Applying Psychological Science, Benefiting Society
By Roberta Downing, PhD (Senior Legislative and Federal Affairs Officer, APA Public Interest Directorate – Government Relations Office) There are millions of unemployed workers who cannot get hired in the current job market. Of the 10.4 million Americans who are currently unemployed, 3.9 million have been unemployed for more than 27 weeks.[i] These workers face the […]
By Roberta Downing, PhD (Senior Legislative and Federal Affairs Officer, APA Public Interest Directorate – Government Relations Office) In the State of the Union, President Obama announced that he would use his authority to raise the minimum wage to $10.10 per hour for all federal contractors. The current minimum wage is $7.25 per hour. Why is […]
By Judith M. Glassgold, PsyD (Assoc. Exec. Director, APA’s Public Interest Government Relations Office) According to the US Census, almost 47 million Americans lacked insurance in 2012. Moreover, a 2012 survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that 15 million of these individuals went without health insurance for three years, with about […]
By Carl Hart, PhD (Associate Professor of Psychology, Columbia University) A man holds up an egg and says, “This is your brain.” Then, he picks up a frying pan and says, “This is drugs.” Then, he cracks open the egg, fries the contents, and says, “This is your brain on drugs.” Finally, he asks, “Any questions?” […]
By Roberta Downing, PhD (Senior Legislative and Federal Affairs Officer, APA Public Interest Directorate – Government Relations Office) Today marks the 50th anniversary of President Lyndon Johnson’s declaration of a “War on Poverty,” an effort to end poverty among all Americans. This anniversary has already sparked debate amongst policymakers about the impact that this sweeping initiative […]
By Joshua Wolff, PhD (APA Congressional Fellow) Have you ever thought about doing something totally new, exciting, and out of your comfort zone, but then had the immediate follow-up thought of “but I could never do that!” That was my thought process when I first read a description of the APA Congressional Fellowship Program that […]
By Roberta Downing, PhD (Senior Legislative and Federal Affairs Officer, APA Public Interest Directorate – Government Relations Office) This holiday season won’t be a cheerful one for over a million unemployed Americans. On December 28th, 1.3 million jobless people will face a harsh cutoff of unemployment insurance. Another 3.5 million workers will be cut off […]
Sequestration is causing considerable suffering for many low-income families. By Roberta Downing, PhD (Senior Legislative and Federal Affairs Officer, APA Public Interest Directorate – Government Relations Office) How is your housing situation? Do you know where you’re going to sleep tonight? What about your meals? Do you know what you (and your children if you […]
By Micah Haskell-Hoehl (Senior Policy Associate, APA Public Interest Directorate – Government Relations Office) To punish or to rehabilitate? That question frames the essence of the debate over criminal and juvenile justice, and it plays out in practice, with new policies always falling somewhere between these two poles. With the 1974 establishment of the Juvenile Justice […]
By Roberta Downing, PhD (Senior Legislative and Federal Affairs Officer, APA Public Interest Directorate – Government Relations Office) Did you know that more than half (55%) of recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP (formerly “food stamps”) are living below half of the poverty line? That’s an income of about $9,500 for a […]
Psychology Benefits Society 