I’ve been thinking a lot, recently, about the tension between demanding “individual rights” – in the sense of deciding whether or not to wear a mask – and calling for more action on the part of our government to protect us from the coronavirus pandemic. I’m a political theorist, which means I study how communities...
The COVID-19 pandemic has made it clearer than ever that we are at risk of losing control of our economies. Our institutions have increasingly struggled to meet the challenges of economic development before the onset of the COVID-19 crisis, and yet, throughout the pandemic we have seen surging stock market valuations of tech giants – including staggering CEO salaries –...
A recent study highlights two of the reasons that misinformation about COVID-19 is so difficult to tackle on social media: most people think they’re above average at spotting misinformation; and misinformation often triggers negative emotions that resonate with people. The findings may help communicators share accurate information more effectively. “This study gives us more insight...
Pay-to-stay, the practice of charging people to pay for their own jail or prison confinement, is being enforced unfairly by using criminal, civil and administrative law, according to a new Rutgers University-New Brunswick led study. The study, published in the Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice, finds that charging pay-to-stay fees is triggered by criminal justice contact...
The audio on the otherwise shaky body camera footage is unusually clear. As police officers search a handcuffed man who moments before had fired a shot inside a pizza parlor, an officer asks him why he was there. The man says to investigate a pedophile ring. Incredulous, the officer asks again. Another officer chimes in,...
The Center for Justice Research (CJR) at Texas Southern University supports innovative, data-driven solutions for the creation of an equitable criminal justice system. CJR is the premier criminal justice research center located on the campus of a historically Black college or university. Researchers at CJR offer an important voice at this crucial time in U.S....
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, political ideology has been perhaps the strongest predictor of consumers’ perceptions of the coronavirus’ threat. According to a new study from Lehigh University’s College of Business, the differences between conservative and liberal responses to COVID-19 are mitigated when people perceive the virus itself to have agency — the ability to control...
Six days after a prone and restrained George Floyd died under the knee of a Minneapolis police officer, National Security Advisor Robert O’Brien dismissed charges that racism is rampant among police by arguing that “a few bad apples” are giving police “a terrible name.” But O’Brien’s widely expressed view made little sense to sociologist Jomills...
Pundits are expressing surprise that so many Latinos voted for Donald Trump. But pollsters who specialize in the Latino vote knew for months before the election that Latino support for Biden was soft, with many Latinos – especially in Florida – undecided. In Florida 57% of Latinos ultimately supported Biden, compared to roughly 70% nationwide....
President Donald Trump’s controversial use of social media is widely known and theories abound about its ulterior motives. New research published today in Nature Communications claims to provide the first evidence-based analysis demonstrating the U.S. President’s Twitter account has been routinely deployed to divert attention away from a topic potentially harmful to his reputation, in turn...
