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Most Americans order takeout, buy groceries, and dine in restaurants without giving much thought to the systems that undergird it all. From the farms that produce the food to the companies that transport it and the places that serve it, decisions are made at every step of the way that determine how that food is consumed and how much of it is tossed.Reducing America’s food waste is a passion for Maen Mahfoud, the Sugarman Practitioner in Residence at the Kahneman-Treisman Center for Behavior Science and Public Policy at the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs, who spent his childhood in a low-waste food culture in Syria. He is the…

Title“The Scarcity Loop: How School Choice Reshapes the Rationing of Public Education” AuthorsJennifer L. Jennings | Class of 1988 Professor of Domestic Policy; Director, Education Research Section PublisherRussell Sage Foundation From the Author“When we talk about school choice, we usually picture a family choosing a school. But my research over the last two decades studying the many actors involved — the school system, principals, and counselors, as well as parents and students — convinced me that image overlooks too much of what actually determines where students end up, and what kinds of opportunity they encounter there.“I wrote ‘The Scarcity Loop…

“Growing up in rural Montana taught me that communities often depend on people being willing to look out for one another, especially when resources are limited. I was fortunate to have two parents who modeled that kind of service. Through my mom’s work at a community action nonprofit, I saw what public service could mean at the local level. My Australian stepdad, meanwhile, gave me a window into the wider world and sparked my interest in international affairs. Over the years, I’ve met people who are surprised to learn that some Americans grow up facing many of the same challenges as their own communities. Those conversations have stayed with me and…

“I grew up in a household that was engaged in public events; the news was always on. I think that translated into an interest in things like economics and public policy. After university, I applied to the state and federal government and started working at the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet in Canberra, Australia’s capital. I worked in Australia’s Office of Women, a dedicated section within the Prime Minister’s Department focused on achieving gender and economic equality, such as reducing the gender pay gap and increasing female labor force participation. After that, I spent close to 18 months at the Treasury. One thing I learned in…