In ancient Athens, only the very wealthiest people paid direct taxes, and these went to fund the city-state’s most important national expenses – the navy and honors for the gods. While today it might sound astonishing, most of these top taxpayers not only paid happily, but boasted about how much they paid. Money was just...
Politics
Study Shows Political Commitment Increasingly Important for CEOs
Political and social engagement is a relevant topic for European business leaders. CEOs are increasingly making public statements on political issues in order to make a positive contribution to socially relevant topics. These are the findings of a recent study conducted by European School of Management and Technology (ESMT) Master’s in Management graduate Christoph Cewe...
Black Police Officers Disciplined Disproportionately for Misconduct, Research Finds
An examination of racial differences in the disciplining of police officers in three of the largest U.S. cities consistently found that Black officers were more frequently disciplined for misconduct than White officers, despite an essentially equal number of allegations being leveled. This included allegations of severe misconduct. “We found a consistent pattern of racial differences...
Before the U.S. General Election, Evidence of Agreement — and Division — on Climate Issues
Just one month before an election in which climate change may be a key issue, new survey results show that climate change may be less politically polarizing than many might expect. Climate Insights 2020: Partisan Divide–the fourth installment in a series of survey reports by researchers at Stanford University, Resources for the Future, and ReconMR–illustrates...
Experiencing Police Violence Worsens Mental Health in Distinct Ways
The experience of police violence is associated with mental and emotional trauma distinct from that caused by other kinds of violence, creating a public health crisis for communities most affected. Simply put, the experience of police violence puts Black, Latino, Indigenous, and sexual minority communities at higher risk of distinct mental health problems, in addition...
For African Politicians, Fashion Could Mean More Than Just Dress
Across Africa, politicians are using personal fashion to communicate. From red berets, to all-khaki ensembles, to full-on cosplaying, leaders across the continent have a robust relationship with fashion. Despite their larger-than-life impact, politicians are humans. Fashion is useful to the political class for a number of reasons. They include: improving charisma, access to respect and...
Refuge in the Storm? ACA’s Role as Safety Net Is Tested by COVID Recession
The Affordable Care Act, facing its first test during a deep recession, is providing a refuge for some — but by no means all — people who have lost health coverage as the economy has been battered by the coronavirus pandemic. New studies, from both federal and private research groups, generally indicate that when the...
Electoral College Benefits Whiter States
States can force members of the Electoral College to vote for the winner of the popular vote in their state’s presidential primary, the Supreme Court recently ruled. The July 6 decision removed one of the two reasons why the framers of the U.S. Constitution created this election system: to empower political elites who may know...
Majority of U.S. States and Territories Do Not Require Day Care Providers to Inform Parents of Firearms
Home- and center-based child care providers are not required by most states or U.S. territories to inform parents when guns are stored on the premises, according to a new study from researchers at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. The researchers found that a majority of U.S. states and territories–47 out of 56–do not...
On Eve of Super Tuesday, Study Sheds Light on How People Make Choices
On Super Tuesday, Democratic voters from Colorado and across the United States will face a serious decision: Sanders or Warren? Biden, Klobuchar or Bloomberg? Then, afterward, what kind of wine to drink. Now, a new study taps into mathematics to probe how people make those kinds of fraught choices–in particular, how hypothetical, and completely rational,...