Good public policy is built on evidence and information, both of which are often lacking in state-level governance. And with partisanship hobbling activity at the federal level, states like Massachusetts need tailored analysis if they are going to take the lead on policy innovation.
To fill this gap, we've established a Center for State Policy Analysis (cSPA, pronounced sea-spa) at Tufts University's Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life.
With rigorous, timely, nonpartisan analysis of live legislative issues and statewide ballot initiatives in Massachusetts, cSPA helps lawmakers develop effective solutions to pressing problems—while also allowing citizens to assess the impact of ballot initiatives.
Recent Reports
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Amid the economic fallout from Covid-19, unemployment insurance (UI) has proved a vital part of Massachusetts’ social safety net.…
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November 2020 Cars and trucks are a major source of greenhouse gases and other pollutants detrimental to public health.…
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Question 2 on the November ballot asks Massachusetts voters to consider a major change in the way they vote. It’s an approach called ranked-choice voting, and the key difference is right there in the name: ranking.…
cSPA in the News
- “The Senate bill included a really innovative effort to collect information about basically every police interaction,” said Evan Horowitz of the Center for State Policy Analysis at Tufts University.CommonWealth Magazine
- Evan Horowitz, Director of Tisch College's Center for State Policy Analysis, offered testimony at the state legislature's economic roundtable.WGBH
- Coverage of the latest report from the Center for State Policy Analysis, which is focused on ranked-choice voting in MassachusettsMassLive
Leadership
cSPA is led by Executive Director Evan Horowitz, former “Quick Study Columnist” for the Boston Globe, who has also spent time in academia and at several Massachusetts-based think tanks. In this effort, he is supported by the Dean of Tisch College Alan Solomont, the Tisch College team, and an advisory council that includes:
- Governor Jane Swift, President and Executive Director of LearnLaunch
- Governor Michael Dukakis, Distinguished Professor of Political Science at Northeastern University
- Alan Solomont, Dean of Tisch College, U.S. Ambassador (ret.)
- Michael Widmer, Former President of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation
- Michael Curry, Deputy CEO & General Counsel at the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers
- Katherine Craven, Chief Administrative and Financial Officer at Babson
- Ted Landsmark, Director of the Dukakis Center at Northeastern University
- David Cash, Dean of the John W. McCormack Graduate School of Policy and Global Studies at UMass Boston
- Carolyn Ryan, Senior Vice President for Policy and Research at the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce
- Kate Dineen, Executive Vice President at A Better City
- Jeffrey Berry, Professor of Political Science at Tufts University
- Yolanda Coentro, President and CEO of the Institute for Nonprofit Practice
Funding
The Center for State Policy Analysis is supported by Tisch College along with a diverse group of funding sources. To protect the non-partisan nature of our work, cSPA aims to draw support from funders across the political spectrum. For information about our current funders, please reach out to us directly.
For more information about cSPA, contact us at cspa@tufts.edu.