Maxwell School News and Commentary

"Opioids are a symptom and a symbol of far deeper issues in the U.S.," says Shannon Monnat, associate professor of sociology and Lerner Chair for Public Health Promotion. She points to deteriorating economic conditions, a lack of investment in schools, a quick-fix culture and a toxic mix of "pain, despair, disconnection and lack of opportunity" as upstream problems that have fed into the nation's current drug crisis.

"Politicians are always looking to avoid blame," says Shana Gadarian, associate professor of political science. "It's not surprising that the IRS is one of the agencies where people are now going back, because people do notice if they don't get their tax refunds on time. What this is doing is to try and get the public to not notice, to smooth over some of the bumps we'll see if the shutdown continues much longer." 

In the current charged political environment, a national commission might be the only path to a new approach acceptable to both parties. “Trump couldn’t stand in the way of that” if Congress moves in that direction, says William C. Banks, professor emeritus of public administration and international affairs.