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: policy
Meet a Social Scientist: Dr. Fang from Urban and Regional Planning
What is your name? Dr. Kerry Fang What kind of work do you do in the College?I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning. I teach, do research and engage in service in the department, profession and community. Why did you decide to become an academic?The academic lifestyle is very attractive…
Florida State University’s Social Equity Lab
The Social Equity Lab is Florida State University’s new avenue for social change. The Lab will serve as a forum to meet bimonthly to engage in discussions of issues, developing project proposals, sharing presentations and critiques, and bringing together faculty and students who care about social justice and hold diverse perspectives from different disciplines about…
Social Science Scholar: Finance Intern for the Margaret Good Campaign and Volunteer for Representative Anna V. Eskamani
For my summer project as a 2020 Social Science Scholar, I continued and expanded upon my previous internship with the Margaret Good Campaign for Congress as a finance intern, as well as volunteered with Representative Anna V. Eskamani’s office. Margaret Good served as a Florida State House Representative. Good’s congressional bid encompassed the Sarasota area…
The Damaging Impacts of Gentrification on Urban Communities. Is Enough Being Done to Address this Issue?
As cities across the U.S. recovered from the Economic Recession, numerous families and households in urban communities were faced with increasing rent for their homes and local businesses. This was the result of gentrification, which involves increased capital investment in – and the development of – disenfranchised communities. When this investment occurs, the market value…
Social Science Scholar: Florida Department of Health
This summer, I completed an internship with the Florida Department of Health (FDOH) in Tallahassee, Florida, and Sarasota, Florida. The FDOH oversees all matters of public health and is comprised of a state health office in Tallahassee, and 67 local county departments. My internship comprised of serving at the state health office, as well as…
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.
The Measurement and Importance of Economic Freedom
Since the initial publication of the Economic Freedom of the World report in 1996, numerous scholarly studies have used the data to examine the impact of economic freedom on investment, economic growth, income levels, and poverty rates. Virtually without exception, these studies have found that countries with institutions and policies more consistent with economic freedom have higher investment rates, more rapid economic growth, higher income levels, and a more rapid reduction in poverty rates.
Are Gun Owners Cowards?
Many Americans are under the impression that gun owners are overcome by fear. This idea is everywhere, in news articles and editorials, scientific research, social media, blockbuster films, and other forms of popular culture.
Allowing Access To Marijuana May Help States Fix Their Opioid Problem
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.
Wicked Problems, Wicked Solutions 