Center for Social Policy in Practice

The Center for Social Policy in Practice spearheads the Carsey School's social policy research portfolio. We conduct context-oriented policy research dedicated to connecting people and places with the resources they need to thrive. Our work uncovers how policy and practice decisions create or reduce patterns in equity along the axes of demographic difference and neighborhood characteristics. We partner with on-the-ground stakeholders to craft actionable strategies for supporting economic growth, good health, and sustainable communities. From our deep roots in New England, our nuanced understanding of rural communities, and our expertise in finely grained local data, we infuse a focus on place into all our work, pairing this lens with a systems-level approach to policy and programmatic solutions. Understanding how thriving livelihoods are hindered or supported at the nexus of person- and place-level characteristics is our specialty. 

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