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Brookings Public Policy Minor students are engaged in a variety of public policy research efforts that address issues relevant to the Las Vegas metropolitan region, the Mountain West, and the nation. Our students are frequently featured as "guest columnists" on critical public policy topics in local and regional media outlets.
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"The boom or bust nature of the Southern Nevada economy jeopardizes our growing gig economy. “Gig workers” are self-employed individuals who file 1099 forms instead of W2 forms to the IRS, where the employer withholds payroll taxes from their employees’ earnings. Payroll taxes fund government safety-net programs, notably unemployment insurance. However, 1099 workers do not receive many of the benefits that W2 workers do since they do not pay into those safety-net taxes."
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"Islam is being viewed as “a crisis” around the world, according to French President Emmanuel Macron. Following a series of attacks in France, the uproar of prejudice against Muslims has been surging once more. Islam is considered the second-most widely practiced religion in France, behind only Christianity. Today in France, the Muslim population accounts for 8.8% of the total population."
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"On Nov. 5, all eyes were on Nevada and Arizona as the world wondered if these two states would cast their electoral college votes for Joe Biden or President Donald Trump. Journalists in the United States and abroad delved into the political minutiae of Clark and Maricopa counties, with the outcome of the 2020 presidential election hanging in the balance."
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"As two recent Clark County School District graduates, we appreciate the daily efforts of local educators to provide students with opportunities to learn and grow both inside and outside the classroom."
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"Unidentified hackers recently stole thousands of children’s private information from Clark County School District computers and we know little or nothing of how this happened. This theft of sensitive personal information raises questions as to the security vulnerabilities created by the five tech giants (Apple, Amazon, Facebook, Google, and Microsoft) and their hold over consumers’ data."
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"The passing of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg made me reflect on her quote, 'Women belong in all places where decisions are being made. It shouldn’t be that women are the exception.' The upcoming general election amplifies this quote, and begs the question: Just how important is it to elect more women into leadership positions? The answer — very."
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"I am an honor student at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, a future educator, a mentor, a non-profit worker, a habitual volunteer in the community, a dependable son, a supportive brother, among many other things. But none of those things seem to matter to some when people learn the part of me that I have hid for many years -- I am a DACA recipient."
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"On Aug. 7, the Nevada System of Higher Education attracted negative attention from students, the public and state officials after the board of regents’ chief of staff attempted to silence Regent Lisa Levine during a meeting with his reprehensible statement, 'I don’t want to man-speak but I will have to if you continue to child-speak.'"
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"At a time of crushing financial strain on schools, businesses, families and individuals, the need for a well-functioning government could not be greater. Nor could the need for citizens to understand how the government should function."
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"As the nation struggles with the resurgence of COVID-19, robust contact tracing could help alleviate much of the strain on our already-burdened health care systems. However, we have a massive shortfall in the number of available contact tracers."
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Emergency ordinance aims to silence Las Vegans
By Olivia Cheche
"Black Lives Matter protests have allowed Las Vegas residents to stand in solidarity with the civil rights movement that has extended from the United States to countries around the world. But to the detriment of these peaceful protesters and the shame of our community, local officials have undermined the First Amendment rights of local residents to protest."
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In an age of misinformation, fact-checking must be encouraged
By Mary Blankenship
"The internet and social media have propelled the spread of false claims, narratives, stories and information to unprecedented proportions. According to the Pew Research Center, as of 2019, 72% of Americans had at least one social media account and about two-thirds of Americans at least occasionally got their news from social media platforms."
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Congratulations To All Students!
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Brookings Mountain West is a partnership between UNLV and the Washington, D.C. - based Brookings Institution. Brookings Mountain West brings high-quality, independent, and impactful research to the issues facing the dynamic and fast-growing Mountain West region. The Brookings Public Policy Minor (BPPM) engages UNLV students in our public policy research activities.
The Brookings Public Policy Minor is a unique educational experience that offers a multidisciplinary curriculum based upon local, national, and global themes. The minor also provides students with opportunities to interact with visiting Brookings scholars in the classroom and conduct important public policy research.
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JOB POSTING:
Paid Student Researcher Position at
Brookings Mountain West
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Purpose:
Brookings Mountain West is looking to hire qualified, undergraduate or graduate student researchers to support a research study led by Brookings Institution Governance Studies scholars Makada Henry-Nickie and John Hudak. This position is a paid, hourly appointment, not exceeding 20 hours per week, depending on current employment / assistantship standing at UNLV.
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About the Study:
As COVID tears through the United States, causing a public health crisis in all 50 states, the pandemic has also induced a deep recession with an asymmetrical impact across and within states. As is typical, the recession has disproportionately impacted communities of color, young Americans, and the poor. As America recovers, it must learn the lessons from the asymmetrical recovery from the Great Recession and work to ensure individual Americans - and especially specific groups - are not left behind, while others thrive.
Henry-Nickie & Hudak seek to use this moment early in the pandemic recession to reflect on those lessons learned and position public policy to enable a more shared economic recovery. Together, they seek to launch a multi-phase project in Southern Nevada that examines the impact of the current recession, with a focus on workers, industries, and sectors often overlooked by policymakers. This research will inform actionable policy recommendations for state and local policymakers to provide opportunities for those most impacted to enhance their skills, compete in a transformed economy, and thrive in the shadow of America's most serious economic crisis in nearly a century.
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Required Qualifications:
- Current UNLV undergraduate or graduate student in Public Policy, Urban Studies, Political Science, Sociology, Journalism & Media Studies, Economics, or related relevant field
- 3.0 cumulative GPA or higher
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Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience conducting interviews or survey design, including online and virtual surveys
- Experience with qualitative or mixed methods research, including ethnographic studies
- Experience working with large or unstructured data sets involving labor, workforce development, and race
- Demonstrated proficiency in one or more of the following statistical software programs: Stata, R, or Python
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Submission Requirements:
Qualified, interested students should submit the following materials via email to william.brown@unlv.edu & caitlin.saladino@unlv.edu by the deadline of Wednesday, December 16, 2020, at 5:00pm for priority consideration.
- Cover Letter, expressing clearly your qualifications for this position
- CV / Resume, max. 2 pages
- Unofficial Transcript
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Statement of Independence
Brookings scholars, in conformity with the Institution's mission of developing independent, non-partisan analysis and recommendations that reflect objective and rigorous scholarship, will make the final determinations regarding all scholarly activities, including the research agenda, content, product, outcomes, use and distribution of resulting publications, and selection of personnel. Brookings scholars and staff will at no time lobby or otherwise promote the interests of any donor or any other third party.
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