Public Administration Blogs & Reports

  • Food Insecurity in New Jersey

Food Insecurity in New Jersey – Policy Solutions and Improvements  

August 31st, 2023|Comments Off on Food Insecurity in New Jersey – Policy Solutions and Improvements  

By Ciera Gaither.  The most recent Current Population Survey Food Security Supplement (CPS FSS) reported that 10.2% of American households are food insecure, impacting more than 30 million people. In comparison, 8% of  New Jersey residents experienced food insecurity in 2020 [...]

  • The Risks of Limiting Prescribed Opioids

The Risks of Limiting Prescribed Opioids

August 21st, 2023|Comments Off on The Risks of Limiting Prescribed Opioids

By Julia Snyder. One response to the opioid crisis and the high rates of opioid use disorder (OUD) throughout the country has been the creation of state policies that place restrictions on opioid prescriptions.  These policies limit the duration and dosage of short-term opioid prescriptions [...]

  • Woman checking her locked cellphone in front of a laptop

How Can Digital Credentialing in the Safety Net Meet the Needs of Domestic Violence Survivors?

August 14th, 2023|Comments Off on How Can Digital Credentialing in the Safety Net Meet the Needs of Domestic Violence Survivors?

By Andrea Hetling and Abigail Alcala. Administrative burdens are the costs and barriers individuals face when accessing government services. Such burdens are one reason why low-income families, who often need the most support from public sources [...]

  • Teacher lecturing a variety of middle school aged students in front of a whiteboard containing geometry equations

The Times They are a Changin​​​’​​​ – Shifts in Teacher Education Assessment Policy​​​​​ 

August 10th, 2023|Comments Off on The Times They are a Changin​​​’​​​ – Shifts in Teacher Education Assessment Policy​​​​​ 

By Emily Hodge, Rachel Garver, and Drew Gitomer. What happens on the ground ​​​​when years of strong state control and authority over teacher licensure is suddenly minimized?  In what ways do local educational institutions change and maintain practices [...]

  • Analyzing Child-Care Provider Subsidies in New Jersey: Issues, Impacts, and Options

Report Release: Analyzing Child-Care Provider Subsidies in New Jersey: Issues, Impacts, and Options

August 7th, 2023|Comments Off on Report Release: Analyzing Child-Care Provider Subsidies in New Jersey: Issues, Impacts, and Options

By Andrea Hetling. Public child-care subsidies are designed to reduce the financial burdens of child care for households that meet certain income thresholds in order to improve employment and/or educational opportunities for parents and other legal guardians. In New Jersey, child-care subsidy payments [...]

  • Photo of a man in an all-terrain wheelchair speaking to a woman standing next him on a trail overlooking a body of water. They appear to be discussing a sign on the side of the trail that identifies local flora.

Report Release: Access to Nature for People with Disabilities: Barriers, Challenges, and Opportunities

August 3rd, 2023|Comments Off on Report Release: Access to Nature for People with Disabilities: Barriers, Challenges, and Opportunities

By Josephine O’Grady. In New Jersey, 24% of the population has a disability. People with disabilities suffer from a wide range of health disparities, including obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and depression. Through the Inclusive Healthy Communities (IHC) Grant Program, initiatives in New Jersey are underway [...]

  • Senior Connect Digital Divide Participant Recognition Event

Validating the Impact of a Community-Engaged Approach on Persistence with Digital Technology Among Older Adults

July 24th, 2023|Comments Off on Validating the Impact of a Community-Engaged Approach on Persistence with Digital Technology Among Older Adults

By Epiphany Munz, Donita Devance, and Diane Hill, Ph.D. The Office of University-Community Partnerships/Center for Health Equity and Community Engagement (OUCP/CHECE) and Advocates for Healthy Living Initiative (AHLI) approach to keep older adults engaged and [...]

  • New Jersey State Policy Lab Summer Interns Tour NJ State House

New Jersey State Policy Lab Summer Interns Visit NJ State House

July 20th, 2023|Comments Off on New Jersey State Policy Lab Summer Interns Visit NJ State House

By Megan McCue. This week, the NJSPL summer interns visited the New Jersey State House in Trenton as part of their ongoing public policy research and curriculum. The students met with various public servants, including a state legislator, mayors, policy advisor, and other staff [...]

