Four Years After, Tunisia Remains the Arab Spring’s Lone Success Story

Four Years After, Tunisia Remains the Arab Spring’s Lone Success Story. YaleGlobal. Chris Miller. February 5, 2015.

The wave of protests that swept through the Middle East in 2011, known as the Arab Spring, rocked governments and ended a handful of dictatorships. “All of the revolts of 2011, except for Tunisia’s, have ended in tragedy,” notes Chris Miller. “The uprisings were quickly sullied by a region-wide clash between the Muslim Brotherhood and autocratic governments.” Domestic elites and alarmed leaders in neighboring states like Saudi Arabia and the UAE targeted the Brotherhood, a locus for opposition politics, while Qatar supported the group. A military coup overturned the democratic choice in Egypt; civil war rages in Libya and Syria. Miller concludes: “The recipes of Tunisia’s relative success seem straightforward: limit outsiders’ meddling, avoid sectarian politics and encourage all sides to compromise.” [Note: contains copyrighted material].

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Investigative Journalists and Digital Security

Investigative Journalists and Digital Security. Pew Research Center: Journalism & Media. Jesse Holcomb et al. February 5, 2015.

About two-thirds of investigative journalists surveyed (64%) believe that the U.S. government has probably collected data about their phone calls, emails or online communications, and eight-in-ten believe that being a journalist increases the likelihood that their data will be collected. Those who report on national security, foreign affairs or the federal government are particularly likely to believe the government has already collected data about their electronic communications (71% say this is the case), according to the survey. [Note: contains copyrighted material].

[PDF format, 18 pages, 371.08 KB].

Men, Fathers, and Work-Family Balance

Men, Fathers, and Work-Family Balance. Center for American Progress. Erin Rehel and Emily Baxter. February 4, 2015.

While most the current research focuses on women and mother’s experiences balancing family life and paid employment, addressing the issues facing men and fathers is equally important to promoting greater equity at home and at work. [Note: contains copyrighted material].

[PDF format, 16 pages, 157.66 KB].

Preserving Ukraine’s Independence, Resisting Russian Aggression: What the United States and NATO Must Do

Preserving Ukraine’s Independence, Resisting Russian Aggression: What the United States and NATO Must Do. Brookings Institution. Steven Pifer et al. February 2015.

The report argues for greater U.S. leadership in ending the conflict in Ukraine and Russian involvement in the region. The report, authored by eight former senior U.S. diplomatic and military officials, urges the United States and NATO to bolster Ukraine’s defense and deter further Russian aggression by providing military assistance to Ukraine, including lethal defensive assistance. [Note: contains copyrighted material].

[PDF format, 17 pages, 418.97 KB].

How Financially Literate are Women?

How Financially Literate are Women? National Bureau of Economic Research. Tabea Bucher-Koenen et al. Web posted on January 28, 2015.

Women are less likely than men to answer correctly questions that measure knowledge of basic financial concepts, the authors report. Young and old women and those for whom financial knowledge is likely to be important, such as widows and singles, all have lower financial literacy than men, and these gender differences are strikingly similar across countries. [Note: contains copyrighted material].

[PDF format, 33 pages, 525 KB].

After Charlie Hebdo, Balancing Press Freedom and Respect for Religion

After Charlie Hebdo, Balancing Press Freedom and Respect for Religion. Pew Research Center. Jeffrey Gottfried and Michale Barthel. January 28, 2015.

About three-in-four Americans (76%) have heard at least a little about the attack on the offices of the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, according to the poll, conducted January 22-25 among 1,003 adults. Of these, a majority (60%) says that it was okay for Charlie Hebdo to have published cartoons that depict the Prophet Muhammad, but nearly three-in-ten (28%) do not support the magazine’s decision to publish this material – saying it was not okay. [Note: contains copyrighted material].

[PDF format, 14 pages, 441.14 KB].

Income-based Inequality in Educational Outcomes

Income-based Inequality in Educational Outcomes. National Bureau of Economic Research. John P. Papay et al. Web posted January 30, 2015.

The authors document large income-based gaps in educational attainments, including high-school graduation rates and college-going. They also show that income-related gaps in both educational credentials and academic skill have narrowed substantially over the past several years in Massachusetts. [Note: contains copyrighted material].

[PDF format, 44 pages, 1.47 MB].

Avoiding Bioenergy Competition for Food Crops and Land

Avoiding Bioenergy Competition for Food Crops and Land. World Resources Institute. Tim Searchinger and Ralph Heimlich. January 2015.

The report shows that any dedicated use of land for growing bioenergy inherently comes at the cost of not using that land for growing food or animal feed, or for storing carbon. It recommends several policy changes to phase out forms of bioenergy that use crops or that otherwise make dedicated use of land. [Note: contains copyrighted material].

[PDF format, 44 pages, 748.3 KB].

Reducing Child Poverty in the US: Costs and Impacts of Policies Proposed by the Children’s Defense Fund

Reducing Child Poverty in the US: Costs and Impacts of Policies Proposed by the Children’s Defense Fund. Urban Institute. Linda Giannarelli et al. January 30, 2015.

The report estimates how much child poverty could be reduced by a comprehensive set of policies, increasing the minimum wage, providing transitional jobs, expanding subsidized housing and child care, increasing food assistance, increasing federal income tax credits, and changing how child support is counted in determining benefits. [Note: contains copyrighted material].

[PDF format, 168 pages, 2.11 MB].