Publications

Artificial intelligence and data-driven technologies are often described as the future of policing. From facial recognition and predictive analytics to automated surveillance tools, these systems promise greater efficiency and more strategic deployment of limited resources. Yet across the United States, a growing number of governments have chosen to slow down, restrict, or discontinue certain technologies. […]

It is my privilege to serve as the Executive Director of the New Jersey State Policy Lab. Since its launch in 2021, we have worked to build something meaningful—producing high-quality blogs and reports, sharing them widely on our website and across social media, and holding ourselves to a standard of excellence in everything we do. […]

Amidst accelerating climate change and deteriorating soil health, the agricultural sector faces unprecedented challenges. Regenerative agriculture, an approach centered on soil health, biodiversity, and ecosystem resiliency, offers critical tools for building climate resilience, improving long-term soil productivity, and enhancing local food system stability. This report, based on a survey of New Jersey’s regenerative farmers and […]

In our previous post, we outlined a looming economic paradox: the AI revolution, while technologically dazzling, runs on an astonishing amount of physical power. We know that electricity prices are spiking across the country, and there is strong evidence that the voracious energy appetite of data centers is a primary driver (Luccioni & Jernite, 2025). […]

Researchers at the John J. Heldrich Center, with funding from the New Jersey State Policy Lab, are currently engaged in a project to examine how New Jersey’s public Artificial Intelligence (AI) initiatives can better align with the evolving needs of small businesses in the state. Early stages of this work revealed a lack of a […]

Considering the impact of AI on electricity bills, data centers in the Northeast could be part of the problem. Across the country, from Ohio to New Jersey, electricity prices are spiking [2, 3]. It’s a tangible financial pain, costing $122 more per month for the average household’s total utility costs compared to 2020 [1], adding […]

In collaboration with the New Jersey State Policy Lab, the John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development will conduct a study to understand how New Jersey’s public AI initiatives can better meet the needs of the state’s small businesses, particularly minority- and women-owned firms, as they increasingly engage with and deploy AI. Through a series […]

As New Jersey prepares to elect our next governor tomorrow, November 4th, the months ahead offer a pivotal opportunity to chart a path toward a more innovative and resilient state. To help inform this transition, the New Jersey State Policy Lab invited affiliated faculty and staff to identify the most pressing priorities for the next […]

In the face of escalating climate instability, eroding soil, and economic precarity, the integration of regenerative practices into agricultural systems is emerging as a vital model for ensuring agriculture’s continued viability. Thanks to financial support from the New Jersey State Policy Lab and a collaboration with the Organic and Regenerative Farming Board of New Jersey, […]

Our research looks to assess if and to what extent New Jerseyans support four areas of sentencing reform in the state. To examine this research question, we employ a particular type of methodology, an experimental online survey, to assess the attitudes of a sample of the public from New Jersey. This means that the participants […]

As conversations about climate resilience and food security have intensified, we began developing a proposal in late 2024 to examine how regenerative farmers are adapting to economic, environmental, and market disruptions across New Jersey. We planned to deploy a statewide survey, designed in consultation with the Rutgers Cooperative Extension, that would capture insights on local […]

As discussed in our previous blog entry on our development of a State AI Readiness Index, artificial intelligence is transforming industries, economies, and governments around the globe. However, despite its increasing influence, the readiness for AI adoption in governance differs significantly across individual U.S. states. The State AI Readiness Index uses four pillars to measure […]