Publications

The Scientists in State Politics Database is a detailed, publicly accessible inventory of state legislators across the United States with educational or professional backgrounds in science, engineering, or healthcare, hosted by the Eagleton Institute of Politics with support from the New Jersey State Policy Lab. The database helps users identify these legislators, explore their areas […]

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 […]

Supporting New Jersey residents in returning to college after leaving without a credential has been an increasing focus of the state’s recent efforts[1]. A newly released report by the National Student Clearing House Research Center offers updated insights into the status of individuals with some college but no credential in New Jersey and across the […]

The American Rescue Plan Act’s Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (ARPA-SLFRF) represent a historic $350 billion investment to support state and local governments in responding to the economic and public health challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Local governments were given flexibility in how these funds could be spent. This study examines how local […]

This ongoing project has provided many insights regarding the most pressing issues facing older residents in New Jersey. The first output from the project, an op-ed by Audrey Meng entitled Cost of Living for Older Adults in New Jersey, was presented along with the results of the NJ Statewide Survey of Older Adults at the […]

Emergency departments (EDs) may be the primary, and sometimes only, connection to the healthcare system for people with opioid use disorder (OUD) or opioid overdose,[1] making them important sites in the continuum of care for OUD. Emergency departments can connect people with OUD to community-based care, particularly through the provision of medications for OUD, such […]

Public support and opinion drive many facets of the criminal justice system and its policies, including changes to sentencing laws and guidelines (Pickett, 2019). Thus, understanding public attitudes towards changes to the system can aid in understanding whether policies or reforms may be positively received and later adopted (Enns, 2016). In our study, we explore […]

Our project to create a dataset of historical water bodies in New Jersey began by finding maps of historical water bodies. Two atlases were used to locate historical water bodies in New Jersey. The first was Atlas of the Metropolitan District and adjacent country comprising the counties of New York, Kings, Richmond, Westchester and part […]

In this fifth blog post on our research into corporate ownership of New Jersey’s one- to four-unit residential properties, we share more preliminary findings from our analysis of changes in property ownership between 2012 and 2022. As growing corporate ownership has become a concern for housing advocates and policymakers nationwide, including in New Jersey, we […]

A growing body of scientific evidence supports paid family leave policies for new parents: studies have demonstrated benefits to public health (increased breastfeeding, on-time vaccinations, decreased infant hospitalizations, and improved child/parent bonding), socioeconomic wellbeing of families (improved labor force participation, decreased poverty and use of public support programs, and increased ability to arrange childcare), and […]

R/ECON’s next economic forecast is slated for release in mid-summer, followed by another forecast in the fall. As we track the latest state data and national outlook, we (much like everyone else) have been closely following the news on tariffs, the Fed’s potential actions, and associated fluctuations in the financial markets. While tariffs don’t enter […]

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 […]