Nov 2024
Policy Experiment Stations to Accelerate State and Local Government Innovation
The Federation of American Scientists (FAS) published this memo about strategies for building capacity and accelerating state and local government innovation.
Each year the federal government transfers approximately $1.1 trillion to state and local governments. Yet, most states and localities rarely evaluate whether these funds are actually improving their communities.
Recent research points to a powerful solution: fostering partnerships between government agencies and local universities—something we specialize in at the University of Chicago Crime Lab and the University of Chicago Education Lab.
This policy brief outlines an exciting vision for “Policy Experiment Stations.” These stations are designed to revolutionize how state and local governments leverage evidence and data to drive innovation and address critical challenges.
This memo is part of the Federation of American Scientists’ larger effort to champion bold, science-driven ideas that can help build a more prosperous, equitable, and safe future for all.
Latest Updates
Combining Mentorship and Therapy, Program Aims to Prevent Teen Violence Before It Happens
Matt Masterson for WTTW News covers the Crime Lab’s study of Choose to Change, a six-month intervention that combines “near-peer” mentorship and cognitive behavioral therapy to help steer teens away from violence and get them back on a more successful track.
In Chicago, cognitive behavioral therapy shows promise curbing youth violence
NPR’s Meg Anderson reported on Chicago’s Choose to Change (C2C), a program that combines trauma-informed therapy with wraparound supports and aims to reduce youth violence. The Crime Lab found that the program can effectively and sustainably reduce violence involvement and the likelihood of being arrested.
Coming April 21, 2025 – Unforgiving Places: The Unexpected Origins of American Gun Violence
Crime Lab Pritzker Director Jens Ludwig authored a book that argues the lack of progress in reducing gun violence ultimately stems from our having misunderstood the nature of the problem, and that behavioral science gives us a new way to understand – and solve – gun violence in America.
