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Articles on Public policy

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An increasing focus on training undergraduates for the labour market shortchanges students. Students and attendees seen at a job fair in Atlanta, March 29, 2023. (AP Photo/Alex Sliz)

Does a university undergraduate degree lead to a ‘good job?’ It depends what you mean

Students should know that a key part of the value of their undergraduate degree lies in taking advantage of all the opportunities for learning that universities offer.
Supporters of Issue 1, which would codify reproductive rights, including abortion, in the Ohio Constitution, cheer election results on Nov. 7, 2023. Andrew Spear/Getty Images

Voters don’t always have final say – state legislatures and governors are increasingly undermining ballot measures that win

Election year 2024 will see citizen initiatives on the ballot across the country, some focused on abortion rights. But there’s a growing trend of lawmakers altering initiatives after they have passed.
Portland, Maine, officials ordered that a park be cleared on Sept. 28, 2022, of people who were homeless and that any trash be removed before a visit by a candidate for governor. AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty

Being homeless means not being free − as Americans are supposed to be

To be homeless is a condition in which a person’s freedom is profoundly compromised. And that’s un-American, says a philosopher.
A person wearing a protective face mask looks at a street mural during the COVID-19 pandemic in Edmonton Alta, in April 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson

Why it’s impossible for public policy to rely entirely on science

The only way an Alberta COVID-19 committee can meaningfully determine how public policy should be made is if it tackles head-on the question of how to measure the psychological impacts of policy.
The new generation of AI tools makes it a lot easier to produce convincing misinformation. Photo by Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images

Regulating AI: 3 experts explain why it’s difficult to do and important to get right

Powerful new AI systems could amplify fraud and misinformation, leading to widespread calls for government regulation. But doing so is easier said than done and could have unintended consequences.
An Indiana Senate committee hearing on a GOP proposal to ban nearly all abortions in the state, at the Statehouse in Indianapolis, July 26, 2022. AP Photo/Michael Conroy

4 reasons why abortion laws often clash with the majority’s preferences in the US, from constitutional design to low voter turnout

Why do government policies sometimes fail to reflect the public will? The answer begins with the design of the US government system, forged in the 18th century.
Kids say they have felt ignored amid policy responses to the COVID-19 pandemic that seemed more focused on the fates of restaurants, bars and entertainment venues than keeping schools open and safe. kali9/E+ via Getty Images

Listening to young people could help reduce pandemic-related harms to children

Making room for the input of children and adolescents in responses to the next pandemic would help maintain their health, education, well-being and more.
People are good at avoiding prying eyes, but avoiding online snoops – not so much. Donald Iain Smith/Moment via Getty Images

Your sense of privacy evolved over millennia – that puts you at risk today but could improve technology tomorrow

You have a finely honed sense of privacy in the physical world. But the sights and sounds you encounter online don’t help you detect risks and can even lull you into a false sense of security.

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