At the Spring 2024 PRICE Brown Bag Workshop, five graduate students in the Cornell Government Department will present on working projects, with research ranging from the political economy of credit reliance to intersectional approaches in studying policy preferences.

Dr. Joseph Margulies joined PRICE to workshop his forthcoming book, which grapples with the issue of what society looks like if we take seriously the idea that, in the words of NYU philosopher Jeremy Waldon, we are one another’s equal. Drawing specifically from the stories of people in prison and his knowledge of the carceral state, Margulies explores what forgiveness might mean by illuminating different aspects of “unforgiving” behavior.

Dr. Vesla Weaver workshopped a chapter from her forthcoming book, The State From Below: Racial Authoritarianism in US Democracy, which amasses the most extensive collection of first-hand accounts of the police—by those who are policed—to date, using a new civic infrastructure called Portals.

Dr. Patricia Posey discusses her book project, where she considers the political participation of marginalized groups and the necessity to ensure the representation of their interests. She looks to fill the gap in the ways financial services such as pawnshops, check-cashing outlets, auto title loans, and payday loans (collectively known as the fringe economy) exacerbate the relationship among race, political participation, and political economy. Addressing the political behaviors of those touched by the fringe economy is necessary because these individuals compromise an often neglected voice in society: the overwhelmingly poor, disproportionately minority.

In this webinar, PRICE tackles some of the biggest and most pressing issues in U.S. politics. As we've moved into a new presidential administration, what has President Biden done (or failed to do) to advance racial justice? How has the administration addressed the dysfunctional and destructive U.S. immigration system? What does the first 100 days of the Biden Administration tell us about what is to come and about the trajectory of U.S. democracy?

Housing insecurity is life-altering no matter the macroeconomic or public health context. Recessions exacerbate this. How can we change policies to fight housing insecurity during times of economic security as well as times of economic turmoil? How can we structure policies not just to provide housing, but also to create healthy and just communities? Panelists Akira Drake Rodriguez and Marcela Mitaynes discussed this and more with moderators Jamila Michener and Giancarlo Valdetaro.

In January 2021, 51 women of color will be sworn in as members of the U.S. Congress — more than ever before. Even beyond Congress, women of color have been gaining ground in leadership on the state and local levels, within national, state and grassroots political organizations, and as visible political leaders within and beyond electoral politics. This webinar centered on how Women of Color are fundamentally shaping U.S. democracy.

Massive and unprecedented political uprisings in the wake of the murders of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd have led to more critical engagement with the idea, possibility, and promise of police abolition. In this webinar, The Politics of Race, Immigration, Class and Ethnicity (PRICE) Initiative brought together a panel of leading scholars and activists to engage in depth about race, freedom, and abolition.