donald Kettl explains why widespread distrust plagues governments around the world, what this means for democracy, and how, if at all, governments can earn back our trust.

For More on this Topic:

• Read Kettl's book, Can Governments Earn Our Trust?
• Check out the research mentioned in the episode by Professor Vesla Weaver

Further Reading:

• Episode 47: A Path for Police Reform, Tracey L. Meares, Yale Law School
• How Participatory Budgeting Strengthens Communities and Improves Local Governance, Isaac Jabola-Carolus, City University of New York

Republicans and Democrats alike have complained about the speed with which the recent tax bills are going through Congress. In light of this, we're bringing you an archive episode with Professor James Curry who explains that lacking expertise, staff, and time, most members of Congress rarely get to analyze or contribute to the bills on which they vote.

For More on this Topic:

• Read Curry's two-page brief or his book, Legislating in the Dark
• Check out Professor Frances Lee, mentioned in the episode, and her books on partisanship and competition in Congress.

Further Reading:

• Who are the Most Effective Legislators in Congress?, Craig Volden, University of Virginia, Alan E. Wiseman, Vanderbilt University
• Why U.S. Conservatives Shape Legislation across the Fifty States Much More Effectively than Liberals, Alexander Hertel-Fernandez, Columbia University, Theda Skocpol, Harvard University