We should recognize just how low the bar is right now, and how dysfunctional democracy in New Jersey—and in the United States more generally—is likely to remain for the foreseeable future. – Matt Mazewski
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In the News
NJ residents want transparency in government. That much is clear
“I do think that there is an opening for real reforms,” Rubin said. “I’m not naïve. I don’t think it’s like a switch is going to go off.”
Stamato Commentary: Freedom to read is freedom to think. It’s time for NJ lawmakers to protect both
“Across the nation, folks are using the power of the state to limit access to books, pressuring libraries to take books out of circulation. And school boards are considering demands to remove certain books from classroom reading and discussion. Taking a long historical perspective, it’s really nothing new. But it’s no less dangerous.”
Rubin Opinion: Making New Jersey a real democracy
Taken together, these five reforms would help vanquish the powerful grip that political machines have long had on our state.
Marc Pfeiffer Weighs in on Essex County COVID-19 Funding Issues
“Not enough resources were spent to manage those contracts to ensure that controls were in place and there was monitoring done to prevent that type of a circumstance from happening,” Pfeiffer said.
Despite big changes, those who make N.J.’s laws still don’t reflect the state’s diversity
New Jersey is widely considered one of the most diverse states in the nation — but even after an election last year that brought big changes, most of the county leaders who make decisions are white men, notes Julia Sass Rubin.
University programs evolving to train tomorrow’s senior living leaders
Susan Krum, AuD, executive director of health administration at Rutgers University, says the biggest challenge is creating awareness for students on what it means to enter a career in aging services.
Bob Kopp named 2024 Guggenheim Fellow
Bob Kopp is an associated faculty member with the Bloustein School. He is a climate and sea-level scientist, a climate policy scholar, and a distinguished professor in the Department of Earth & Planetary Sciences. He won the 2024 Fellowship in the Geography & Environmental Studies category.
New Jersey’s electoral process just got upended
Party leaders give preferential placement to their candidates. Those not on the county line are tucked away in obscure rows and columns. Julia Sass Rubin of Rutgers University
looked at 20 years of New Jersey races and found that the county line steered voters and helped preferred candidates by an average difference of 38%.
Banking, finance sector layoffs hit NJ, include Prudential and JPMorgan Chase
Today in NorthJersey.com, Bloustein School University Professor and Dean Emeritus James Hughes says white-collar jobs in banking and finance have become saturated after a two-year hiring spree that followed the COVID-19 pandemic, which is why some of the state's...