Harris School Buzz... ........................................................................................................................

New Book Explores Red-Blue State Divide
In the new book, Red State, Blue State, Rich State, Poor State: Why Americans Vote the Way They Do, Assistant Professor Boris Shor and his co-authors point to income and geography to explain voting patters in 2000, 2004, and 2006. Shor and his co-authors discover a paradox in that richer states become more Democratic over time, but rich voters tend to vote more Republican. They write, “The resolution of the paradox is that the more polarized playing field has driven rich conservative voters in poor states toward the Republicans and rich liberals in rich states toward the Democrats, thus turning the South red and New England and the West Coast blue.” Learn more about the book and the other conclusions the authors reach. more >>

Student Spotlight: Madeleine Sumption
When London-native Madeleine Sumption, MPP’08 went home to visit, she noticed an influx of Polish immigrants starting in 2004—when Poland joined the European Union.

“Suddenly everyone knew loads of Polish people,” she said. “If you walk in central London you hear Polish being spoken on the street every twenty seconds and there are Polish shops all over the place. And it happened in such a short period of time that it was just really interesting.” more >>

Tomas Philipson Speaks at the Milken Institute Global Conference 2008
Tomas Philipson, Daniel Levin Professor of Public Policy Studies, spoke on two panels focusing on health care at this year's Milken Institute Global Conference, held in Los Angeles in April. more >>

Congratulations to Ellen Cohen, MPP'08
A big congratulations to the Harris School’s Dean of Students Ellen Cohen who graduated in August with her MPP. Congratulations as well to the other summer graduates!

In the News

• Jens Ludwig Comments on Federal Funding for Police
  “The mud hits Chicago: The murder rate in the city is up 18 percent over last year. Republicans and attack ads are trying to put the blame on Barack Obama. We examine the record,” Chicago Tribune, August 17, 2008.
• Ethan Bueno de Mesquita on the Elgin Joliet & Eastern Railway
  “EJ&E debate ignores the benefits to city neighborhoods,” Crain’s Chicago Business (subscription required), August 25, 2008.
• Raja Kamal on the Israeli-Palestian Conflict
  “God's Warriors are Multiplying,” Daily News Egypt, August 19, 2008.
• DIC Member Frank Schell on a New Pakistani Administration
  “Step Down, Mr. Musharraf,” Far Eastern Economic Review, August 16, 2008.
• William Howell on Public’s Confidence in Public Schools
  “Poll Finds Drop in Public's Regard for Schools,” Education Week (subscription required), August 12, 2008.

Upcoming Events by City

Chicago: Saturday, September 13
Chicago Women's Alliance: Exploring Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory and Nature Preserve—Join the University's Chicago Women's Alliance (CWA), an affinity group designed for women forty-five and over, for a tour of Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory and its 6,800 acre Nature Preserve of Tallgrass Prairie showcasing native flora and fauna including a herd of American Bison.      more >>      RSVP >>

Chicago: Thursday, September 25
Phoenixphest 2008—Join University of Chicago recent graduates* for our annual autumn Phoenixphest--held in 18 cities in the U.S. and abroad. If you've attended in past years, you know that this is a great chance to relax and network with other Chicago-area young alumni. If you've never attended a Phoenixphest event, make this the year!
*Phoenixphest events are designed for College graduates of the last 15 years and professional school graduates of the last five years. Cost: $15; Free for 2008 graduates      more >>      RSVP >>

St. Louis, MO: Sunday, October 19
Harper Lecture: Gun Violence in America—Professor Jens Ludwig of the Harris School and the School of Social Administration discusses the recent Supreme Court decision on handguns and the potential implications for gun violence in America.      more >>      RSVP >>

Washington, D.C.: Thursday, September 18
Johan Van Overtveldt Book Discussion: The Chicago School—Join Johan Van Overtveldt, author of The Chicago School: How the University of Chicago Assembled the Thinkers who Revolutionized Economics and Business, and a panel of alumni from the Department of Economics and Graduate School of Business to explore the importance and influence of the Chicago School of Economics. Cost: $20 per person      more >>      RSVP >>

And check out what's coming up...