Education – Wicked Problems, Wicked Solutions

Research Spotlight: “The Most Livable City In America”: Localized Reparations as a method to close the Black-White Wealth Gap

Scholars have long debated the shape Reparations should take on a global and national scale, however, little has been discussed about local reparations initiatives. By drawing on interviews with the 11 city officials in Evanston Illinois, and all government documents from 2018 – 2020, we can have a better understanding of Local Reparations with a…

Research Award Spotlight: COSSPP Grad One of Three FSU Fulbright Winners

A graduate of the college is one of three FSU grads to receive research scholarships through the Fulbright U.S. Student Program. Beatrice Dain joins Michael Rivera and Marah Litchfield as one of the recent grads for whom the Fulbright awards will provide funding for each recipient to conduct research projects abroad this upcoming year. Dain will be working toward her…

Meet a Social Scientist: Dr. Janet Dilling from the Emergency Management and Homeland Security Program

What is your name? Dr. Janet Dilling What kind of work do you do in the college? I am a Teaching Professor in the Emergency Management and Homeland Security Program. I teach, do applied research and engage in service in the Program, profession and community. Why did you decide to become an academic? I first…

Honors Thesis Spotlight: Disciplining for Quality: Does State Medical Board Disciplinary Action Affect Healthcare Quality?

State Medical Boards (SMBs) regulate the medical profession. They issue licenses, standardize the medical field, and discipline physicians who abuse their power or perform poorly. Since SMBs work on behalf of state governments, they are subject to the Principal-Agent Model, a relationship where an agent represents the interests of a principal. In this instance, SMBs…

Where Are They Now? Meet COSSPP Alum Audrey Moore

What have you been up to since you graduated? I graduated in Spring 2021 with a B.S. in Political Science. Since graduating FSU in April I have moved to Georgia to attend the University of Georgia, working on my Master’s in Political Theory. I have also started as a legal secretary at a local estate…

Research Spotlight: Examining the Impact of Communicative Processes on Civic Engagement Among College Students During a Crisis

The objective of this ongoing study is to collect preliminary data on how message content and social norms impact college students’ responses to preventive behavior calls to actions (i.e., mask-wearing as an act of civic engagement) in regards to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and how these responses are exacerbated when such messages interact with individual…

Research Award Spotlight: COSSPP Faculty Win McKnight Fellowships

Two faculty members of the College of Social Sciences and Public Policy are among the six Florida State University assistant professors receiving the Florida Education Fund’s (FEF) McKnight Junior Faculty Fellowship, a program that promotes excellence in teaching and research by underrepresented minorities and women. Under the program, Assistant Professor of Economics Mackenzie Alston and…

Meet a Social Scientist: Dr. Anne Barrett from the Department of Sociology

Why did you decide to become an academic? I think I became an academic because I never wanted to stop going to school! When I was an undergraduate, I realized that I enjoyed using data – whether survey responses, interview excerpts, or cultural products – to tell stories about the social world. An interest in…

Research Spotlight: Going it Alone: The Adverse Effect of Executive Term Limits on Bargaining

Numerous scholars and participants in the political process affirm that highly autonomous executives are a threat to the balance of power and democratic stability more generally. This widely held belief is predicated upon the fact that extensive executive power will lead to a breakdown in the balance of powers between the executive and the legislature….