The LeRoy Collins Institute at the Florida State University recently released a report that provides a blueprint for a better approach to making state policy and budget decisions by using rigorous evidence to inform these choices. Florida is widely known as a low tax/low services state, and it faces growing challenges. We rank 35th among…
Tag: Florida
Lionfish Epidemic and Its Repercussions for Florida
Over the past thirty years, an invasive species colloquially known as the lionfish has infested coasts across the Gulf of Mexico. Originally native to the Red Sea and Indo-Pacific region, several varieties of this species now populate the coastal waters of Florida and the Caribbean. Though still under review, evidence points to the pet trade as a…
Halloween Screams Prosperity
As consumers purchase candy, costumes, and pumpkin spice lattes, Halloween can be a time to reflect on traditions and prosperity.
DeSantis’ Coronavirus Leadership Reflects the Prudence Florida Needs Overall
This piece first appeared in the Tallahassee Democrat. Six months into America’s COVID-19 crisis and, remarkably, the virus continues to confound experts. Nevertheless, Gov. DeSantis continues to be attacked as if the best approaches are obvious and clear. In fact, DeSantis, like his peers in other states, is being forced to make severe policy trade-offs…
The Covid-19 Pandemic Shows the Power and Limits of American Federalism.
This post first appeared on The LSE US Centre’s daily blog on American Politics and Policy American federalism allows different responses to policy challenges, and the nation’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic is no exception. When looking at any sort of crisis, the chief executive of a state or municipality is often the leader in…
Research Spotlight: Citizen Engagement and Municipal Marketing in the Sunshine State
Florida cities have yet to fully realize the usefulness of marketing as a strategic tool for achieving municipal goals, but the future is promising. Cities realize the necessity of marketing and branding efforts. In the near future we may be bombarded with more branded images as cities continue to experiment with marketing activities. Strategically, cities should use these marketing efforts to keep us engaged as citizens and connected with our local government in order to achieve their own goals.
Scholarly Perspectives: Helping Americans Better Understanding the Syrian Civil War
How can the average Floridian get a real sense of the events of the Syrian civil war and diaspora? Well, consider that in 2011 when that situation exploded, the country of Syria was about the same size (about 21 million people) as the state of Florida. What if it all had happened in Florida instead…
Policy Pub: Generosity in Hurricane Michael’s Wake
Hurricane Michael hit Florida’s Gulf Coast in October of 2018 as a category five hurricane. The storm leveled communities to the West of Tallahassee, damaging homes, displacing residents, crippling some industries, and leaving piles of debris behind. In its wake, I set off to study how civil society – nonprofits, religious organizations, and less organized…
Social Science Scholar: Florida Housing Coalition
I am truly grateful for the opportunities that the College’s Social Science Scholars Program has been able to provide me with. The Social Science Scholars Program gave me a supportive network of students, both in my own class and from past cohorts, who I could talk to on a range of issues from involvement on campus to pursuing an undergraduate honors thesis. Not only has this program provided me with the opportunity to further myself both personally and professionally through gaining real world experience in data analytics, but without the Social Science Scholars program, I would certainly not have found myself in an internship that allowed me to apply concepts I learned in the classroom at Florida State to a meaningful cause where I could help further affordable housing advocacy in my community.
Hurricane Michael recovery efforts point to the power of local generosity after overlooked disasters
Throughout my research in a string of beach towns and rural inland communities along a stretch west and south of Tallahassee known as the Forgotten Coast, I directly observed nonprofits relying upon donated funds, supplies and labor to meet housing and other needs not being met by flood insurance or government funding.
Wicked Problems, Wicked Solutions 