  • From left to right: Dr. Ivan Lee, Ying Liu, Dr. Stephanie Walsh, Jinah Yoo, Dr. Miyeon Song at the Public Management Research Association’s Public Management Research Conference (PMRC) in Utrecht

Policy Lab Researchers Attend the Public Management Research Conference 2023

July 17th, 2023|Comments Off on Policy Lab Researchers Attend the Public Management Research Conference 2023

By Stephanie Walsh and Jinah Yoo. Two researchers affiliated with the New Jersey State Policy Lab, Dr. Stephanie Walsh and doctoral student Jinah Yoo, attended the Public Management Research Association’s Public Management Research Conference (PMRC) in Utrecht, the Netherlands [...]

  • New Jersey School Aid Formula

Report Release: The Impact of Eliminating Adjustment Aid for School Districts in New Jersey

June 8th, 2023|Comments Off on Report Release: The Impact of Eliminating Adjustment Aid for School Districts in New Jersey

By Michael S. Hayes. In 2018, New Jersey implemented the S-2 bill, which aimed to reduce adjustment aid to school districts in the state. The objective of this policy was to end a practice of “overfunding” school districts, which had it not been for the adjustment aid [...]

  • Reducing Administrative Burdens

Does Reducing Administrative Burdens Increase Trust in Government?

June 5th, 2023|Comments Off on Does Reducing Administrative Burdens Increase Trust in Government?

By Abigail Alcala. Political support of safety net and welfare programs in the United States has dwindled over the past few decades, with increasing sentiment that means-tested programs should be limited and conditional on certain behavioral requirements [...]

  • Medicaid Unwinding in New Jersey

Medicaid Unwinding: What It is and How New Jersey Plans to Address It

May 25th, 2023|Comments Off on Medicaid Unwinding: What It is and How New Jersey Plans to Address It

By Amanda Hinton. As the public health emergency (PHE) ended last month the fate of many Medicaid enrollees still hangs in the balance. The continuous enrollment provision of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act [...]

  • Access to clean water in New Jersey

Community and Climate Dynamics: Projections for Water Assistance in New Jersey and Beyond

May 22nd, 2023|Comments Off on Community and Climate Dynamics: Projections for Water Assistance in New Jersey and Beyond

By Josephine O’Grady. Due to a diverse range of water needs among communities, implementing water assistance programs continues to be a challenge in the United States. In 2016, an estimated 15 million Americans experienced water shutoffs [...]

  • One Million More Acres Report

Report Release: One Million More Acres: We’re One-Third of the Way There…

May 17th, 2023|Comments Off on Report Release: One Million More Acres: We’re One-Third of the Way There…

By Thomas G. Dallessio. As the nation’s most densely populated state, New Jersey has a reputation for suburban sprawl development that belies its nickname, “The Garden State.” “You’re from Jersey? What Exit?” is both a joke and a truism for many [...]

  • The Status of New Jersey's Childcare Infrastructure Report

Report Release: The Status of New Jersey’s Childcare Infrastructure

May 10th, 2023|Comments Off on Report Release: The Status of New Jersey’s Childcare Infrastructure

By Jocelyn Fischer and Debra Lancaster. While children, parents, and employers have felt the sting of childcare market failures for several decades, deficiencies in the market were made more apparent and were more deeply felt as a result of pandemic-related closures and labor shifts [...]

  • Using Technology to Reduce SNAP Learning Costs Report

Report Release: Using Technology to Reduce SNAP Learning Costs: Lessons from a Survey Experiment

April 27th, 2023|Comments Off on Report Release: Using Technology to Reduce SNAP Learning Costs: Lessons from a Survey Experiment

By Stephanie Walsh, Ph.D. Interactions with government processes, whether to renew a driver’s license or apply for public assistance, commonly include frictions referred to as administrative burdens [...]

