Publications

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 […]

R/ECON’s economic forecast for New Jersey at the beginning of 2026 is a mixed bag. The state, like the nation, is likely to finish the year with notably stronger GDP growth than forecast earlier in the year. At the same time, the outlook for 2026 continues to show a slowing trajectory for economic growth, coupled […]

The last thirty years have seen a revolution in the role of computing technology generally, and internet access specifically, in the basic patterns of American social, economic, and civic life. Yet in state prisons across the country, there has been little movement toward developing comprehensive, forward-looking policies regulating their use in incarceration. Whether it’s a […]

In February 2024, New Jersey Advocates for Aging Well (NJAAW) conducted a Statewide Survey of Older Adults. This survey gathered both quantitative and qualitative data from residents aged 60+ on the challenges and concerns related to aging in New Jersey. The findings show that the cost of living, including taxes, housing costs, and overall expenses, […]

Corporate ownership of single-family homes and other small residential properties has drawn growing concern from housing advocates and policymakers in New Jersey and nationally. While the large rental home companies that sprang up in the aftermath of the foreclosure crisis are virtually absent from New Jersey, prior research has found that corporate owners account for […]

The New Jersey State government proactively advances equity through its Office of Equity in the Office of the Governor, and through budget initiatives such as the “Cover all Kids” program ensuring that the state’s children receive access to quality health care coverage. However, the state’s executive branch departments are not required to specifically account for […]

Health insurance literacy is a complex issue that requires a multifaceted approach to address. Our goal throughout this project was to better understand health insurance literacy, its impact on people across the country, identify available resources, and propose steps to improve understanding of health insurance. This report will be valuable to policymakers aiming to grasp […]

The United States, with its growing elderly population, is experiencing a significant demographic shift. This trend is evident in New Jersey, which faces rapid population aging and increasing healthcare expenditures. This in turn highlights the critical need to ensure high-quality long-term care, with nursing homes playing a central role. New Jersey relies on nursing homes […]

Traffic safety is a critical concern in New Jersey where annual traffic crashes typically exceed 200,000, according to the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT), with many of them resulting in non-fatal injuries that have lifelong impacts on victims. Currently, this data is not easily accessible. Researchers, advocates, and the public have an interest in […]

From 2016 through 2022, all teacher education candidates in New Jersey were required by statute to complete a specific performance assessment, the Educative Teacher Performance Assessment (edTPA), in order to gain certification. edTPA is a complex performance assessment that requires candidates to share lesson plans, a video from the classroom they teach, and the assessments […]

New Jersey has an innovative Assisted Living Program (ALP) designed exclusively for seniors living in subsidized public housing. ALPs help older adults remain in their communities when they experience cognitive and physical decline over time, by providing hands-on assistance with personal care, medications, nursing, and social services, with the objective of preventing or delaying placement […]