Michael Fitzgerald
Why We've Been Thinking About Madness All Wrong: A Conversation With David Dobbs
The acclaimed writer talks with Pacific Standard about the new scientific consensus around psychosis treatments—and the scholar-advocate he profiled for his new story in our October issue.
'The Clintons Could Steal a Hot Stove': Roger Stone Sounds Off on Trump's Crazy Week
Pacific Standard caught up with the firebrand political consultant and Trump confidante about the latest West Wing intrigue.
Why Don't We Know More About Sexual Harassment of Grad Students by Faculty?
A new study reveals that the problem is worse than you think, and likely much worse than we can tell from available data.
Key Democratic Senator Calls to Oust Department of Education's Civil Rights Chief
The department will likely have a tough time avoiding serious scrutiny and resistance in rolling back the Obama administration's expansive civil rights agenda.
What Makes 'Veep' So Funny?
Showrunner David Mandel explains the craft behind portraying some of contemporary television's most iconic—and often embarrassing—politicians.
Superfoods Aren't Really All That Super
Why do we keep reaching for them as a quick health fix when the science says they're not so special?
The Reluctant Activist's Guide to Protest
These days, if you're feeling like turning your anger into action, you're hardly alone. Here's what history has to teach you.
Why the Senate Won't Confirm a SCOTUS Pick
More Americans are committing to one party in the voting booth, and elected officials are behaving in an accordingly partisan fashion.
Confessions of a For-Profit College Inspector
Young, broke, and desperate, I worked at the heart of an emerging nationwide scandal in higher education. Here's what I saw.
Why We So Often Fail to Predict What Will Improve Our Future Happiness
And it's called miswanting.
Figuring Out If America Is Doomed at the L.A. Convention Center
Behind the scenes at the most Los Angeles event in the history of American politics.
There's a Name for Why We Retreat and Withdraw From Others Even When We Desire Companionship
And it's called the porcupine problem.
The End of Locker-Room Talk
What a court case involving construction workers, moist towelettes, and a bridge in New Orleans signals about the future of manhood in the workplace.
What the New White House Video Gets Wrong About Prisons
The new video of President Obama interviewing David Simon is a work of public relations genius; it also makes some dangerous mistakes concerning the criminal justice system.
The Kids Will Be All Right, Even Without the Nuclear Family
Gay, straight, single, divorced: Five studies that prove that the who of family matters a lot less than the how when it comes to raising happy, healthy kids.
'The Atlantic' Is Wrong About Married Parents Producing Richer Kids
Sure, kids with married parents appear to have better outcomes by some measures. But a narrow reading of the data ignores strong evidence about the viability of alternative family structures.
Seeking a Better Measure of Inequality, 50 Years After ‘I Have a Dream’
Severe inequities remain between whites and non-whites in American economic life. But it isn’t clear that employers are as much to blame as one might expect.
How Parents Shape Their Kids’ Risk Tolerance
A new working paper outlines how mom and dad can influence their child's levels of risk tolerance and trust, traits that have a significant impact on career outcome.
Selling Products for a Cause Might Hurt Corporations' Bottom Line
Companies that market products as a way for consumers to improve the world through their purchases not only appear to give less than we expect, but they might actually be hurting their own sales.
Are We Really Getting Sicker as We Age?
Even though we're living longer than ever, the prevalence of major diseases among the elderly has held relatively steady.
Survey: Unhappiness Is Predictable, Happiness Is Not
A new study shows that a number of factors influence unhappiness levels, while happiness isn't so clear cut.
Why Don't More Americans Have Bank Accounts? And Should They?
If you've ever bounced a check, you could be blacklisted.
How to Ease Inequality on the Cheap: Invest in Early Daycare
The Obama Administration wants to make daycare universal for four-year-olds. But more basic short-term support for poor families with babies could greatly increase the child’s future earnings.
Embracing the Economics of Happiness
Vermont tries out an alternative to GDP for gauging society's progress.
What Makes a Healthy Family
The Supreme Court rulings on gay marriage prompted much discussion about what kind of parents—gay, straight, single, married—can raise kids the best. It’s time to discard the hoary notion that any one structure produces the best outcomes for child development.
5 Things You Should Know About Yesterday’s Big Health Care Announcement
A controversial piece of Obamacare is being delayed for a year. But what does that mean for you and your employer?
Voters, Not Lobbyists, Deserve Blame for Our Crappy Farm Policies
A new working paper by two Duke economic policy researchers takes a close look at what influences lawmakers’ farm policy votes.
Las Vegas Is a Great Place to Get Away With a Non-Lethal Shooting
Why are shootings with a surviving victim so under-investigated in Sin City, and chronically overlooked in the post-Newtown national gun policy debate?
News Outlets Show Significant Bias in Favor of Same-Sex Marriage
The public is in favor of legalizing same-sex marriage, but not by a margin of five to one, which is how a new Pew study weighs coverage during Supreme Court hearings for two landmark cases.
10-Year-Old Sarah Murnaghan Will Receive a Lung Transplant
It's unclear what it means for the future, but the 10-year-old Pennsylvania girl is set to receive a lung transplant today.
Was Sebelius Right Not to Bump Murnaghan to the Front of the Line?
When a child is deemed suitable for an adult organ transplant, why are they put at the end of the donation line?
The Complicated Fears of an Infectious Future
Should we fast-track approval for new antibiotics meant to target superbugs? An alarmist New York Times article would have you think so.
Are Babies Healthier in North Korea or Northeast Ohio?
Depending on the neighborhood, maybe North Korea.
The Deluge Continues: Oil in Africa
Innovative drilling techniques, as explored in our March/April print issue, are remaking the geopolitical map in unpredictable ways.
How Etsy Got Over Middle-School-Cafeteria Syndrome
In the year after declaring diversity one of their core values, Etsy watched their female engineers drop to four out of 85.
Can a Test Tell If You're a Good Entrepreneur?
How psychometrics are helping loan officers weed out the bad risks from the good.