  • How much do New Jerseyans trust the state government? Bar chart

Citizens’ Trust in the New Jersey Government: What Can Data Tell Us?

April 20th, 2023|Comments Off on Citizens’ Trust in the New Jersey Government: What Can Data Tell Us?

By Seulki Lee & Abigail Alcala. A democratic government only works when there is mutual trust between the people and those elected into positions of power to represent the citizen's values and beliefs. Without that, the core tenets of democracy are diminished [...]

  • People with Disabilities in Nature

Access to Nature for People with Disabilities: Updated Findings and Implications for New Jersey

April 10th, 2023|Comments Off on Access to Nature for People with Disabilities: Updated Findings and Implications for New Jersey

By Josephine O’Grady In New Jersey, one in five adults has a disability (CDC, 2022a). New Jersey residents with disabilities have higher rates of depression, obesity, diabetes, and heart disease than residents without a disability. [...]

  • People with Disabilities and nature

Ensuring Access to Nature and Outdoor Recreation: Advancing Health Equity for People with Disabilities

February 23rd, 2023|Comments Off on Ensuring Access to Nature and Outdoor Recreation: Advancing Health Equity for People with Disabilities

By Jeanne Herb. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 21% of New Jersey adults have some type of disability. CDC reports that people with disabilities are disproportionately affected by chronic diseases [...]

  • New Jersey School Aid Formula

How Did the 2018 Revision of New Jersey’s School Aid Formula Impact the Distribution of State Funding Across New Jersey School Districts?

February 20th, 2023|Comments Off on How Did the 2018 Revision of New Jersey’s School Aid Formula Impact the Distribution of State Funding Across New Jersey School Districts?

By Michael S. Hayes, Ph.D. The School Reform Funding Act of 2008 (SRFA) was designed to create a new school funding formula to end a long cycle of failed legislative attempts to reduce school spending [...]

  • Garden State Open Data Index

Report Release: Garden State Open Data Index

February 16th, 2023|Comments Off on Report Release: Garden State Open Data Index

By Jim Samuel. Open data and artificial intelligence (AI) are vital for future value creation. The value of aligning open data with AI development and deployment requirements has been elaborated upon in the Garden State Open Data Index (GSODI) 2023 report [...]

  • The Perkins Acts - Technical School

Perkins Act: A Key Component to Bringing Everyone into the Digital Age

February 9th, 2023|Comments Off on Perkins Act: A Key Component to Bringing Everyone into the Digital Age

By Abigail Alcala. The Perkins Act, or its most recent iteration, which went into effect in 2019, called Strengthening Career and Technical Education in the 21st Century, is facing the end of its run in the coming year of 2024 [...]

  • Technology & Government

Utilizing Technology to Facilitate Citizen-Government Interactions

December 22nd, 2022|Comments Off on Utilizing Technology to Facilitate Citizen-Government Interactions

by Mauricio Astudillo Rodas Public organizations are expected to improve people's lives by correctly delivering goods and services. These organizations must be transparent and accountable to different actors because constituents expect good use of their [...]

  • APPAM Administrative Burdens Presentation
  • APPAM Administrative Burdens Presentation
  • APPAM Administrative Burdens Presentation
  • APPAM Administrative Burdens Presentation
  • APPAM Administrative Burdens Presentation
  • APPAM Administrative Burdens Presentation
  • APPAM Administrative Burdens Presentation
  • APPAM Administrative Burdens Presentation
  • APPAM Administrative Burdens Presentation
  • APPAM Administrative Burdens Presentation
  • APPAM Administrative Burdens Presentation

APPAM Fall 2022 Conference: SNAP Administrative Burdens Presentation

November 28th, 2022|Comments Off on APPAM Fall 2022 Conference: SNAP Administrative Burdens Presentation

By Stephanie Walsh In the context of governmental services, administrative burdens refer to the costs and barriers experienced by individuals. When burdens are high, the costs associated with benefit of public goods or services hinder [...]

