The University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy

Is 2024 the most important election in US history? Is democracy really under threat? All this and more in a new Q&A from Professor William Howell.

Q&A: Professor William Howell Discusses What's at Stake in the 2024 Presidential Election August 01, 2024 Back to News Professor William HowellThe United States presidential election of 2024 is in full swing, with former President Donald Trump and Senator J. D. Vance of Ohio accepting the Republican nomination and incumbent President Joe Biden declining the Democratic nomination in favor...

Join a casual virtual meetup to connect with the growing community of Harris alumni working at the intersection of public policy and artificial intelligence. Whether you're already immersed in AI policy or just exploring opportunities in the field, this event offers a prime opportunity to expand your network and stay informed about the latest trends and developments. Hosted by Chantal Forster and Kyle Gracey.
https://har.rs/4drEahZ

Does universal basic income reduce productivity, as some suggest, or just provide recipients with downtime? Prof. Damon Jones has an opinion, reported in Reason Magazine. har.rs/4fmtByy

Bad news for universal basic income Researchers found that giving people $1,000 every month for three years resulted in decreased productivity and earnings, and more leisure time.

This week, the Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (IHCC) hosted a networking event and presented a new artificial intelligence solution for small and minority-owned businesses – a solution built with the support of Harris students.

Enter CORAMA. Adrian Rodriguez, EMP ’19, Director of CORAMA at IHCC, worked with Harris interns throughout two summers to develop this AI-powered platform that helps businesses bid and win government contracts by identifying top available matched contacts. During the summer of 2022, Binghan Bai MPP’23 and Cesar Anzola MPP’23 focused on research, policy, and recommendations for increasing access to government contacts for IHCC members.

This summer, building on previous advancements, Harris students Magdalena Barros MSCAPP ’25 and Zirong Li MSCAPP ’25 have fully realized the potential of CORAMA as an AI-driven platform. Their innovative work has significantly enhanced the platform's capabilities, making it a powerful tool easily accessed by members of IHCC and the greater small and minority-owned business community.

Learn more about CORAMA here: https://corama.ai/. And how Harris can help you define your impact here: https://har.rs/3SozL7m

Martha MacLaren, MPP'25, wrote a blog post about some of the many talks she attended at the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy in her first year.

Read about just a few of the hosted discussions that took place during the 23-24 academic year: har.rs/3SnUF6B.

Events at UChicago | The University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy Martha MacLaren, MPP Class of 2025, writes about some of the many talks she attended during her first year at Harris.

"A new Democratic nominee doesn't have some of the liabilities that Biden has. Most importantly, won't be running at the age of 81 years old, and suddenly the Democratic nominee's biggest liability is going to be turned on Trump," Professor William Howell told Voice of America. Read the full story:

Young voters weigh in on Biden's departure from 2024 presidential race Gen-Z voters, both Republicans and Democrats, could influence the outcome of the 2024 election

Listen to Prof. William Howell in conversation with Sasha-Ann Simons On Air discussing how President Biden’s decision not to seek another term fits into a wider history, as well as what this means for his legacy on WBEZ's Reset.

Biden’s history-making exit could rewrite his legacy President Joe Biden signs a series of executive orders on health care, in the Oval Office of the White House, Thursday, Jan. 28, 2021, in Washington.

A sense of the absurd? “A lot of people feel like politicians are out of step and ineffective, the legislative process is all but broken, therefore politics becomes a thing of theater,” Prof. William Howell said of post-assassination attempt memes.

An assassination attempt rattled the nation. Then came the memes. On social media, reactions to the attempted assassination of Donald Trump veered toward the dark and absurd. The memes reveal something deeper about the national moment.

Democracy isn't dead, Prof. James A. Robinson and his coauthor Daron Acemoglu argue in a new piece in The New York Times.

Opinion | Our Solution to the Crisis of Democracy Center-left parties must lead the way to restore the social contract that binds democracies together.

How are innovative student safety and discipline approaches reshaping educational environments and experiences across schools? As districts grapple with the complexities of implementing restorative strategies and refining behavioral interventions, Harris on Education examines insights from recent research. Subscribe: har.rs/3Uez5BO

As Joe Biden tries to allay concerns about his age, Donald J. Trump is "coming in not just as a hero, but somehow he's like he's anointed. Like he was called upon by God himself to lead this party," Prof. William Howell told Voice of America.

In speech to Black voters, Biden links Trump shooting to racial, gun violence In his first campaign appearance since the assassination attempt on his rival, the U.S. president implored Americans to ‘condemn violence in any form’

If there can be no special prosecutors, what hope is there for oversight? "The prospects of holding a president to account are just becoming dimmer and dimmer," Professor William Howell tells The Christian Science Monitor.

Trump documents case: What if there’s no one to investigate presidents? A federal judge in Florida has dismissed the Trump documents case, saying the special counsel leading the prosecution has no constitutional power to do so. Where does that leave independent investigations of presidents?

Vendors selling merchandise inspired by the assassination attempt against Donald J. Trump has historical precedent, Harris Senior Advisor Marc Farinella explains in the Washington Post

Online vendors are cashing in on Trump assassination attempt Entrepreneuers and supporters of the former president have scrambled to churn out an array of T-shirts, stickers, mugs and other merchandise.

How are tariffs and tax reforms shaping U.S. economic policy and wealth distribution ahead of the 2024 election? This week's edition of Public Money Policy explores the nuances of these financial tools through various lenses. Subscribe for articles like this and more in your inbox: har.rs/3TBLZt0

Vultures are a more important part of our ecosystem than we may have thought: a lack of vultures is connected to the deaths of half a million people from 2000 to 2005, a new study coauthored by Eyal Frank finds. From Science:

Loss of India’s vultures may have led to deaths of half a million people Find could offer lessons for conserving key species in other places

Professor Steven Durlauf weighs in on incendiary claims that problems in the airline industry are brought on by DEI initiatives – claims he tells Crain's Chicago Business are "evidence-free" and "ugly."

