Disciplines in the College of Social Sciences and Public Policy promote critical thinking, analytical methods, and empirical skills as the path to understanding the key political, social, and economic issues that dominate our public discussions.
Whether or not Galentine’s Day has staying power remains to be seen. In the end, it doesn’t matter much. Social change is already happening.
One recent estimate from the president’s Council of Economic Advisors finds that the opioid epidemic is costing the country hundreds of billions of dollars per year in the form of lost productivity, health care costs, and costs to the criminal justice system. Some of the rise in opioid overdoses is likely caused by job loss and economic despair, so we may see a decline as the economy continues to strengthen. But the economy is already pretty strong—despite the recent market dip— and opioid overdoses continue to plague many parts of the country. Better access to marijuana is not going to single-handedly fix the opioid problem, but it should be discussed as part of the solution.
Local policymakers can’t wave a magic wand and say, “assume the best case scenario.” They will need to seriously consider the full range of on-the-ground experiences with local government consolidation.
While we’ve pointed out some flaws with the upcoming holiday, we’ll also note that there are some pros. It’s fun to dress nicely, receive chocolates and flowers, and pretend to like that chalky heart-shaped candy, all for the sake of celebrating our significant others. But if we’re going to celebrate this made up Love Day, then we should each do it our way, no matter who we are or who we love. And the retailers shouldn’t get to have the final say on how we choose to go about it.
Corruption is one of the “wicked” problems facing many societies. Simple punishment and regulation is often ineffective and more creative, bottom-up approaches to fighting corruption have been proposed. Testing these approaches in the field is next to impossible as it is difficult to find a government able and willing to experiment on its citizens. Social science laboratory experiments provide a way to assess effective tools in the battle against systemic corruption.
In Tallahassee alone, Airbnb reports visitors booked 3,285 rentals for five home-game football weekends in 2017. Users spent $372,000 for weekend rooms, apartments and houses. Many of these trips would have been impractical without the online options provided by Airbnb.
Some pastors refer to Christmas Eve as the “Super Bowl of sermons.” And the Super Bowl is the equivalent of Christmas for many fans, which is why it is not surprising that it is one of the most watched programs on television in the United States. The fervor that builds around the Super Bowl is reflective of our own desires and aspirations. We embody the teams that we have chosen and place our hopes on their success.
An original survey I conducted with support from the FSU Office of Research shows that more than 60% of Bolivians surveyed opposed President Morales’ stated intentions to pursue a fourth consecutive term in office. If correct, the same majority of Bolivian voters that brought President Morales to power may hold the seeds of his electoral demise. Whether President Morales will concede the logic of majoritarianism when said majority seeks to end his tenure, is a central question for the future of Bolivian democracy.
Even with incentives, these cities are longshots. Boston, Austin, and Atlanta are the early favorites according to at least one oddsmaker. Still, the fact that Columbus, Indianapolis, Pittsburgh, and Miami made the top 20 over other cities such as Portland, Houston, and New Orleans is a good sign for them going forward. They may not get Amazon, but their futures are bright.