  • Low-Income Home Energy Assistance program (LIHEAP)

Heat or Eat? The Low-Income Home Energy Distribution Program (LIHEAP) and Its Implications for New Jersey

November 17th, 2022|Comments Off on Heat or Eat? The Low-Income Home Energy Distribution Program (LIHEAP) and Its Implications for New Jersey

By Josephine O'Grady. The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance program (LIHEAP) is a federal block grant program that assists low-income families with the cost of paying their utility bills in areas including extreme heat and cold, household revisions to improve energy efficiency [...]

  • NJDEP Environmental Justice Action Plan

Advancing Municipal Environmental Justice in New Jersey

October 17th, 2022|Comments Off on Advancing Municipal Environmental Justice in New Jersey

By Jeanne Herb. Over the past year, the New Jersey State Policy Lab has provided support to a collaborative effort of the Rutgers University Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy and the New Jersey Department of Environmental protection [...]

  • Adjusted Intercounty Equalized Municipal Tax Rates in New Jersey, 2020

Report Release: What Influences Differences in New Jersey’s Municipal Tax Rates?

September 12th, 2022|Comments Off on Report Release: What Influences Differences in New Jersey’s Municipal Tax Rates?

By Michael Lahr, Tia Azzi, and Maia de la Calle, Rutgers Economic Advisory Service. It is vital for New Jersey policymakers to understand what affects municipal tax rates. In this brief, we analyze local government spending [...]

  • Federal Poverty Level FPL documents on a desk.

Perspectives on Poverty in New Jersey, 2008-2020

June 9th, 2022|Comments Off on Perspectives on Poverty in New Jersey, 2008-2020

Maia de la Calle, Rutgers Economic Advisory Service (R/ECON™) The impact of the pandemic on poverty and inequality continues to be studied at a global and national scale.[1],[2] Although the U.S. Census data have yet [...]

  • Graphic of diverse hands all reaching together over a multicolored painted heart

Report Release: State Equity Initiatives

June 2nd, 2022|Comments Off on Report Release: State Equity Initiatives

By Marilyn Rubin. Government actions have the potential to make a substantial and lasting impact on equity for all residents. One of government’s most powerful levers for advancing equity is its budget [...]

  • Justice scales with leaves

Advancing Municipal Environmental Justice Action Planning

May 23rd, 2022|Comments Off on Advancing Municipal Environmental Justice Action Planning

By Rachel Brown For more than 50 years, community leaders and researchers have been drawing attention to disproportionate environmental burden and health disparities in low-income and communities of color. Here in New Jersey and as [...]

  • Group of friends having fun taking a selfie.

Population Density and New Jersey’s Two Largest Racial/Ethnic Minority Groups in 2020

May 16th, 2022|Comments Off on Population Density and New Jersey’s Two Largest Racial/Ethnic Minority Groups in 2020

Tia Azzi and Michael Lahr, Rutgers Economic Advisory Service (R/Econ™) Introduction This is the third brief that reports data on New Jersey from the 2020 decennial census. The first presents a summary dataset that R/Econ™ [...]

U.S. Census Bureau Classification of Arab Populations

April 25th, 2022|Comments Off on U.S. Census Bureau Classification of Arab Populations

by Tia Azzi, Rutgers Economic Advisory Service (R/Econ™) Introduction to the Arab Community Ethnic identity can be a complex topic, and one that is challenging to adequately capture in national surveys. The Middle East and [...]

  • Worried young man paying his bills online with laptop in the living room at home. Nerd man at desk with computer and checkbook, worrying about paying bills, holding his head.

Digital Services and Administrative Burdens

April 18th, 2022|Comments Off on Digital Services and Administrative Burdens

By Jessica Cruz and Vishal Trehan Why isn’t the participation rate for the government’s welfare programs at 100%? Why do only 82% of those eligible under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) receive benefits? Given [...]

  • Video call, online conference. Over shoulder view of african american man at computer screen with multinational group of successful business people, virtual business meeting, work from home concept

From Emergency to Routine: Evaluating the Implementation of Technology for Government after COVID-19

April 4th, 2022|Comments Off on From Emergency to Routine: Evaluating the Implementation of Technology for Government after COVID-19

Leonor Camarena, PhD and Federica Fusi, PhD New Jersey was one of the first states to recognize the significance that technological advancements can have on the workforce and larger community. In October 2018, Governor Murphy [...]

