4.20
Education, Business, & Law
How to get voters off the fence? With a soft touch
How to get voters off the fence? With a soft touch
According to Wharton’s Jonah Berger, one way to sway undecided voters is to break down the gap between two sides into smaller steps to make it easier for people to navigate.
Disaster relief: Why the poor need higher priority
Disaster relief: Why the poor need higher priority
Wharton’s Carolyn Kousky discusses why low-income families struggle most following disasters, and outlines how to simplify receiving aid that truly helps.
Calculating the costs of school closures, reopenings
Calculating the costs of school closures, reopenings
The Penn Wharton Budget Model released a report that describes the anticipated loss of future wages for K-12 students as a result of lower-quality education from school closures.
Why low interest rates hurt retirees
Why low interest rates hurt retirees
Low interest rates means lower returns for retirement accounts, underfunded pensions, and early Social Security draws for retirees, according to Wharton’s Olivia Mitchell.
What drives household bankruptcy?
What drives household bankruptcy?
Wharton’s Sasha Indarte on her research on the roles of moral hazard and liquidity in household bankruptcy.
How the pandemic is affecting working mothers
How the pandemic is affecting working mothers
Wharton’s Janice Bellace discusses how unemployment during the coronavirus pandemic is affecting women so disproportionately.
Simple solutions reduce court no-shows, subsequent arrest warrants
Simple solutions reduce court no-shows, subsequent arrest warrants
For low-level offenses in New York City, text nudges and a redesigned summons form decreased failure-to-appear rates by about 20% and led to 30,000 fewer arrest warrants over a three-year period.
Internship gives law students exposure to criminal justice empirical research
Internship gives law students exposure to criminal justice empirical research
The Quattrone Center’s inaugural summer internship program allowed students respond to calls for community reform, accountability, and justice.
Why anti-racism education belongs in business school
Why anti-racism education belongs in business school
The co-presidents of Wharton’s African-American MBA Association discuss leading the Black at Wharton community’s response to the ongoing Black Lives Matter protests and the impacts the demonstrations have had on them and their communities.
Research shows substantial drop in crime during COVID-19 pandemic
Research shows substantial drop in crime during COVID-19 pandemic
Professor of law, business, and public policy David S. Abrams’ report, “COVID-19: An Early Empirical Look,” analyzes data from over 25 large cities in the U.S.
In the News
Axios
Americans will likely have to navigate a maze of vaccine "passports"
Eric Feldman of the Law School spoke about the legality of businesses requiring proof of vaccination. “In general, private businesses can decide who they're willing to admit into their businesses and serve so long as they don't violate either the federal Civil Rights act or a state law,” he said.
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The New York Times
Set up branches of elite colleges to expand access?
Rebecca Stein of the Online Learning Initiative responded to an op-ed that suggested universities open multiple campuses in order to diversify the student body. “Teaching online allows universities to reach more students, and more diverse students. It is the path to meeting both the high bar of quality and the goal of inclusion,” she wrote. “Instead of building a campus in Houston, let’s be bold and build a virtual campus.”
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The New York Times
Don’t fear cryptocurrencies. Manage them
Brian Feinstein and Kevin Werbach of the Wharton School wrote about calls to regulate cryptocurrencies and claims by crypto advocates that regulatory actions will depress trading activity. Feinstein and Werbach’s research “found no evidence that regulatory announcements affect crypto trading volume,” they wrote.
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The Wall Street Journal
COVID-19 vaccine issues present new challenge for J&J
Cait Lamberton of the Wharton School weighed in on how the FDA’s recommendation to pause distribution of Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine will affect the company’s reputation. “I don’t think this is going to be a huge dagger in J&J’s heart,” she said. “They’ve seen this stuff before. They’ve had plenty of product crises.”
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The New York Times
NRA chief takes the stand, with cracks in his armor
David Skeel of the Law School commented on the NRA’s bankruptcy proceedings, which were filed after Wayne LaPierre, the organization’s executive vice president, gained financial control via a new employment contract. “There’s a real question whether the employment contract was a legitimate authorization for bankruptcy,” said Skeel. “The language is quite vague. It could be construed as simply allowing Wayne LaPierre to make cost-saving organizational changes, not to file a bankruptcy petition.”
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