Congressional Research Service Seminar
August 17, 2010
On July 12, 2010, the Population Association of America (PAA) sponsored a seminar, “The Long-Term Implications of Recession and Recovery,” in conjunction with the Domestic Social Policy (DSP) Division at the Congressional Research Service (CRS). This was the second in a series of seminars PAA is sponsoring for the CRS. CRS is a department of the Library of Congress that provides authoritative, non-partisan, and objective information to members of Congress and their staffs.
The seminar featured two former PAA presidents, Dr. Greg Duncan and Dr. Kathleen Mullan Harris. Dr. Duncan, of the University of California at Irvine, discussed findings from his research, using the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, showing how economic hardships in childhood influence earnings over the life course. Dr. Harris, of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, presented data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, illustrating how the recession affects young adults transitioning to higher education or the workforce. Mr. Gene Falk, Specialist in Social Legislation, DSP, CRS, provided commentary, highlighting how the research findings relate to current debates about policies affecting needy families, children, and youth.
Over 50 analysts from DSP, as well as other CRS divisions, attended the seminar. Their questions addressed the application of the findings and the underlying surveys. For example, there were several questions about the respondents’ demographics and the surveys’ definitions. The analysts also asked Dr. Duncan and Dr. Harris’ for their opinions on how certain policy changes, such as health insurance reform, could impact young adults and children affected by the current recession. Funding for the seminar series is available from the PAA Development Campaign.
