Intervening in Syria and the humanitarian case: What does the research say?
2013 review of research papers relevant to any potential intervention in the Syrian conflict, with particular emphasis on the notion of “responsibility to protect.”
Criminal Justice
Research roundups, tip sheets, articles and explainers related to the topic of criminal justice
Expert Commentary
“Community prosecution”: Chicago’s experience in reducing crime and incarceration rates
2013 study published in American Law and Economics Review on the effectiveness and operational mechanisms of community prosecution approaches.
Expert Commentary
Syrian intervention, political calculations and party affiliation: Political science perspectives
2011 study by UCLA published in the American Journal of Political Science on how the American public judges presidential decision-making on foreign crises.
Expert Commentary
Marijuana use, legalization and cognitive effects: Research perspectives
2013 review of studies that look at the effects of marijuana use on cognitive functioning, as the federal policy debate over legalization continues to grow.
Expert Commentary
Explaining rape during civil war: Cross-national evidence (1980-2009)
2013 study by the Harvard Kennedy School published in the American Political Science Review on possible causes to variation in rapes during 86 major conflicts.
Expert Commentary
Profiling gun dealers, pawnbrokers and illegal weapons sales
2013 review of studies that provide insight into the nature of gun sellers and sales transactions, with an emphasis on illegal purchasing attempts and related research on gun laws.
Expert Commentary
Commodity prices and conflict: How price shocks affect civil unrest
Review of a 2013 paper in The Review of Economic Studies and other studies that shed light on the connection between food insecurity and violent conflict.
Expert Commentary
Right-wing extremism in Europe and beyond: Research roundup
2013 roundup of academic studies, published in the past few years, that shed light on the dynamics of right-wing extremism in Europe and provide wider political context.
Expert Commentary
NSA surveillance: Clarifying and distinguishing two data collection programs
July 2013 Congressional Research Service report providing key background information on the National Security Agency surveillance programs. Also included are related papers and scholarly perspectives.
Expert Commentary
Does strengthening self-defense law deter crime or escalate violence?
2012 paper from Texas A&M done for the National Bureau of Economic Research looks at how “stand your ground” laws — based on “castle doctrine” — affect rates of violence in states.
Expert Commentary