Airlines look to navigate political turbulence around their diversity commitments Assaults on airline diversity efforts are moving into the legal realm, but supporters say they will keep working to expand opportunities.

It's ! And the question is, do shark attacks influence our elections? Some researchers think so ... but Prof. Anthony Fowler isn't convinced.

Could more shark attacks help Trump get elected? There may be precedent from 1916 election Will Florida's shark attacks sway whether Trump or Biden wins? Sound silly? Some academics say Woodrow Wilson would beg to differ.

We invite you to share your valuable insights and experience to help us welcome the Class of 2024 into the Harris Alumni Network. Your guidance can be instrumental for our newest members as they journey forward.

What advice would you offer to the latest graduates joining our alumni community? Whether it pertains to career guidance, navigating relocations, or other significant life lessons, we would appreciate your contributions.

Please submit your advice here: https://har.rs/4cMJfkU

In a recent story, CNBC took note of the UChicago Harris / AP-NORC poll which showed the popularity of forgiving medical debt.

Medical debt carries less weight on credit reports. But it's still a burden for consumers Changes have made it so medical debt carries less influence on credit reports. But experts say more can be done to improve health-care affordability.

Greg Sanchez, Evening Master's Program Class of 2024, seeks to apply the skills he gained at Harris to position veterans as a model to curtail recidivism and promote restorative justice work. Read more:

Student Profile, Greg Sanchez, EMP Class of 2024 Sanchez seeks to apply his EMP skills to position veterans as a model to curtail recidivism and promote restorative justice work. November 07, 2023 Back to News Greg SanchezHailing from a working-class background in Southern California, Sanchez said his dad, an immigrant from Mexico, and his mother,...

“Without increasing the number of physicians, you aren’t going to have any impact on the labor market downstream," Prof. Joshua Gottlieb told STAT. "It’s not going to be more affordable to find a doctor, it’s not going to be easier to find a doctor.”

Free medical school tuition unlikely to have a major impact on the U.S. health care system Bloomberg Philanthropies' donation to make medical school tuition free for many at Johns Hopkins adds to other recent similar moves. Experts say the broader impact may be muted.

"It doesn’t feel like something your ordinary sort of inexperienced, novice school board candidate is doing on their own," Professor Chris Berry tells the Chicago Tribune of the very large number of petition objections at the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners.

School board candidate roster narrows as more than half face objections before the Chicago Board of Elections The roster of Chicago’s elected school board candidates roster narrows to 43 as more than half face objections before the Chicago Board of Elections.

"We finally beat Medicare." While many thought this was a gaffe by President Joe Biden at the recent debate, Prof. Tomas Philipson argues in The Wall Street Journal that it's a sad reality as a result of the Inflation Reduction Act.

Opinion | This Is How President Biden ‘Beat Medicare’ His Inflation Reduction Act leaves patients with less access to medicines and higher premiums.

The Civic Leadership Academy, part of the Center for Effective Government, is celebrating 10 years of impact, as CLA fellows describe the ways their careers – and their city – have been shaped by the experience. har.rs/46exOjT

Civic Leadership Academy: A Decade of Training Leaders Who Are Driving Change Over the course of its 10 years, the University of Chicago’s Civic Leadership Academy has trained 300 emerging and high-potential leaders in Chicago-area nonprofit and local government agencies to help those organizations thrive.

Chicago is a bustling and vibrant global city with opportunities to absorb culture at every corner.

In this blog, James Marcucci, MPP Class of 2025, shares his first experience with opera in the city of Chicago:

A Night at the Opera | The University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy In this blog, James Marcucci, MPP Class of 2025, shares his first experience with opera in the city of Chicago.

Crisis of confidence? "If Biden were confident in Kamala's ability to win, he may have stepped aside to endorse her," Prof. Anthony Fowler says as calls continue for President Biden to step aside in the race against former President Trump in favor of Vice President Harris or someone else.

White House's Kamala Harris bungle as Dems seek alternative to Biden The White House has made an error with Vice President Kamala Harris as Democrats struggle to find an alternative for President Joe Biden following his abysmal debate performance.

Justin Marlowe discusses Chicago's pension crisis, the subject of the Harris Policy Innovation Challenge from earlier this year, which seems to be getting worse. har.rs/3zuTH1Z

Why did President Biden decide to run for a second term after all? Was it pride? Power? A lack of confidence in the alternatives' chances against former President Trump? Prof. Anthony Fowler explores the question with Axios.

How Biden went from “bridge” candidate to two-term hopeful Worries about Biden's fitness for office have highlighted his old pledges to make way for new Democratic leaders.

How can research inform public policy better to support children's development in diverse family environments? This week's edition of Harris on Education features groundbreaking insights from the Behavioral Insights and Parenting Lab at The University of Chicago (BIP Lab). It focuses on the transformative impact of data-driven research in education policy. Subscribe for the latest Harris scholarship on education policy: har.rs/3VPMa58

"Be wary of the temptation to rest on your laurels." Viviana Martinez, CLA'20, shares key insights she learned from the Civic Leadership Academy.

Harris Voices: Viviana Martinez, CLA'20, on What It Means to "Crown Up" As a part of Harris Public Policy's and the Center for Effective Government’s celebration of the 10-year anniversary of the Civic Leadership Academy (CLA), we asked previous fellows how CLA has impacted their work as civic leaders. These are their opinions and perspectives, informed by their own l...