The School of Public Policy bolsters its research agenda through the Faculty Research Seed Award. This award is designed to stimulate research activities and support innovative projects that address critical public policy issues, amplifying the impact of scholarly work. The recipients of the 2024 award have been recognized for the following projects:
Project title: Examination of the relationship of paid sick leave benefits with employment in mid-life and financial stability during retirement
PI: Katrina Walsemann
Description: Staying in the workforce until full retirement age (FRA) is important for financial stability in retirement, particularly for low-income workers. Workplace policies, such as offering paid sick leave (PSL), may help employees in mid-life stay employed until FRA, especially persons employed in low-wage positions. This project will examine how PSL benefits are associated with working until FRA, the amount of retirement savings an individual has accumulated by FRA, and the amount of annual household income at FRA among mid-life and older adults using data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS).
Project title: Assessing the influence of political partisanship & polarization on U.S. climate policy
PI: Mel George
Description: The United States faces a critical juncture in addressing climate change, where political partisanship significantly shapes policy decisions and mitigation efforts. This project will employ integrated assessment modeling (IAM) to quantitatively analyze the impacts of political partisanship on U.S. climate policy formulation and associated mitigation costs. By considering various scenarios of partisanship at both the state and federal levels, this study will provide insights into the potential pathways and costs of climate action under different political environments.
Project title: Can Improving Gender Equity in Legislative Representation Reduce Gender Inequality in Economic Outcomes? Evidence from Mexico.
PI: Susan W. Parker
Description: Worldwide, women and minorities have historically been vastly under-represented in the area of political participation. Over the past thirty years, a number of countries have passed laws to increase the participation of women in politics. This project will study the Mexican case, one of only five countries which have achieved gender parity in federal legislatures, following new legislation aimed at achieving parity. This project will study the effects of electing female politicians on gender equity in schooling outcomes and participation and wages in the labor market.
Project Title: Gender Divisions in Volunteering: An Analysis of Gender Equity in Volunteering within Two-Income, Heterosexual Households with Children
PI: Nathan Dietz
Description: This project will examine how unequal household labor distributions may be reflected in volunteering. The primary data source is the Current Population Study (CPS), a very large and diverse household-based data collection that has not been fully exploited for its ability to study volunteering decisions among men and women in heterosexual, two-income households with children. By looking at differences in the types of the volunteering performed by each gender, this study aims to understand if household volunteering distributions reflect traditional gender roles. If so, a more equitable work distribution within the home could enable women to enjoy the professional and personal benefits provided by community volunteering.
