For more than 50 years, researchers at IPR have pursued a singular focus: providing the evidence that policymakers need to make people’s lives better. Learn how our research is making an impact beyond @NorthwesternU.

How is merit defined, and how does that shape access to opportunity? IPR’s Lauren Rivera draws on her own experiences navigating an elite prep school and Ivy League halls to study how definitions of merit shape inequality, from early education to hiring.

California’s life expectancy hasn’t returned to pre-COVID levels, according to a new study by @sesp_nu’s Hannes Schwandt. The study points to rising deaths from non-COVID causes like overdoses and heart disease as possible drivers. Read more in @nytimes:

In a working paper, IPR graduate RA @MyeraRashid explores how the adoption of the typewriter reshaped women's job and marriage prospects in the late 19th and early 20th centuries—showing how technology can change economic mobility and social life.

How have newspapers reported on inflation over the last 100 years? A new working paper by @rfpvjr explores how news stories have changed over the last century and how that coverage is linked to people's expectations about future inflation.

President Trump’s tax and spending bill includes major Medicaid cuts, likely leaving 12 million uninsured. @KelloggSchool’s @C_Garthwaite told @Reuters that expanding Medicaid saved lives, and cutting it will likely do the opposite.

A new working paper by @KiraboJackson and his colleagues finds that Universal Pre-K can deliver substantial economic benefits. In nine states and cities, UPK programs increased employment—especially among women—and raised earnings. #WorkingPaperWednesday

Chicago’s 1995 heat wave killed 739 people. As extreme heat events become more common, climate change scholar Daniel Horton is co-leading the development of a data-driven tool to identify at-risk communities and guide policy. Read more in @chicagotribune:

California’s life expectancy hasn’t returned to pre-COVID levels, according to a new study by @sesp_nu’s Hannes Schwandt. The study points to rising deaths from non-COVID causes like overdoses and heart disease as possible drivers. Read more in @nytimes:

Political violence is on the rise in the U.S. @PoliSciatNU's Laurel Harbridge-Yong spoke to IPR about how elected officials say threats and violence have changed the way they approach their jobs and how the public thinks about political violence.

When it comes to family leave, American fathers are left behind. A study by @LurieChildrens & @NUFeinbergMed's Craig Garfield, JJ Parker, and their colleagues finds that 64% of fathers took less than two weeks—or no leave at all—after their child’s birth.

Thomas McDade spoke to @nytimes about a study suggesting that inflammation may be more about our environment than aging. He said most of what we know about aging & inflammation is based on wealthier populations, but there's more global variation in aging.

Meet IPR economist Elisa Jácome! Elisa joined the IPR community in 2022 as a faculty fellow. Learn more about her research looking at public policy issues centered on immigration, crime, and mental health.#FacultyFriday

As debates continue about how immigration impacts the economy, crime, and the social safety net, find out what IPR researchers have learned about how immigrants shape society.

President Trump’s tax and spending bill includes major Medicaid cuts, likely leaving 12 million uninsured. @KelloggSchool’s @C_Garthwaite told @Reuters that expanding Medicaid saved lives, and cutting it will likely do the opposite.

Political violence is on the rise in the U.S. @PoliSciatNU's Laurel Harbridge-Yong spoke to IPR about how elected officials say threats and violence have changed the way they approach their jobs and how the public thinks about political violence.

A working paper by @robin_bayes, Daniel Molden, & James Druckman shows that Republicans are more supportive of adaptation to climate change than mitigation, especially when adaptation is framed as a response to extreme weather. #WorkingPaperWednesday

Chicago’s 1995 heat wave killed 739 people. As extreme heat events become more common, climate change scholar Daniel Horton is co-leading the development of a data-driven tool to identify at-risk communities and guide policy. Read more in @chicagotribune:

A study by @PoliSciatNU's Mary McGrath finds that voters reject politicians who retaliate against corporate critics. McGrath said there was evidence of voters reacting even more harshly when politicians from their own party used their position to punish.

Black women in the United States are roughly 50% more likely than White women to give birth prematurely. A new study by IPR researchers shows how discriminatory policing and unequal schools in Chicago neighborhoods can negatively impact pregnancy.

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