Scholars Strategy Network's No Jargon – Details, episodes & analysis

As we head into the holiday season, many nonprofits are entering their busiest time of year while uncertainty around government funding continues to loom. Professor Dyana Mason explains how President Trump's executive actions and funding freezes have disrupted essential services — from food programs to international aid — and what that means for the people who rely on them. She breaks down why so many nonprofits depend on federal dollars, what happens when that money suddenly disappears, and how political pressures are putting new strain on these organizations.

For more on this topic:

Read Mason's op-ed in The Conversation: Nonprofits that provide shelter for homeless people, disaster recovery help, and food for low-income Americans rely heavily on federal funding – they would be reeling if Trump froze that money, coauthored with Mirae Kim.

In the wake of the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, millions of Americans are left wondering what comes next for their healthcare. Professor Miranda Yaver breaks down what fueled the shutdown, why the Affordable Care Act is once again under strain, and what rising healthcare costs will mean for families, healthcare providers, and entire communities. She also previewed her forthcoming book, Coverage Denied, which examines the impact of coverage denials to patient health. 

For more on this topic:

• Read Yaver's op-ed in MSNBC: Republicans are trying to turn their attacks on Obamacare into self-fulfilling prophecies 

• Read her SSN brief: How Health Insurance Denials Induce Administrative Burdens, and How to Fix It 

• Check out her book, Coverage Denied: How Health Insurers Drive Inequality in the United States, which will be published March 2026

Gun violence is down, but you wouldn't know it from the headlines. This progress didn't happen by accident—it's at least partially the result of smart, targeted strategies that address the root causes of violence. Professor Daniel Semenza explains what's working, drawing lessons from Camden's dramatic shift from "murder capital" to record-low homicide rates, and what we stand to lose as federal support for violence prevention is being rolled back.

For more on this topic:

• Read Semenza's op-ed in Common Dreams

• Check out a research paper he co-authored: In-person and media gun violence exposure in the United States

Climate change is threatening our world, that much is becoming more and more apparent every year. And often it seems like little is happening on a policy level to address this impending crisis. But, in 2008, a group of states in the Northeast managed what seemed nearly impossible. They put in place a robust, multi-state system to put a price on carbon. Professor Leigh Raymond explains how they were able to overcome obstacles that have doomed so much other climate policy, how exactly this system works, and what lessons can be learned for other climate proposals.

For more on this topic:

• Check out Raymond's SSN brief, Building Political Support for Carbon Pricing
• Read his book, Reclaiming the Atmospheric Commons

For many people, regular visits to the dentist are little more than a necessary inconvenience. But in lower-income communities, access to dental care can be all but nonexistent - with serious consequences for public health. Professor Donald Chi lays out how a single childhood cavity can lead to a lifetime of problems, why so many people struggle to access even basic dental care, and what policymakers can do to provide every American with the coverage they need.

For more on this topic:

• Check out Chi's SSN brief, Why Inadequate Dental Care Leads to Escalating Health Problems for Low-Income Americans
• Read Pew's summary of his research on dental therapists
• Find Mary Otto's article in The Washington Post on Deamonte Driver

Back-to-school season is upon us, and back as well are some familiar debates. From charter schools to voucher programs, education in America is becoming more privatized than ever - and some communities are pushing back. Professor Janelle Scott reveals why so many schools are shifting toward privatization, why these reforms are so controversial, and what they mean for inequality in America's education system.

For more on this topic:

• Check out Scott's research paper with Jennifer Holme on this topic (paywall)

Imagine a nation where the political rules are unfair. In this imagine nation, there are two parties. The Big Country party has its strengthen in rural areas and gets a big head start in every election - they get to win if they earn around 46 percent of the vote. The other party, the party of the city people, gets held back - to win, they need to earn about 54 percent of the vote. As it turns out, this is not an imaginary nation at all, it's the United States of America. Professor Jonathan Rodden dives into the research from his book on why cities lose when it comes to elections, what that means for our political system, and what can be done to change the situation.

• Read Rodden's book, Why Cities Lose: The Deep Roots of the Urban-Rural Political Divide
• Check out his opinion piece for The Washington Post, and The New York Times Upshot article highlighting this research.

El Paso, Texas. Dayton, Ohio. These two cities are the latest in a long string of communities that have experienced horrific mass shootings. And once again, the news of these shootings bring up many questions. Dr. Sierra Smucker lays out what we know about mass shooters and the connection to domestic violence, what gun regulations are already on the books and whether or not they seem to be effective, and what more can be done to prevent future shootings. 

For more on this topic:

• Read Sierra's SSN brief, Why the United States Remains Hobbled in Protecting Women from Gun Violence.
• Check out her opinion piece for The American Prospect
• Find the RAND project on Gun Policy in America

The US Congress is a bedrock of American democracy, but as it stands, it often seems to be stuck in the dark ages. With more and more technology emerging to help connect people, ideas, and information across the country, Congress often still works as if the internet didn't exist. Dr. Lorelei Kelly dives into the problems facing Congress, what it takes to bring this institution into the 21st century, and how a few members are leading the way.

For more on this topic:

• Check out Kelly's report, Modernizing Congress: Bringing Democracy into the 21st Century.
• Read her opinion pieces for The Hill and TechCrunch.

Around five years ago, Ferguson, Missouri erupted in violent protests after the fatal police shooting of teenager Michael Brown. The Ferguson protests were part of a wave of protests nationwide spurred by police shootings of unarmed black men and the disproportionate violence that communities of color have often faced. In this archive episode, Professor Ashley Howard explains what these protests mean, what their history is, and how new laws, policing methods, and social media are changing the way people demonstrate.

For More on this Topic:

• Check out Howard's interview in The Chronicle of Higher Education and her piece in The Black Scholar.
• Read her SSN brief, How U.S. Urban Unrest in the 1960s Can Help Make Sense of Ferguson, Missouri, and Other Recent Protests