Giving Thanks for Evidence-Based Policy

November 24, 2024
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The Abstract

> Edited by Torie Ludwin, Arnold Ventures (AV)

Editor's note: The newsletter will take a break next week. Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving.

Turkey Day may be around the corner, but in Washington D.C., all minds are on another avian idiom — the Lame Duck. This is the liminal period after an election but before new members are sworn in, when Congress can make one last attempt at passing bills that may have piled up over the past session. The campaigns are over, and politicians no longer have to worry about how new legislation could disrupt their reelection chances or, more likely, lend a win to folks across the aisle. As former President Harry S. Truman said: “It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.”

While the family watches football or the Macy’s parade on television, we will eagerly wait to see if Congress can pass widely supported, evidence-based policies such as improving the federal permitting process and closing the site-neutral billing loophole. That will be something worth giving thanks for.

Housing Finance Support
at a Crossroads

Sixteen years after the 2008 financial crisis, agencies like the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) and government-sponsored enterprises Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac continue to use outdated measures to guarantee most of the mortgages in the U.S. This leaves taxpayers exposed to unnecessary risks and fails to address the nation’s growing housing affordability challenges.

In his latest column for Forbes, Arnold Ventures’ Program Integrity Fellow Doug Criscitello argues that comprehensive legislative action is critical to modernizing the housing finance system, reducing risks for taxpayers and the government, and expanding housing access.

Read his Forbes column>

What We're Reading

Criminal Justice

At a recent public meeting in Dauphine County, Pennsylvania, residents and formerly incarcerated people raised concerns about understaffing and long lockdown periods at the local prison, in PennLive Patriot-News.
As reported in the New Jersey Monitor, the New Jersey Criminal Sentencing and Disposition Commission has recommended changes to the state’s sentencing system, including waiving certain fines and fees for certain defendants, allowing some elderly incarcerated people to apply for reduced sentences, and abolishing mandatory minimum sentences for non-violent drug crimes.

Public Finance

The Committee for a Responsible Fiscal Budget (CRFB) CEO Maya MacGuineas commented on top financial and budgetary priorities for the incoming administration on NPR.

Higher Education

The State Higher Education Executive Officers Association (SHEEO) and the City University of New York Accelerated Study in Associate Programs (CUNY ASAP) released a report exploring scaling strategies of this student success program across 5 states.

Health Care

A Maryland Prescription Drug Affordability Board (PDAB) got closer to setting caps for certain high-cost drugs, in ABC News.
Health insurance premiums are expected to rise on average about 12% for small businesses in Washington state, says the Washington Standard.
After the Oregon Prescription Drug Affordability Board (PDAB) discussed the possibility of drug price caps based on a recent report, the Lund Report said board members expect blowback from different parts of the drug supply chain: "...like kicking a hornet's nest."

Save the Date

On April 18-19, 2025, the University of Texas Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs will host the Texas Economics of Crime Workshop. This workshop brings scholars together to discuss cutting-edge research from the economics of crime field. It will include presentations of working papers related to criminal behavior and the criminal justice system.

To submit a paper for consideration, please use the following link: TxECW 2025 Submissions or email it in PDF format to Cody Tuttle (cody.tuttle@utexas.edu) with the subject line “TxECW submission.” Papers should include an abstract and should not yet be published. Please also include the name and contact information for the presenting author. The deadline is December 2, 2024.

Some Final Inspiration

Doubles team Federer and Nadal at the 2022 Laver Cup. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images for Laver Cup)

From one legend to another: Tennis champion Roger Federer wrote a note of admiration to perhaps his greatest competitor Rafael Nadal on the eve of Nadal’s final tournament, the Davis Cup. ICYMI: Federer offered a few “tennis lessons” during his commencement speech at Dartmouth earlier this year, most especially on moving forward from mistakes. He noted that even as a longtime champion, he won only 54% of his points. Watch or read it here.
Take a glimpse of National Geographic’s most compelling images of 2024.

We're Seeking Proposals

The Criminal Justice and Evidence-Based Policy teams at Arnold Ventures are teaming up to learn more about what works in criminal justice reform in a new request for proposals for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that test programs and practices. There is no deadline for submissions.

Join Arnold Ventures

SEE OPEN POSITIONS

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Giving Thanks for Evidence-Based Policy

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