Development efforts in American cities often push out long-term residents and communities of color. Zeroing in on Baltimore, Professor Brandi Blessett breaks down the intentional and unintentional impacts of urban policy decisions.

For More on this Topic:

• Read more of her work on the impact of public administration on communities of color in her two-page brief.
• Check out Arnold Hirsch’s book on race and housing in Chicago, Making the Second Ghetto.

Further Reading:

• The Health Consequences of Moving From Place to Place, Antwan Jones, George Washington University
• The Real Baltimore Crisis, Eva Rosen, Johns Hopkins University
• Episode 19: Changing Neighborhoods for Better or Worse, Jackelyn Hwang

Could we fight unemployment by providing government jobs in construction, child care, and other needed public projects? Professor William Darity explains how a Federal Job Guarantee could work and how similar programs have been effective in the past.

For More on this Topic:

• Check out his oped in The New York Times.
• Read his two-page brief, co-authored with Darrick Hamilton and Mark Paul.

Further Reading:

• Why Jobless Americans Experience Deep and Prolonged Distress, Cristobal Young, Stanford University, SSN Key Findings
• The Great Recession and America's Underemployment Crisis, Leif Jensen, Pennsylvania State University, Tim Slack, Louisiana State University, SSN Key Findings

As charter school debates play out at the local level, out-of-state donors are contributing millions of dollars to school board campaigns in cities like Los Angeles and Denver. Professor Sarah Reckhow breaks down who donates and what that money does.

For More on this Topic:

• Read her two-page brief, Can Philanthropists Engineer Effective School Reforms?
• Check out her research discussed in Futurity and her article “Outsiders with Deep Pockets.”

Further Reading:

• The Promising Launch of Community-Oriented Charter Schools in New Orleans, Brian R. Beabout, University of New Orleans, Joseph L. Boselovic, Loyola University New Orleans, SSN Basic Facts
• Is Wall Street Looking to Profit from School Reform?, Jeff Faux, Economic Policy Institute
• Rhetoric and Reality in the "All Charter" Approach to School Reform in New Orleans, J. Celeste Lay, Tulane University, SSN Basic Facts

Rollbacks on federal regulations will put American’s food at risk. Professor Adam Sheingate explains the risks to consumers and the prospects for food safety in the coming years. He stresses that trust in government is key during food safety crises.

For More on this Topic:

• Read his pieces in Democracy Journal, “In the Era of Trump, be Careful What You Eat” and “Still a Jungle.”
• Check out his two-page brief, Why America's Food is Still Not Safe.

Further Reading:

• How Better U.S. Food Policies Could Foster Improved Health, Safer Jobs, and a More Sustainable Environment, Nicholas Freudenberg, City University of New York School of Public Health and Hunter College, SSN Basic Facts
• The Vital Mission of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Daniel Carpenter, Harvard University, SSN Basic Facts

As the federal government ramps up deportation efforts, myths about sanctuary cities are widespread. Professor Tom Wong shows how local sanctuary policies lead to safer and economically stronger communities and explains what they can and cannot do.

For More on this Topic:

• Check out his research discussed in The Washington Post and San Diego Union-Tribune.
• Read his new book, The Politics of Immigration.

Further Reading:

• How Young Immigrants, Communities, and States Benefit from President Obama’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, Tom Wong, Spotlight, August 2015
• Should Local Police be on the Front Lines of Immigration Enforcement?, Doris Marie Provine, Arizona State University
• What Does the Supreme Court's Deadlocked Decision on Deferring Deportations Mean for Immigrant Families?, Heide Castañeda, University of South Florida

The outsized influence of money is a problem in U.S. politics. Sean McElwee and Professor Tabatha Abu El-Haj describe how donors skew policy and how getting more people to vote could counter big money in politics where repealing Citizens United cannot.

For More on this Topic:

• Check out McElwee’s study, Whose Voice, Whose Choice?
• Read Professor Abu El-Haj’s two-page brief, The Inevitable Limits of Campaign Finance Reform, or her article, Beyond Campaign Finance Reform.
• Find the recommended articles by Professor Theda Skocpol in Vox and the New York Times.

Further Reading:

• Making Sense of the Koch Network, Theda Skocpol, Harvard University
• Rising Economic Inequality and Campaign Contributions from Very Wealthy Americans, Adam Bonica, Stanford University, Howard Rosenthal, New York University

Protests that turn violent have been a constant throughout American history. Professor Ashley Howard explains their origins, and how new laws, policing methods, and social media have changed the way people demonstrate.

For More on this Topic:

• Check out her interview in The Chronicle of Higher Education and her piece in The Black Scholar.
• Read her two-page brief, How U.S. Urban Unrest in the 1960s Can Help Make Sense of Ferguson, Missouri, and Other Recent Protests.

Further Reading:

• How the Ferguson Commission Can Promote Healing and Reconciliation in Metropolitan Saint Louis, Eric Royer, University of Missouri-St. Louis
• How Social Movements are Using the Internet to Change Politics, Deana A. Rohlinger, Florida State University
• How Legacies of Urban Racial Segregation Shape Today's Controversies over Police Killings of Black People, Colin Gordon, University of Iowa

Republican majorities in the federal government and in most states are putting protections for abortion, parenting, and birth control rights at risk. Professor Monica McLemore details what the future may hold for reproductive health, rights, and justice.

For More on this Topic

• Read her two-page fact sheet, What Trump Means for Abortion Access, co-authored with Ushma Upadhyay and Alice Cartwright.
• Check out the  “What if Roe Fell” report from the Center for Reproductive Rights, and the policy and advocacy resources from Reproductive Health in Nursing.
• Explore organizations working toward reproductive justice like the National Network of Abortion Funds, ACCESS Reproductive Justice, Sister Song, and SisterReach.

Further Reading:

• The Future of Reproductive Rights in America, SSN Spotlight, May 2016
• What Happened to Women's Health When the State of Ohio Forced the Use of Outdated Abortion Procedures?, Alice Cartwright, Sarah C.M. Roberts, and Ushma Upadhyay, ANSIRH, University of California, San Francisco

Trump and Republican leaders have promised to repeal Obamacare, leaving millions without health insurance. Professor Colleen Grogan breaks down the benefits of the Affordable Care Act, its shortcomings, and key parts of proposed alternatives.

For More on this Topic:

• Read her two-page fact sheet, What Trump Means for the Affordable Care Act, co-authored with Dean Sherry Glied .
• Check out her brief, Debunking Myths about Medicaid - And Its Expansion, with Theda Skocpol and Katherine Swartz.

Further Reading:

• How Obamacare Repeal Would Harm Rural America, Claire Snell-Rood, University of California, Berkeley, Cathleen E. Willging, Behavioral Health Research Center of the Southwest
• How Obamacare Helps Americans Who Already Have Health Insurance, Jonathan Oberlander, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Tensions with China are high, North Korea is testing nuclear warheads, and the Philippines is distancing itself. Professor Oriana Skylar Mastro explores the complicated web of U.S. trade and military relations in Asia and highlights potential challenges.

For More on this Topic:

• Check out her two-page brief, Japan, the United States, and the Shifting Balance of Air Power in Northeast Asia.
• Read her article on China’s military transparency as mentioned in the episode.

Further Reading:

• Can Countries Overcome Distrust by Affirming Rather than Downplaying National Identities?, Eun Bin Chung, University of Utah
• Is Military Aid an Effective Tool for U.S. Foreign Policy?, Patricia L. Sullivan, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill