This piece first appeared on the Independent Institute blog. The Federal Trade Commission has agreed to a $5 billion settlement with Facebook as a penalty for the social media giant’s unauthorized sharing of user data with consulting form Cambridge Analytica in 2017. Presumably, the settlement is warranted because of the harm done to users when Facebook shared…
Yesterday, the Beatles, and the Value of Earned Success
This piece first appeared on The Beacon The movie Yesterday is a tribute to the enduring legacy of popular music and its ability to bring joy to the human heart. Indeed, the movie succeeds as entertaining summer diversion. But it succeeds on another level as well by exploring the meaning and the dignity of work. The movie…
Unexpected Impacts and Data Collection after Hurricane Michael
As much as we push to maintain objectivity and distance, we study what we do because it matters and we hope to have an impact through our research.
Occupational Licensing Reform Could Help Keep Ex-Offenders Out of Prison
This piece originally appeared in the Tallahassee Democrat. The criminal justice system in the United States is often described as a revolving door –– with good cause. According to a report from the Florida Department of Corrections, more than 60 percent of prisoners released in Florida are re-arrested within three years of release. The offenses with…
When Exactly is Flu Season?
At the start of the school year, I ran into a colleague in the elevator. Sam told me he enjoyed his summer break in spite of the hot and humid weather. His summer would have been perfect except for the severe flu he contracted a couple of weeks prior. This story might sound strange to…
New Faculty Book Governing Health: The Politics of Health Policy
This piece first appeared on the John Hopkins University Press blog. By the time of publication of the first edition of Governing Health: The Politics of Health Policy in 1996, the possibility of national health care reform – which had not long before seemed so bright – had severely dimmed. The Clinton Administration’s proposed comprehensive health plan—perhaps…
Teaching and Learning: Now, we must ACT
ACT House has helped me realize my agency and the ability to fight the good fight. What I didn’t know, was that I had the agency before ever joining the ACT House, and so does everyone else.
Minimum-Lot-Size Regulations Mean Less Housing
Ultimately, the only way to keep housing affordable is to increase supply in high-demand areas. Minimum-lot-size regulations are just one of many regulations standing in the way.
Interning with Florida League of Cities
In early March, Florida lawmakers convened in Tallahassee to kick off the 2019 legislative session. The official start followed months of preparation, with lawmakers periodically holding interim legislative committee meetings to discuss and debate various policy and funding matters on tap for session. Legislative session is only 60 days in length, and the only action…
How The Minimum Wage Hurts Entire Neighborhoods
This piece first appeared on Forbes.com. There is a lot of debate around the minimum wage. Some see it as a fairly straightforward way to help low-income workers. Others emphasize the negative effect it has on employment. Fewer employment opportunities are bad in their own right, but the harmful effects of minimum wage increases are likely spilling…
