Generative AI and Public Administration: Opportunities and Challenges
NJSPL Co-Principal Investigator Gregory Porumbescu will be a co-editor on a special issue of Public Performance and Management Review, which will be focusing on the potential generative artificial intelligence to transform administrative decision-making and impact the way the public engages with government agencies.
In this age of book bans, we should celebrate all libraries, big and small | Opinion
Policy Fellow Linda Stamato makes that case that celebrating and uplifting local libraries is more important now than ever before with the sharp rise in banning books across the country.
What do People want to do instead of Commuting to Work?
Research Affiliates Dr. Robert Noland and Dr. Wenwen Zhang and Research Associate Hannah Younes published a new paper based on ongoing work with the NJSPL surveying New Jerseyans' opinions and personal experiences on commuting during and after the pandemic.
NJ needs public banking
Policy Fellow Linda Stamato argues for the establishment of a public bank in New Jersey, emphasizing the potential benefits it could bring to the state's economy and communities.
Child care centers struggling to return to pre-pandemic levels
Debra Lancaster, Executive Director for the Center for Women and Work and NJSPL Research Affiliate, was interviewed on NJ Spotlight News regarding her recently published report examining childcare access in New Jersey.
Study: NJ Child Care Needs More Workers as Youth Population Blooms
NJ 101.5FM featured Debra Lancaster, executive director for the Center for Women and Work and NJSPL Research Affiliate, as she discussed a recent report published by the NJSPL and CWW on the childcare industry in New Jersey.
NJ rolling out $50M in child care grants
The Record referenced a recent report published by the New Jersey State Policy Lab and the Center for Women Work examining the state of the childcare industry in an article announcing that New Jersey has now invested $50 million to support the state's childcare centers.
Rutgers report examines ongoing child care challenges in NJ
NJBIZ featured the latest report from the New Jersey State Policy Lab and the Center for Women and Work, in which they examined the state of childcare infrastructure in New Jersey.
NJ rolling out $50M in child care grants
Yahoo! News referenced a recent report published by the New Jersey State Policy Lab and the Center for Women Work examining the state of the childcare industry in an article announcing that New Jersey has now invested $50 million to support the state's childcare centers.
Childcare Still Scarce for Some NJ Families
The New Jersey Business Magazine featured a new report from the New Jersey State Policy Lab and the Center for Women and Work, which delves into the current state of the childcare industry in New Jersey.
New Jersey State Policy Lab Publishes Report on Childcare Infrastructure in New Jersey
The New Jersey State Policy Lab, with the Rutgers Center for Women and Work, published a comprehensive report detailing the current state of the childcare market in New Jersey, along with key findings and policy recommendations to better bolster the industry.
The Launch of the Long Game
Linda Stamato, NJSPL Policy Fellow and co-founder of the Center for Negotiation and Conflict Resolution, argues that the best way to combat the "war" on higher education is by understanding the roots of the criticism, going all the way back to the Powell memo written in 1971.
Former N.J. prosecutor: We must call out lawyers who don’t honor their oath | Opinion
Sanford Jaffe, co-founder of the Center for Negotiation and Conflict Resolution and NJSPL Policy Fellow, authored a new opinion piece in NJ.com explaining the importance of a lawyer's obligation to tell the truth and obey court rules to promote justice and uphold the law.
Commentary for National Library Week: Books should be celebrated, not banned
Linda Stamato, NJSPL Policy Fellow and co-founder of the Center for Negotiation and Conflict Resolution, discusses in her latest op-ed the importance of supporting libraries and pushing back against the ongoing onslaught of book bans across the nation.
NJ Cannabis Workers Are Making Bank, Study Says: See Average Wages
Dr. Charles Menifield, NJSPL Co-Principal Investigator and dean emeritus of Rutgers-Newark, was quoted in an article on Patch discussing the results of a recent survey which polled NJ residents on their opinions on various kinds of cannabis use.
How the East Palestine derailment and Silicon Valley Bank failure are connected | Op-ed
How do the East Palestine derailment & the Silicon Valley Bank failure connect? These two events may not seem to have much in common at a glance, but Stuart Shapiro, interim dean of the Bloustein School and Principal Investigator of the NJSPL, examines the federal regulations for both that came into play in an op-ed from The Hill.
Webinar: Government Transparency – State of the Art and New Perspectives
This webinar recording included an online discussion and Q&A on "Government Transparency: State of the Art and New Perspectives," which was co-authored by NJSPL Co-Principal Investigator Gregory Porumbescu and Albert Meijer and Stephan Grimmelikhuijsen from Utrecht University.
2 reports show the damages of school segregation and paths for fixing it
New Jersey State Policy Lab Research Affiliates Dr. Vandeen Campbell and Dr. Charles Payne were interviewed and discussed a recent report published through the Joseph C. Cornwall Center for Metropolitan Studies regarding persistent segregation in public schools.
A plan to cancel student college debt is on the docket. Here’s some perspective. | Opinion
Linda Stamato, NJSPL Policy Fellow and co-founder of the Center for Negotiation and Conflict Resolution, wrote a new op-ed discussing the United States Supreme Court's upcoming decision to whether or not President Biden’s action to cancel any amount of student debt passes constitutional muster.
