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Policy Discourse and Decision Making

This broad multidisciplinary program traces how social, political, and institutional dynamics shape and constrain national policymaking in the United States and in comparison with other countries. Experts in political identity, public opinion, inequality, political parties, media, gender, and many others come together to debate and study political processes and institutions and their participants.

A Message From Daniel Galvin, Program Chair

Daniel Galvin

From the partisan divide on COVID-19 to systemic racial injustices to impediments to democratic participation, political institutions are being tested like never before. IPR faculty examine how political, social, and economic dynamics affect institutional operations and decision-making processes in the United States. Researchers analyze the interplay between political institutions, political behavior, and public policies.

Working Papers

Recently published articles and working papers in this program area include:

Lorenzo Franchi, Vladimir Atanasov, Mark Stake, Garrett Bates, Kristen Osinski, John Meurer, and Bernard Black . 2024. The Disappearing COVID-Naïve Population and Comparative Roche vs. Abbott Test Sensitivity: Evidence from Antibody Seroprevalence in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin (WP-24-32).

Adriana Lleras-Muney, Hannes Schwandt, and Laura Wherry. 2024. Poverty and Health (WP-24-26).

Adriana Corredor-Waldron, Janet Currie, and Molly Schnell. 2024. Drivers of Racial Differences in C-Sections (WP-24-24).

All Papers

Faculty Experts

Representing the fields of political science, economics, social policy, psychology, and sociology, faculty delve into the worlds of politics, institutions, and policymaking.

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News

Kirabo Jackson answering questions
Improving Neighborhoods to Improve Lives

Neighborhoods are more than just physical spaces—they are communities shaped by people, institutions, and the connections that bind them together. These relationships, along with access to both internal and external resources, define these communities and shape the lives and wellbeing of their residents. At an October 9 research briefing on Capitol Hill, sociologist Andrew Papachristos, director of the Institute for Policy Research (IPR), highlighted the persistent disparities in communities’ resources and opportunities.

Events

There are no upcoming events at this time.

Policy Brief: Discrimination in the Housing Market

Are government housing practices fair? After WWII, millions of Americans bought homes for the first time thanks to the standardization of 30-year mortgages. IPR political scientist Chloe Thurston explains how many minorities and women were shut out of the housing market due to discriminatory government policies and how they fought for homeownership through advocacy groups like the NAACP and NOW.

Download the brief