New Blog Posts

  • The Hours and Scheduling Stability Act of 2015 – A Step in the Right Direction for DC’s Labor Laws

    Conor McGrath, MPA, Staff Writer, Brief Policy Perspectives In January, the District of Columbia City Council Committee on Business and Regulatory Affairs held a hearing on a bill that would make the District’s labor code one of the most progressive in the country. The Hours and Scheduling Stability Act, introduced by Councilmember Vincent Orange (D-At…

  • Opinion: Public Policy Ignores History at Its Peril

    Jerry Wei, MPP Rigorous, thoughtful, and targeted policy analysis can help address a wide variety of today’s problems: from climate change, to healthcare, to Islamic extremism.  However, what’s sorely lacking in contemporary public policy analysis today is a consistent reflection on history and history’s impact on policy issues. Policy analysts and the public prioritize the…

  • Diversity in Schools: The Real Solution to DC’s Achievement Gap?

    Kerry Belodoff, MPP, Staff Writer, Brief Policy Perspectives There is increasing evidence that school diversity has important cognitive and social benefits for all students. Beyond academic outcomes, diverse schools better prepare students to positively contribute in an increasingly diverse nation. In the wake of recent events that sparked the Black Lives Matter movement, we need…

  • Will Low Oil Prices Inhibit the Growth of Renewable Energy?

    Ziyue Zhu, MPP Over the past year and a half, crude oil prices have dropped from more than $100 to less than $30 per barrel. The oil industry is now encountering one of the deepest downturns in its history, and the rate of demand is becoming slower. Meanwhile, global  investment in renewable energy increased to…

  • The Iran Nuclear Agreement: Evaluating the Negotiation Process and the Sanctions

    Zhao Zhai, MPP, Staff Writer, Brief Policy Perspectives Introduction Since the 1950s, Iran has been developing its nuclear programs. At that time, Iran was an American ally in the Middle East. After Iran signed the Treaty on the Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons in 1968, the US provided nuclear assistance to Iran for non-military purposes. The…