Policy Discourse and Decision Making
A Message From Daniel Galvin, Program Chair
From the partisan divide on COVID-19 to systemic racial injustices to impediments to democratic participation, political institutions are being tested like never before. IPR faculty examine how political, social, and economic dynamics affect institutional operations and decision-making processes in the United States. Researchers analyze the interplay between political institutions, political behavior, and public policies.
Working Papers
Recently published articles and working papers in this program area include:
Charles F. Manski and John Mullahy. 2026. Utilitarian or Quantile-Welfare Evaluation of Health Policy? (WP-26-06).
Sadia Farzana, Andrew Owen, John Meurer, Ronald Ackermann, and Bernard Black. 2026. The Effect of Medicaid Expansion on Diagnosis, Care, Treatment, and Health for Persons with Diabetes: Evidence from Medicaid Expansion in Wisconsin (WP-26-04).
Burton Weisbrod. 2025. Financial Rewards for Health Care Program Outcomes and Why They Can and Do Lead to Undesired Results (WP-25-09).
Faculty Experts
Representing the fields of political science, economics, social policy, psychology, and sociology, faculty delve into the worlds of politics, institutions, and policymaking.
Events
Pushing the Boundaries: Understanding Health Inequities through a Biosocial Lens
By Bridget Goosby, Professor of Sociology at The University of Texas at Austin, and IPR Visiting Scholar, May 2026
Health Disparities: The Role of Social Relationships
By Edith Chen, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Chair, Professor of Psychology, Co-Director of the Foundations of Health Research Center, and IPR Fellow