Research

As a new Congress prepares to take office, a powerful online tool from University of Texas at Austin political scientists can help answer questions about lawmakers’ shifting focus over time, differences between Republican and Democratic priorities and whether wave elections correlate with policy changes in Washington.

This Know series explores different perspectives on the modern prison system and how it ties into history, race and contemporary policy with an emphasis on Texas.

Michele Deitch, an expert on criminal justice policy, argues that Texas’ incarceration policies have shaped America’s modern prison system.

Mary Crouter, assistant director of the William Wayne Justice Center at the School of Law, writes about Judge William Wayne Justice’s connection to Texas prison reform.

Jorge Antonio Renaud, a graduate student in the School of Social Work, writes about what the Texas prison system was like from the inside.

Political scientists and information technology leaders at the university have developed a powerful new database that tracks historical trends in Congress.