  • Evaluation with woman using her smartphone on a couch

Release of “Evaluating Evaluations” Report

March 21st, 2022|Comments Off on Release of “Evaluating Evaluations” Report

By Tracy P. Glova. The New Jersey State Policy Lab today issued a report on evidence-based policymaking and program evaluation in New Jersey. “Evaluating Evaluations: Analyzing Evidence‐Based Policymaking in New Jersey and Insights from other Leading States” compares evidence-based practices [...]

  • Picture of census survey

A Multi-Decennial Census Data Set for NJ, 2010 and 2020 (and More): A New Jersey State Policy Lab Offering

March 10th, 2022|Comments Off on A Multi-Decennial Census Data Set for NJ, 2010 and 2020 (and More): A New Jersey State Policy Lab Offering

Maia de la Calle and Michael L. Lahr, Rutgers Economic Advisory Service (R/Econ™) The New Jersey State Policy Lab started operating when some of the first local-level data were released from the 2020 Census. It, [...]

  • Programmer working with program code

Predictive Algorithms in the Public Sector

February 28th, 2022|Comments Off on Predictive Algorithms in the Public Sector

Vishal Trehan Some scholars, looking broadly at the impact of information and communications technologies (ICTs) on public administration, have argued that the use of ICT has led to structural changes in some public agencies, with [...]

  • Focused multiracial corporate business team people brainstorm on paperwork

Equity in Government Budgeting

January 27th, 2022|Comments Off on Equity in Government Budgeting

Marilyn Rubin Opening the core routines of budgeting to include an equity dimension can make government more responsive to all its residents and can provide a pathway to a more equitable society. In this project, [...]

  • Paperwork and hands on a board room table at a business presentation or seminar.

The Challenges Associated with Making “Good” Public Policy

January 18th, 2022|Comments Off on The Challenges Associated with Making “Good” Public Policy

Stuart Shapiro The New Jersey State Policy Lab is dedicated to improving public policy through careful analysis of data and program evaluation. As many of our first projects near their conclusion though it is important [...]

  • The capital dome illuminated after dark in Washington DC.

Evidence-Based Policymaking on the Federal Level

December 6th, 2021|Comments Off on Evidence-Based Policymaking on the Federal Level

Jennifer Spiegel 12-06-21 “Evidence-based policymaking” seems to be all the rage with think tanks, lawmakers, and governmental agencies, but what does it mean, really? Evidence-based policymaking uses the best available research and data to target [...]

  • abstract 3d digital concept people's need a job

How States Can Improve Unemployment Insurance during the Pandemic

September 16th, 2021|Comments Off on How States Can Improve Unemployment Insurance during the Pandemic

Jennifer Spiegel The COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting economic downturn has brought about record job losses and the highest number of new unemployment claims since 1982. In mid-March 2020, new unemployment claims nationwide totaled [...]

US Treasury Department Provides Coronavirus Relief Grants to State & Local Government

September 2nd, 2021|Comments Off on US Treasury Department Provides Coronavirus Relief Grants to State & Local Government

Jennifer Spiegel To help Americans recover from the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress has authorized the U.S. Treasury Department to set up coronavirus relief grants to state and local governments for economic [...]

  • Scale Of Justice On A Blue Background

Applying an Equitable Lens to Evidence-Based Research

August 30th, 2021|Comments Off on Applying an Equitable Lens to Evidence-Based Research

Jennifer Spiegel Over the past few years, a heightened awareness of the importance of racial equity and justice has permeated the political conversation. American institutions, businesses, and communities are taking a closer look at [...]

  • A quarter of New Jersey, quarters of USA and white star.

Promoting Equity Through State Budgets

August 9th, 2021|Comments Off on Promoting Equity Through State Budgets

Marilyn Rubin One of the most powerful levers that governments have to advancing equity for all residents is their budgets, “the medium through which [flows] the essential life of support systems of public policy” (Wildavsky [...]