Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy University of Virginia

A new model

of policy reform

Why are some members of Congress more effective lawmakers than others? How important is political party affiliation? A new model argues that ideology, not affiliation, drives compromise or gridlock

"Within American federalism, states and localities can serve as policy laboratories, but we don’t really know exactly how it works. How does policy spread or diffuse from one state to the next? There’s a lot of learning going on"

When problems don't

respect borders

In an increasingly globalized world, in which more than 30 million people have been displaced by violent conflict, many public policy problems can no longer be solved within the confines of a single country. How do governments and civil society coordinate their efforts without adding to the chaos?

Achieving goals in a

social world

We choose, initiate, and pursue goals in a social world. How and when do social relationships facilitate, or hinder, our pursuit of important goals? And how do cooperation and competition affect these relationships?

"Social psychology is at the core of the Batten School approach. It drives us to ask scientifically rigorous questions about decision making, leadership, motivation, and organizational dynamics."

Producing

Good Health

Good health does not just happen. It is "produced" by a combination of genetics, lifestyle and medical care. A major challenge for the United States, and other countries, is to choose policies that promote good health while maintaining freedom of choice and financial viability of government budgets and the health care system.

Reducing disparity in a

"POST-RACIAL" AGE

How can we reduce racial disparities when so many Americans profess not to notice or even see race? Understanding people’s concerns about appearing prejudiced and their fears about social status can help us find new ways to combat racial inequalities.

No Child

Left Behind

What has changed since the introduction of "No Child Left Behind" (NCLB)? How do you measure education progress? Dee researched the effects of NCLB, and found that while there were some statistically significant changes in math performance, there was no evidence of that NCLB increased reading performance in the 4th or 8th grades.

economic approach to

environmentalism

How is climate change like a noisy dorm? Environmental problems arise from broken ownership and control of important resources. If we can design solutions that mimic markets, we can lower the cost of protecting the planet by making it profitable to be green.