When I applied to graduate school many years ago, I wrote an essay expressing my puzzlement at how a country that could put a man on the moon could still have people sleeping on the streets. Part of that problem is political will; we could take a lot of people off the streets tomorrow if we made it a national priority. But I have also come to realize that NASA had it easy. Rockets conform to the unchanging laws of physics. We know where the moon will be at a given time; we know precisely how fast a spacecraft will enter or exist the earth's orbit. If we get the equations right, the rocket will land where it is supposed to--always. Human beings are more complex than that. A recovering drug addict does not behave as predictably as a rocket in orbit. We don't have a formula for persuading a sixteen-year-old not to drop out of school. But we do have a powerful tool: We know that people seek to make themselves better off, however they may define that. Our best hope for improving the human condition is to understand why we act the way we do and then plan accordingly. Programs, organizations, and systems work better when they get the incentives right. It is like rowing downstream.

~ Charles Wheelan

Charles Wheelan Economics Goverment Humanity Incentives Politics Social Policy

All too often, our elegant political theories amount to nothing more than ideology triumphing over common sense.

~ Clifford Cohen

Clifford Cohen Common Sense Political Platforms Political Theory Politics Problem Solving Social Policy

Housing is a human right. There can be no fairness or justice in a society in which some live in homelessness, or in the shadow of that risk, while others cannot even imagine it.

~ Jordan Flaherty

Jordan Flaherty Community Equity Fairness Government Housing Human Rights Justice Law Public Policy Resistance Social Policy Waste

In the twenty-first century, the visions of J.C. Nichols and Walt Disney have come full circle and joined. “Neighborhoods” are increasingly “developments,” corporate theme parks. But corporations aren’t interested in the messy ebb and flow of humanity. They want stability and predictable rates of return. And although racial discrimination is no longer a stated policy for real estate brokers and developers, racial and social homogeneity are still firmly embedded in America’s collective idea of stability; that’s what our new landlords are thinking even if they are not saying it. (138)

~ Tanner Colby

Tanner Colby Community Cross Racial Diversity Friendships Gated Communities Gentrification Housing Discrimination Integration Inter Class Inter Racial Public Policy Real Estate Segregation Social Policy Theme Parks Urban Life Urban Renewal Walt Disney