About News News Subscribe Political Science Domestic Policy & Politics Democracy Leadership Social Entrepreneurship Advocacy Ethics Health Policy International and Global Affairs Migration Racial Justice and Equity Facet Area of Focus - News Craig Volden Christine Mahoney Bala Mulloth Gerald Warburg Jay Shimshack Jennifer Lawless John Holbein Facet People - News UVA Humanitarian Collaborative EdPolicyWorks: Center for Education Policy and Workforce Competitiveness National Security Policy Center Miller Center School of Education and Human Development Darden School of Business School Engineering Social Innovation @ UVA UVA Center for Politics (-) Center for Effective Lawmaking Facet UVA Partner - News Faculty In Action Accolades Alum in Action Featured Research Racial Justice and Equity Student Stories (-) Research and Commentary Facet News Type - News Jan 21, 2023 George Santos' college education is a myth. Is he the only one lying? We checked. How often are the educational backgrounds of Congressional legislators and candidates vetted, and how much do degrees matter? Craig Volden, Batten School professor and co-director of the Center for Effective Lawmaking, talked with USA Today about Congress members’ educational backgrounds and how a degree correlates to effectiveness as a legislator. Learn more Aug 29, 2022 Workhorses, not show horses: Five ways to promote effective lawmaking in Congress Democracy Craig Volden, professor at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy and Co-Director of the Center for Effective Lawmaking, writes in The Conversation that there are ways to get things done under the U.S. Capitol dome. Learn more Aug 04, 2022 Research: Congressional town halls signal and support effective lawmaking Domestic Policy & Politics In an article for The Hill, Batten's Craig Volden and co-author Alan E. Wiseman write that Representatives and Senators who engage constituents through town halls can enhance their lawmaking effectiveness in Congress. Learn more May 24, 2022 To Run or Not to Run? Not Enough Women Consider Political Office in the First Place. Domestic Policy & Politics Political Science Racial Justice and Equity A new report by Batten School Professor Jennifer Lawless highlights the gender gap in political ambition. The research declares that “politics remains a game for men.” Learn more Oct 15, 2021 Why Do Bad Policies So Often Spread But Good Ones Don’t? Domestic Policy & Politics In their new book "Why bad policies spread (and good one’s don’t)," Batten's Craig Volden and Charles R. Shipan draw from a wide range of policy domains to examine whether states learn from another to improve the spread of good or effective policies, which policies spread for which reasons and which conditions lead to good or bad policies to spread, among other core questions. Read in Forbes Jun 07, 2021 Volden: Experienced Staff Promote Effective Lawmaking Political Science According to research from Batten's Center for Effective Lawmaking, retaining experienced legislative staff is crucial to Congress doing its job better. In an op-ed for The Hill, center co-directors Craig Volden and Alan E. Wiseman say that when it comes to congressional staff, we get what we pay for. Read in The Hill Mar 25, 2021 Volden: Committee Chairs Continue Their Lawmaking Decline Political Science Leadership Committee chairs have long been considered power brokers for lawmaking, but according to research from the Center for Effective Lawmaking, their lawmaking effectiveness is diminishing. In an op-ed for The Hill, Batten's Craig Volden and Vanderbilt University's Alan E. Wiseman write about the trend. Read in The Hill Feb 16, 2021 Warburg: Congress Must Step Up To Restore Accountability To National Security Policy Democracy Ethics Amidst multiple crises, American lawmakers have valuable opportunities for crucial reforms. In an article for The Hill, Batten's Gerry Warburg discusses how Congress can chart a more sustainable path forward. Read in The Hill Feb 02, 2021 Mahoney Receives UVA's Public Impact-Focused Research Award International and Global Affairs Migration Advocacy During UVA's annual Research Achievement Awards, Christine Mahoney, professor of public policy and politics and director of SE@UVA, was recognized for her work supporting the rights of displaced people locally, nationally and globally. Batten's John Holbein and Jay Shimshack were also acknowledged for their research contributions. Read in UVA TODAY Dec 07, 2020 Focus on Cabinet Nominees' Effectiveness and Expertise, Not Just Ideology Political Science Leadership As President-elect Joe Biden’s cabinet nominees have been named, much of the discussion has been about their ideological leanings. In an article for The Hill, Batten's Craig Volden and Vanderbilt University's Alan E. Wiseman, co-directors of the Center for Effective Lawmaking, outline why these ideological discussions are too narrow a focus. Read In The Hill Oct 27, 2020 The Virginia Impact Investing Ecosystem Mapping Social Entrepreneurship A new report from the Virginia Impact Investing Forum, housed within Batten’s SE@UVA, found $19 billion in Virginia impact capital but tens of billions more on the sidelines that could be unlocked with more convening, training, and sharing of success stories. Christine Mahoney, director of SE@UVA explains how universities can connect the dots between impact investors and social entrepreneurs and do it in a cost-efficient way. Read In Impact Alpha Aug 03, 2020 Batten’s Bala Mulloth Receives COVID-19 Social Entrepreneurship Grant Social Entrepreneurship Health Policy A team of faculty that includes Batten professor Bala Mulloth have been awarded $110,000 for their proposal titled “Technology Driven Entrepreneurial Solutions to Address Healthcare Worker Protection Needs.” Learn more Stay Up To Date with the Latest Batten News and Events Subscribe
