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  • The “Do-Something” Members of the 116th Congress: Legislative Effectiveness Study from the Batten School and Vanderbilt University Identifies Member Success in Advancing Bills
    The “Do-Something” Members of the 116th Congress: Legislative Effectiveness Study from the Batten School and Vanderbilt University Identifies Member Success in Advancing Bills

    Sens. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and Gary Peters, D-Mich., along with Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, and retired Rep. Nita Lowey, D-N.Y., were the most effective Republican and Democratic lawmakers in the recently completed 116th Congress (2019–20), according to new research from Batten's Center for Effective Lawmaking.

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  • Coronavirus and Schools: Reflections on Education One Year into the Pandemic
    Research and Commentary
    Coronavirus and Schools: Reflections on Education One Year into the Pandemic

    One year ago, the World Health Organization declared the spread of COVID-19 a worldwide pandemic. Batten's Daphna Bassok and fellow experts examine how the pandemic upended the education landscape in the past year, what it’s taught us about schooling, and where we go from here.

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  • Batten Events Elevate University’s Upcoming Public Service Week Lineup
    Batten Events Elevate University’s Upcoming Public Service Week Lineup

    Public Service Week, an event series highlighting UVA’s ongoing contributions to public outreach programming, community-engaged teaching and public impact research, begins Monday, March 15. Join Batten faculty, staff, students and alumni for an engaging lineup of events.

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  • Warburg Speaks on Congress and Foreign Policy as ‘Top of Mind’ Podcast Guest
    Research and Commentary
    Warburg Speaks on Congress and Foreign Policy as ‘Top of Mind’ Podcast Guest

    America cannot go to war unless Congress authorizes it, but Congress has rarely taken a vote to start and end a war. On Julie Rose's "Top of Mind," Batten professor Gerry Warburg explores why Congress leaves it to presidents to expand America's global conflicts.

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  • New Batten and School of Education Program Helps Virginia Schools Respond to the Pandemic
    Research and Commentary
    New Batten and School of Education Program Helps Virginia Schools Respond to the Pandemic

    Students in the inaugural class of Ed Policy Associates are collaborating with Virginia policymakers on vital research, and gaining vital experience at the same time.

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  • Why Using Reconciliation to Pass Biden’s COVID-19 Stimulus Bill Violates the Original Purpose of the Process
    Why Using Reconciliation to Pass Biden’s COVID-19 Stimulus Bill Violates the Original Purpose of the Process

    In 1974, Congress invented the reconciliation process to reduce deficits. More recently, reconciliation has been used in ways that increase the deficit. Batten’s Ray Scheppach spoke with The Conversation to explain the process.

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  • Black People’s Pain Has Long Been Underestimated. It’s Time For That To Change.
    Research and Commentary
    Black People’s Pain Has Long Been Underestimated. It’s Time For That To Change.

    Compelling evidence from multiple studies points to racial disparities in healthcare—both in access to care and quality of care. In an article for Women's Health, Batten's Sophie Trawalter discusses her research exploring racial bias in healthcare.

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  • Understanding COVID-19-Era Enrollment Drops among Early-Grade Public School Students
    Understanding COVID-19-Era Enrollment Drops among Early-Grade Public School Students

    The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly disrupted schooling nationwide, raising serious concerns about the impact of the pandemic on children’s learning. But, as Batten’s Daphna Bassok and co-author Anna Shapiro write in Brooking’s “Brown Center Chalkboard” blog, relatively less has been written about the experiences of the “missing children”—those who have not enrolled in public school at all.

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  • Here’s Who Biden Might Pick for OMB Director as Neera Tanden’s Confirmation Looks Unlikely
    Research and Commentary
    Here’s Who Biden Might Pick for OMB Director as Neera Tanden’s Confirmation Looks Unlikely

    The Biden administration is heading back to square one as the chances for a Neera Tanden confirmation, the president's initial pick for director of the Office of Management and Budget, seems increasingly unlikely to gain enough Senate votes. Batten’s David Leblang spoke to Newsweek about potential candidates under consideration to take Tanden's place.

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  • Scrap the Syllabus: In This Batten Course, Students Take the Lead
    Scrap the Syllabus: In This Batten Course, Students Take the Lead

    Tackling everything from the death penalty to affordable housing, the students in Batten professor Andy Pennock's Virginia Politics and Policy don’t just participate in the course—they design it themselves.

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  • Warburg: Congress Must Step Up To Restore Accountability To National Security Policy
    Research and Commentary
    Warburg: Congress Must Step Up To Restore Accountability To National Security Policy

    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.

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  • Williams: Public Option in Biden Plan Could Change the Face of US Health Care
    Research and Commentary
    Williams: Public Option in Biden Plan Could Change the Face of US Health Care

    President Biden issued ten executive orders to fight COVID-19 on his first day in office, but his health care platform extends far beyond coronavirus. In an article for The Conversation, Batten’s Michael Williams explores the sweeping health care reforms proposed by the Biden administration and the significant impact they could have on Americans.

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