Trump and the future of the Civil Service
The interim dean of Rutgers University Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy and Principal Investigator of the NJSPL, Stuart Shapiro discusses his recent book in which he examines the impact of the Trump administration’s attempt to “deconstruct the administrative state" in an op-ed on The Hill.
A study by Rutgers-Newark says families need to know about new financial aid programs and applying through FAFSA
Dr. Robyn Ince, Executive Director of the Newark City of Learning Collaborative and Research Affiliate of the NJSPL, was interviewed on WBGO 88.3FM regarding the recent case study her team published, in which they interviewed various individuals from Newark to better understand their awareness regarding certain college financial aid programs.
How Newark Sees College Aid
Inside Higher Ed featured an article about a recent report from the New Jersey State Policy Lab in collaboration with the Joseph C. Cornwall Center for Metropolitan Studies and the Newark City of Learning Collaborative, which interviewed families about their perception and understanding of Community College Opportunity Grant (CCOG) and Garden State Guarantee (GSG) financial aid programs.
Academic: Social media needs rules
In a recent opinion piece on NJ.com, Linda Stamato, co-founder of the Center for Negotiation and Conflict Resolution, makes a case for why social media platforms should be regulated by the government to combat the spread of misinformation and hate speech.
Students in more affluent NJ schools getting a jump on math
Dr. Elisabeth Kim, who co-authored a recent report with Dr. Vandeen Campbell regarding math course enrollment in NJ high schools, was interviewed by NJ101.5 on the results of their research.
How much you should tip in restaurants, cabs and hotels around the world in maps
A recent blog written by Dr. Michael Lahr, Director of R/ECON and an NJSPL Research Affiliate, was cited in a Daily Mail article discussing how much people should expect to tip restaurant, hotel, and transportation staff depending on the country they are visiting.
A good government wish list for the omnibus
As we approach the new year, Congress is attempting to pass a final budget bill before the newly elected officials take over in January. Dr. Stuart Shapiro provides insight on which bill additions will be best for the government in his latest op-ed in The Hill.
Smart OCR – Advancing the Use of Artificial Intelligence with Open Data
A recent NJSPL blog authored by Parth Jain, Abhinay Mannepalli, Raj Parikh, and Jim Samuel, "Smart OCR – Advancing the Use of Artificial Intelligence with Open Data" was shared in The Living Library.
Government Transparency: State of the Art and New Perspectives
New Jersey State Policy Lab Co-Principal Investigator Gregory Porumbescu, along with Albert Meijer and Stephan Grimmelikhuijsen, co-authored a new book, Government Transparency: State of the Art and New Perspectives, which was published in the Cambridge University Press.
A perspective on quantifying resilience: Combining community and infrastructure capitals
A new report was published in Science of the Total Environment, authored by Firas Gerges, Rayan H. Assad, Hani Nassif, Elie Bou-Zeid, & Michel C. Boufadel, which examined different community resilience approaches to climate change.
After midterms, the return of the ‘pen and phone’
In Dr. Stuart Shapiro's latest op ed, he explains the shift the Biden Administration will need to take now that the midterm elections have been decided and it will be more difficult to pass significant legislation through Congress with a GOP-controlled House of Representatives.
How a plan for buses could be compromise for controversial Turnpike-widening plan
Dr. Robert Noland, Director of the Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center at Rutgers, was quoted in an article discussing the merits of incorporating a dedicated bus lane for the New Jersey Turnpike.
Manchin’s permit bill highlights importance of administrative process
Dr. Stuart Shapiro breaks down a recent bill Senator Joe Manchin has introduced regarding the permitting process for energy projects, and presents his perspective on how utilizing procedural requirements can both help and hinder the government.
Christians, please listen. There is no national religion in America.
In this opinion piece, Linda Stamato defends the Founding Fathers' original intention to keep the United States from establishing a national religion, and why we should not allow one religion over others to influence politics and public policy today.
Are N.J. towns that welcomed legal weed getting higher property values?
Associate Professor Michael S. Hayes was interviewed about his recent report analyzing the impact cannabis-related businesses have had so far on home sale prices in New Jersey.
NJ Child Care Industry Struggling to Regain Workers, Report Finds
Debra Lancaster, the Executive Director for the Rutgers Center for Women and Work, discusses the current status of NJ's childcare work force post-COVID with NJ 101.5.
New research shows that New Jersey’s childcare crisis is real | Opinion
In this opinion piece, Professor Sarah Small and Executive Director Elizabeth Cooner address the childcare shortage in New Jersey following the pandemic.
Stuart Shapiro discusses West Virginia v. EPA on FedScoop podcast
Principal Investigator Stuart Shapiro was a guest expert on the latest FedScoop podcast from Gov Actually (Episode 57) titled “The Supreme Court’s Impact on Federal Regulations,” on July 21, 2022.
Did the Supreme Court just tell the Senate to abolish the filibuster?
Stuart Shaprio offers his take on the filibuster in this opinion piece for The Hill: "Getting rid of the filibuster will not lead to an avalanche of legislation. It will just lead to more than we get now."
