Carter's Legacy of Caring for Communities

January 10, 2025
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The Abstract

> Edited by Torie Ludwin, Arnold Ventures (AV)

The late former President Jimmy Carter has been lauded from all corners of the country for his work caring for America’s – and the world’s – most vulnerable people, be it through building houses at Habitat for Humanity, his advocacy for Community Health Centers, or via the Carter Center, established after his term to support human rights and disease prevention.

At Arnold Ventures, our work toward evidence-based policy solutions in health care, housing, criminal justice, higher education, and other areas aims to help build safer, healthier, more economically stable communities. As Carter said, “Governance should be designed as an equalizer.” As we might add, to maximize opportunity and minimize injustice.

Learn more about our work>

On Debt Ceiling Cooperation

In his latest Forbes opinion column, AV Program Integrity Fellow Doug Criscitello examines the challenges the upcoming U.S. debt ceiling extension poses for newly elected political leaders. He discusses the complexities of navigating fiscal policy in a divided government and the potential economic implications of failing to reach a timely agreement. Criscitello emphasizes the importance of bipartisan cooperation to maintain the nation's financial stability and avoid the pitfalls of previous debt ceiling crises.

Read his column>

What We're Reading

Criminal Justice

In Governing, AV's Vice President of Criminal Justice Advocacy Kevin Ring suggested that this year, policymakers should focus on criminal justice interventions that reduce and prevent crime rather than ineffective, overly harsh punishments.
In The Tennessean, former chairman of the Tennessee House Judiciary Committee Michael Curcio, along with co-authors Scott Coffina and Lisel Petis, made the case that Tennessee should enhance public safety by reducing reliance on money bail and adopting a risk-based approach to pretrial decisions.
In ROI-NJ, former New Jersey Attorney General Christopher Porrino discussed his experience serving as the chair of the New Jersey Criminal Sentencing and Disposition Commission and several reforms the commission recommended that he believes can make the criminal justice system fairer.

Health Care

A poll by KFF in 2024 found that more than 1 in 5 adults haven’t filled a prescription because of the cost, and 1 in 10 adults cut pills or skipped prescription doses due to the price. Politico talked with 3 health care experts who connect the dots between patents and high drug prices and offer ideas for reform.
Investigators at The Wall Street Journal reveal how UnitedHealth, the largest Medicare Advantage insurer and the owner of increasingly more physician groups, encourages its doctors to document additional diagnoses for their patients, driving overpayments to the company by the billions. (free link)
In its series on Medicare and Medicaid integration, Health Affairs Forefront looked at how integrated care models could better address the needs of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Save the Date

On April 18-19, 2025, the University of Texas Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs will host the Texas Economics of Crime Workshop. This workshop brings scholars together to discuss cutting-edge research from the economics of crime field. It will include presentations of working papers related to criminal behavior and the criminal justice system.

Some Final Inspiration

Source: Girl Scouts of Greater New York’s Troop 6000

It's Girl Scout Cookie time, and if you're thinking about making a purchase, consider buying online from Troop 6000, which serves families living temporarily in New York City's shelter system. Watch this video to hear from the scouts themselves and the troop's inception. Online sales start Feb. 21.

We're Seeking Proposals

The Criminal Justice team has released an RFP titled “Causal Research on Community Safety and the Criminal Justice System.” The RFP seeks research proposals across all issues related to the criminal justice system and will remain open.

View our RFPs>

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Carter’s Legacy of Caring for Communities

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