The Conversation

Legalizing marijuana, once a pipe dream on Capitol Hill, takes an important step forward

Written by Rosalie Liccardo Pacula, Professor of Health Policy & Management, USC Sol Price School of Public Policy & Senior Fellow, Leonard D Schaeffer Center for Health Policy & Economics, University of Southern California

Activists wave flags in front of the U.S. Capitol to demand that Congress pass cannabis reform legislation on Oct. 8, 2019.Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images

In early December, the House of Representatives passed the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act, or the MORE Act.

The bill sought to decriminalize marijuana nationally by...

In Mike Pence, US evangelicals had their '24-karat-gold' man in the White House

Written by Deborah Whitehead, Associate Professor of Religious Studies, University of Colorado Boulder

Exit, stage religious right.AP Photo/Lynne Sladky

Mike Pence has remained one of the only constants in the often chaotic Trump administration.

Variously described as “vanilla,” “steady” and loyal to the point of being “sycophantic,” he is, in the words of one profile, an “everyman’s man with Midwest...

What is a margin of error? This statistical tool can help you understand vaccine trials and political polling

Written by Ofer Harel, Professor of Statistics, University of Connecticut

All predictions, whether scientific or political, include uncertainty. CasarsaGuru/E+ via Getty Images

In the last year, statistics have been unusually important in the news. How accurate is the COVID-19 test you or others are using? How do researchers know the effectiveness of new therapeutics for COVID-19 patients? How can television networks pred...

School budgets have held up better than expected in some states, but looming cuts will hurt learning long after pandemic ends

Written by Michael Addonizio, Professor of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, Wayne State University

Most states have avoided deep education budget cuts this year, but they project revenue shortfalls for the coming school year. Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

The year 2020 may prove to be pivotal in the history of U.S. public education. Many children have gone missing from school completely since March, and millions more are struggling with...

Voting in Georgia runoff went better than June's disastrous primary, but trouble still lingers

Written by Adrienne Jones, Assistant Professor of Political Science, Morehouse College

A Georgia voter casts a ballot on Jan. 5.AP Photo/Brynn Anderson

The balance of power in the U.S. Senate – and with it ease or hardship for President-elect Joe Biden’s plans for the nation – has come down to Tuesday’s runoff election for both of Georgia’s Senate seats.

It took place under the shadow of baseless and...

Why Trump's Senate supporters can't overturn Electoral College results they don't like – here's how the law actually works

Written by Donald Brand, Professor, Political Science Department, College of the Holy Cross

Vice President Mike Pence says he 'welcomes' objections to Biden's Electoral College win, but House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other House Democrats reject any such effort.Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images

On Jan. 6, the United States Congress will gather in a joint session to tally the votes of the Electoral College, which cast its ballots in state...

Fewer kids are enrolled in public kindergarten – that will have a lasting impact on schools and equity

Written by Taryn Morrissey, Associate Professor of Public Administration and Policy, American University School of Public Affairs

A kindergarten student practices social distancing in the playground of her private school.Al Seib/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

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Public school enrollment is down across the country. For example, enrollment is down by 15,000 in Chicago public schools and by more than 20,000 in the District of Columbia’s public schools. The trend...

Mississippi just got rid of its Electoral College-like election process

Written by Dallas Breen, Assistant Research Professor in Political Science and Public Administration, Mississippi State University

Until this year, people who wanted to live here had to win not just more votes than their opponents, but more state legislative districts too.Mississippi Department of Archives and History

As Americans watch the Electoral College process of choosing a president continue to play out, they may be unaware that voters in Mississippi just decided to get...

How kids can benefit from mindfulness training

Written by Hilary A. Marusak, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University

For both children and adults, practicing mindfulness can improve brain function and enhance the immune system.Wavebreakmedia via Getty Images

Now that 2021 is here, many are looking for new ways to manage stress. Although mindfulness and meditation are not new – there is evidence suggesting that humans have been practicing meditation for more...

Air pollution may contribute to Alzheimer’s and dementia risk – here's what we're learning from brain scans

Written by Jiu-Chiuan Chen, Associate Professor of Preventive Medicine, University of Southern California

Air pollution exposure during mid to early life may be more important to developing Alzheimer's disease than doctors realized.Cecilie Arcurs via Getty Images

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia. It slowly destroys memory, thinking and behaviors, and eventually the ability to carry out daily tasks.

As scientists search for...