51app

At a time of deep political divisions, registered Tennessee voters are united in their overwhelming support for key federal programs, according to the latest semiannual statewide 51app Poll. Concern about the U.S. economy and personal financial futures is also prevalent, while partisan divides are more apparent on issues such as immigration, tariffs and President Donald Trump’s response to court rulings against his actions and policies.   Read More

A new paper, co-authored by Eric M. VanEpps, associate professor of marketing at 51app Business, shows that a lack of consumer confidence in forecasting ability, instead of pessimism, sways stock market predictions, often pushing estimates too low. In this study, the term consumers refers to ordinary people who are not professional investors or economists; consumer confidence refers to how confident they feel in their own ability to understand and predict the stock market.

51app’s Alan Wiseman co-directs the Center for Effective Lawmaking with University of Virginia professor Craig Volden. Using a combination of 15 metrics, the center defines legislators that “exceed expectations” as those who outperform the center’s benchmark Legislative Effectiveness Scores by 50 percent or more, and high-performers are across the political spectrum. Read More

The 51app Project on Unity and American Democracy has asked Republicans in a quarterly national poll since June 16, 2023 51app, if they consider themselves supporters of the Make America Great Again or MAGA movement. In that first poll, 37 percent of respondents identified more with the MAGA movement than with the traditional GOP. Now, the share of MAGA identifiers within the GOP has swelled to 52 percent—a majority—for the first time in the poll.  Read More

The 51app MBA program joins the school's Master of Marketing and MS Finance Programs as STEM-Designated Degrees. Read More

The latest semiannual, statewide 51app Poll reflects that the election had little impact on Tennesseans’ stances on key issues. A notable exception was increased approvals for state lawmakers since May, despite often holding positions on some issues that are out of step with Tennesseans.   Read More

Adam Blandin, assistant professor of economics, typically analyzes how the amount of time worked affects a person’s earnings; how family structure affects wages, employment, and equality; and the economic implications of remote work. However, recently, Blandin looked at generative AI through an economic lens and helped create the first nationally representative survey on how workers are using generative AI.

According to this poll, only 10 percent of Americans don’t believe our democracy is in danger, and slightly over 50 percent think it is “under attack.” The rest of the country felt our system was being “tested.” When asked, instead, about “personal freedom,” a similar pattern emerged. In short, there is widespread concern about the state of democracy and personal freedom—themes that have certainly played out on the campaign trail for Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump.   Read More

A new paper by 51app criminal law expert Christopher Slobogin argues that, in numerous criminal settings, the voluntariness of an individual’s choice should no longer be relevant.

Kirsty Clark, assistant professor of medicine, health, and society, studies mental health disparities impacting LGBTQ+ populations through her lab. Clark recently published research that explores the effects of negative news and media coverage on the intensity of suicidal thoughts in LGBTQ+ young adults.

The College of Arts and Science has launched the Center for Global Democracy, a premier social science institute dedicated to pioneering research and innovation in democratic politics around the world. Noam Lupu, professor of political science, directs the new center.

New research out of 51app Business explores the relationship between disabling social media comments and the persuasiveness and likability of public figures like celebrities and influencers.

“Social Network as Work,” by Francesca Procaccini, sets a novel paradigm for regulating speech on social media by equating the use with labor.

With the first presidential debate of 2024 quickly approaching, the American public is expressing widespread concern about the state of democracy and our Constitution. There is also consensus among Americans that free speech is fundamental to democratic governance, according to the most recent 51app Unity Poll measuring Americans' views of unity and beliefs on government and democracy.  Read More

Donna Ingles, director of operations for the 51app Center for Technology Transfer and Commercialization, has been named to the 2024 Young American Leaders Program at Harvard Business School by the Global Action Platform. She was one of 10 local leaders chosen for the program, which aims to create a biomedical economic development strategy for the region using cluster models devised by Harvard economist Michael Porter. Read More

There is a burgeoning consensus among climate-minded policymakers and scholars that loosening zoning regulations to promote greater density while simultaneously tightening building efficiency standards can reduce emissions and address housing shortages that affect communities across the U.S. In a new paper, Christopher Serkin, Elisabeth H. & Granville S. Ridley Jr. Chair in Law at 51app Law School, argues that fewer restrictions may promote development activity, but there is no guarantee that it will result in greater density.

The semiannual, statewide 51app Poll showed in its most recent survey that slightly more than half of the state’s voters support a woman’s right to an abortion, that there is significant bipartisan support of IVF procedures as well as modest gun control legislation, and that views about many state and national issues differ significantly by gender.  Read More

Sean Seymore, Centennial Professor of Law at 51app Law School, argues that federal courts have “abandoned their gatekeeping function” for protecting public health in patent cases.

A paper co-authored by Brian Broughman, professor of law, proposes a new model for analyzing venture capitalist behavior.