4.21
Education, Business, & Law
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
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
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
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?
Wharton’s Sasha Indarte on her research on the roles of moral hazard and liquidity in household bankruptcy.
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.
How the pandemic is affecting working mothers
Wharton’s Janice Bellace discusses how unemployment during the coronavirus pandemic is affecting women so disproportionately.
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
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.
Across U.S. Catholic archdioceses, child protection policies vary widely
A report from CHILD USA, led by Professor of Practice Marci Hamilton, found that such policies lack uniformity, aren’t comprehensive, and often don’t take a victim-centered approach.
In the News
Relief, calm, and a sense that ‘justice was served’ as Philadelphia watches Chauvin’s guilty verdict
Krystal Strong, an organizer with Black Lives Matter Philly and assistant professor in the Graduate School of Education’s Literacy, Culture, and International Education Division, says justice was not obtained in the guilty verdict for Derek Chauvin. “Justice means that George Floyd would be here,” she says.
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Anger, anxiety, stress, relief: Therapists say it’s OK for Black people to feel it all
In addition to the next slate of trials for Chuavin’s colleagues, Philadelphians are still processing the fatal police shooting of Walter Wallace Jr. and the city’s own checkered history of policing Black and other communities of color. Ariane Thomas of the Graduate School of Education comments on the importance of talking about feelings and leaning into their complexity.
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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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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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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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