Truman School of Government and Public Affairs

In March 2014, as I was deciding between different graduate schools, I decided to visit Columbia for a campus tour at the Truman School of Public Affairs. As I was led through the hallway in the Middlebush building, I paused for a while at the glass doors of the Institute of Public Policy (IPP). Venus Reyes, a student ambassador accompanying me on the tour and a public policy enthusiast herself, briefly described the institute and her work at IPP. I remember thinking: how awesome it would be to work here!

Today, Office of Missouri State Auditor, Nicole Galloway, CPA, released report No. 2016-029, Missouri Statewide Performance Indicators: A National Comparison. The purpose of the report is to provide stand-alone comparative data to the public and elected officials in critical areas of economy, education, health, civic involvement, crime and transportation.  The data collection for the report was performed by the Institute of Public Policy, Harry S Truman School of Public Affairs, at the University of Missouri.

The Institute of Public Policy recently hosted the Second Annual Partners in Governance conference, held April 21, 2016 at the University Club, Reynolds Alumni Center at the University of Missouri.

The Institute of Public Policy, housed within the Harry S Truman School of Public Affairs, partnered with the Missouri Municipal League and the Center for Ethics in Public Life to sponsor this year’s conference. “In Government We Trust?” explored the complex themes of trust versus vigilance in the management of a democratic society.

Recent research by Cory Koedel, Associate Professor of the Harry S Truman School of Public Affairs, University of Missouri, found little evidence of employer preference for applicants’ race or gender in the early stages of the hiring process.

The Institute of Public Policy and the Women’s Foundation are pleased to announce the release of the Pay Equity Best Practices Guidelines. The guidelines seek to help close the gender pay gap through advancing standards for pay equity in Missouri.

Most people who have attended the University of Missouri are familiar with the Gaines Oldham Black Culture Center or have heard of Lloyd Gaines, the first African-American to apply to the MU law school, which denied his application. Until now, however, few have been aware of the legal battles Gaines and the NAACP waged to guarantee equal rights decades before the civil rights movement gained steam.

EAI held an Expert Seminar of the EAI Fellows Program on March 29, 2016 with Professor Sheena Greitens from the University of Missouri. Professor Greitens presented on North Koreans’ resettlement in South Korean society, entitled “Post-Authoritarian Citizenship Among North Korean-Born Individuals in South Korea.”

When Anurag Chandran left his home in Dubai and moved to Columbia to start his freshman year at Mizzou, it was the first time he had traveled to the United States. As expected, he encountered a world of difference between Dubai and the U.S. For one thing, he couldn’t figure out the weather as he was used to measuring temperature in Celsius.

Frustrated with legislative gridlock, many commentators have suggested term limits to ensure fresh ideas that will improve legislative efficiency. In new research which studies bill cosponsorship in 82 legislative chambers, Clint S. Swift and Kathryn A. VanderMolen find that term limits for legislators actually reduces bipartisan cooperation.