Jan 21, 2023 George Santos' college education is a myth. Is he the only one lying? We checked. How often are the educational backgrounds of Congressional legislators and candidates vetted, and how much do degrees matter? Craig Volden, Batten School professor and co-director of the Center for Effective Lawmaking, talked with USA Today about Congress members’ educational backgrounds and how a degree correlates to effectiveness as a legislator. Learn more
Aug 29, 2022 Workhorses, not show horses: Five ways to promote effective lawmaking in Congress Democracy Craig Volden, professor at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy and Co-Director of the Center for Effective Lawmaking, writes in The Conversation that there are ways to get things done under the U.S. Capitol dome. Learn more
Aug 04, 2022 Research: Congressional town halls signal and support effective lawmaking Domestic Policy & Politics In an article for The Hill, Batten's Craig Volden and co-author Alan E. Wiseman write that Representatives and Senators who engage constituents through town halls can enhance their lawmaking effectiveness in Congress. Learn more
May 24, 2022 To Run or Not to Run? Not Enough Women Consider Political Office in the First Place. Domestic Policy & Politics Political Science Racial Justice and Equity A new report by Batten School Professor Jennifer Lawless highlights the gender gap in political ambition. The research declares that “politics remains a game for men.” Learn more
Oct 15, 2021 Why Do Bad Policies So Often Spread But Good Ones Don’t? Domestic Policy & Politics In their new book "Why bad policies spread (and good one’s don’t)," Batten's Craig Volden and Charles R. Shipan draw from a wide range of policy domains to examine whether states learn from another to improve the spread of good or effective policies, which policies spread for which reasons and which conditions lead to good or bad policies to spread, among other core questions. Read in Forbes
Jun 07, 2021 Volden: Experienced Staff Promote Effective Lawmaking Political Science According to research from Batten's Center for Effective Lawmaking, retaining experienced legislative staff is crucial to Congress doing its job better. In an op-ed for The Hill, center co-directors Craig Volden and Alan E. Wiseman say that when it comes to congressional staff, we get what we pay for. Read in The Hill
Mar 25, 2021 Volden: Committee Chairs Continue Their Lawmaking Decline Political Science Leadership Committee chairs have long been considered power brokers for lawmaking, but according to research from the Center for Effective Lawmaking, their lawmaking effectiveness is diminishing. In an op-ed for The Hill, Batten's Craig Volden and Vanderbilt University's Alan E. Wiseman write about the trend. Read in The Hill
Feb 16, 2021 Warburg: Congress Must Step Up To Restore Accountability To National Security Policy Democracy Ethics Amidst multiple crises, American lawmakers have valuable opportunities for crucial reforms. In an article for The Hill, Batten's Gerry Warburg discusses how Congress can chart a more sustainable path forward. Read in The Hill
Feb 02, 2021 Mahoney Receives UVA's Public Impact-Focused Research Award International and Global Affairs Migration Advocacy During UVA's annual Research Achievement Awards, Christine Mahoney, professor of public policy and politics and director of SE@UVA, was recognized for her work supporting the rights of displaced people locally, nationally and globally. Batten's John Holbein and Jay Shimshack were also acknowledged for their research contributions. Read in UVA TODAY
Dec 07, 2020 Focus on Cabinet Nominees' Effectiveness and Expertise, Not Just Ideology Political Science Leadership As President-elect Joe Biden’s cabinet nominees have been named, much of the discussion has been about their ideological leanings. In an article for The Hill, Batten's Craig Volden and Vanderbilt University's Alan E. Wiseman, co-directors of the Center for Effective Lawmaking, outline why these ideological discussions are too narrow a focus. Read In The Hill
Oct 27, 2020 The Virginia Impact Investing Ecosystem Mapping Social Entrepreneurship A new report from the Virginia Impact Investing Forum, housed within Batten’s SE@UVA, found $19 billion in Virginia impact capital but tens of billions more on the sidelines that could be unlocked with more convening, training, and sharing of success stories. Christine Mahoney, director of SE@UVA explains how universities can connect the dots between impact investors and social entrepreneurs and do it in a cost-efficient way. Read In Impact Alpha
Aug 03, 2020 Batten’s Bala Mulloth Receives COVID-19 Social Entrepreneurship Grant Social Entrepreneurship Health Policy A team of faculty that includes Batten professor Bala Mulloth have been awarded $110,000 for their proposal titled “Technology Driven Entrepreneurial Solutions to Address Healthcare Worker Protection Needs.” Learn more