Charles Payne co-authors Dignity-Affirming Education: Cultivating the Somebodiness of Students and Educators
The word “dignity” is not typically used in education, yet it is at the core of strong pedagogy. This book names the concept and shows readers what education looks like when it is centered on students’ dignity.
Policy Fellows Stamato and Jaffe Suggest Negotiation for Aiding Talks in the Russia-Ukraine War
"Negotiation may be more promising if the focus shifts from a final resolution of the protracted conflict to an interim plan with these initial objectives: (a) to cease the fighting and (b) to consider occupied territory “neutral,” and under a protectorate, until a complete resolution can be determined."
Public Views on the Reallocation of Street Space Due to COVID-19
New Research from Professors Robert B. Noland, Evan Iacobucci, and Wenwen Zhang evaluate the support for street space that was reallocated during the pandemic.
Where exactly is the state bank we were promised? | Opinion
In this opinion piece, Policy Fellow Linda Stamato goes in search of New Jersey's promised state bank which has yet to materialize.
Gregory Porumbescu co-authors Government Transparency State of the Art and New Perspectives
Part of the Elements in Public Policy series, the authors argue that to understand why transparency “works” in one context, but fails in another, we have to take into account how institutional (macro), organizational (meso) contexts interact with individual behavior (micro).
Child-care costs take center stage
Debra Lancaster, Executive Director of the Rutgers Center for Women and Work, was quoted in an article by Politico discussing the current state of the childcare industry in New Jersey and the work the NJ State Assembly committees are doing to bolster it.
Gregory Porumbescu Delivers Keynote for the NJ State Library’s Digital Literacy Forum
The theme for the day was Career Progress through Digital Skills: Workforce Development and Digital Literacy.
NJ’s official ideas factory for new policies
The New Jersey State Policy Lab was featured in this post written by Katie Crist and includes a quote from Executive Director Elizabeth Cooner.
The war we don’t need between New Jersey and New York | Opinion
This opinion piece written by Policy Fellows Linda Stamato and Sandy Jaffe examines mediation opportunities in the NY NJ bi-state Waterfront Commission case.
Browsing for food: Will COVID-induced online grocery delivery persist?
This article by Hannah Younes, Robert B. Noland, and Wenwen Zhang tracked the trend of online grocery shopping before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Second half of Child Tax Credit can only be claimed by filing tax return
The recent report by the Rutgers Center for Women and Work, in partnership with the New Jersey State Policy Lab, found that nearly half of eligible parents in the Garden State did not receive advance payments.
Suspending students isn’t the answer. Restorative justice programs in schools are a better solution
This opinion piece written by Policy Fellows Linda Stamato and Sandy Jaffe explores the critical question: Does removing students from school reduce the incidence of aberrant behavior?
EJB Talks’ Stuart Shapiro talks with Executive Director Elizabeth Cooner
Elizabeth Cooner, Executive Director of the New Jersey State Policy Lab talks about the Lab’s mission of conducting rigorous evidence-based research to help inform New Jersey’s policymakers on solutions to important policy questions that are effective, innovative, and always have a focus on equity.
Newark’s Response to Pandemic Housing Crisis is a ‘Success Story’, Study Says
The City of Newark’s ability to distribute federal Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) funds during a housing crisis spurred by the coronavirus pandemic was lauded as a “success story” compared to other large New Jersey cities, according to a recent study by the New Jersey State Policy Lab at Rutgers University.
Rutgers releases first-of-its-kind report on impact of weed legalization in N.J.
A first-of-its-kind study made public on Monday by the New Jersey State Policy Lab at Rutgers University hopes to answer such questions and provide a starting point for cannabis research.
New Jersey Policy Lab work featured in Results for America report recognizing NJ as an “honor roll” state
New Jersey Policy Lab was featured as a “promising example” of the State of New Jersey using program evaluations to improve results, according to a recent Results for America report cited by the Office of the Governor.
State efforts to close the K-12 digital divide may come up short
While the Murphy administration was successful in giving 358,212 students access to critical education tools they previously lacked, the digital divide remains a problem in New Jersey as well as throughout the nation.
Senate vaccine mandate vote shows congressional weakness on regulations
Major policy decisions such as how to combat climate change, how to provide adequate oversight of our financial system, and how to strike the balance between public health protection and individual choice should be influenced by democratically elected officials.
Dr. Charles Menifield Awarded the 2021 NJ State Governor’s Jefferson Award in Education
The awards are administered by the NJ Governor’s Office of Volunteerism in partnership with the NJ Governor’s Advisory Council on Volunteerism and Community Service and NJ Advance Media.
Increasing Early, Transparent Consideration of Regulatory Alternatives
The vast majority of previous academic work on the regulatory process has found that agencies often do not seriously consider alternative regulatory policies.
Domestic violence survivors often suffer financial abuse, too
“The sort of common characteristic of financial abuse is one of control, an abuser trying to place as much control over someone’s life as possible,” said Andrea Hetling, a professor at Rutgers University who has published extensively on domestic violence.