Plus, anti-corruption progress at the Summit for Democracy and negative bias in economic news reporting.
| Retail theft in US cities: Separating fact from fiction Concerns over shoplifting have captured public attention across the United States and fueled momentum to further criminalize retail theft. This punitive turn is already producing serious consequences for communities. There is a clear need to support businesses as they seek to recover from the pandemic and subsequent economic downturn. But the current crackdown is not based on actual crime trends nor proven strategies to reduce theft. Thea Sebastian and Hanna Love debunk myths about the retail theft narrative and highlight several evidence-based solutions for policymakers. |
More research and commentary Anti-corruption efforts align with protecting democracy. Globally, autocrats are wielding corruption strategically to suppress freedoms, target political opposition, and spread disinformation. The Summit for Democracy in March can turn the tide by leveraging anti-corruption tools to strengthen resilience and prevent democratic backsliding. The world should not compromise on protecting democracy as billions of voters go to the polls this year, argue Norman Eisen and co-authors. Is economic news becoming more negative? Analysis by Ben Harris and Aaron Sojourner shows a recent and systemic negative news bias when reporting on the state of the U.S. economy. Understanding the linkages between this negative bias and consumer sentiment and activity has important implications for understanding future behavior, political sentiment, and perceptions about societal progress, Harris and Sojourner write. |
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