Policy

LAI Centers and Working Groups are our catalyst for leading the way on youth driven policy innovation. Our fellows collaborate to advise governments, nonprofits, and businesses on best approaches for the policy issues of the day.

Center on Economic Policy

Identifying Drivers of Economic Success

The Center on Economic Policy conducts research on the cost of education and the economic forces that shape access and affordability. Its work explores why the published “sticker price” of education changes over time and why that price often differs substantially from the amount students ultimately pay. A central focus of this research is financial aid—how support from governments, educational institutions, and third-party organizations interacts, and how need-based and merit-based aid are distributed across students.

Understanding the full structure of student aid is complex, as total support varies widely by institution, income level, and policy environment. The Center seeks to bring clarity to this complexity by examining how aid packages evolve over time and how their components contribute to rising or falling net prices. Through careful data collection and analysis, including the use of comprehensive federal education datasets, the Center aims to inform policy discussions around transparency, equity, and long-term affordability in higher education.

Center on Local Policy

Advancing Local Policy Solutions

The Center on Local Policy supports research and analysis on local governance and public decision-making by integrating data, institutional knowledge, and policy practice. The Center examines how cities, counties, school districts, and regional authorities design and implement policy, with attention to issues such as public finance, housing, education, infrastructure, and local service delivery.

Distinct from other research centers, the Center on Local Policy is the only Center in which Fellows pursue individual research projects grounded in their own local communities. Each Fellow focuses on a specific locality, allowing research to be closely informed by on-the-ground conditions, local institutions, and stakeholder dynamics. By pairing localized inquiry with broader analytical frameworks, the Center aims to generate policy insights that are both rigorous and immediately relevant, strengthening the connection between research and real-world governance.

Center on Science and Policy

Guiding Science and Innovation

The Center on Science and Policy studies how scientific and technological change affects public institutions and policy outcomes. One of the Center’s current areas of work focuses on open data and its role in improving transparency, accountability, and evidence-based decision-making. This work includes developing policy recommendations on open data governance, with preliminary efforts aimed at informing discussions with international development institutions such as the World Bank.

The Center’s research is organized around several practical questions. It examines how advances in artificial intelligence and other technologies can make open data more accessible and useful, while also raising new challenges for oversight and governance. It also studies how open data can support policy development in areas such as climate and education, where reliable data is essential for tracking outcomes and allocating resources effectively.

Center on Global Policy

Researching International Geopolitical Relations

The Center on Global Policy advances research on global geopolitics, emphasizing the strategic and institutional forces that influence international outcomes. Its work examines how states, alliances, and international institutions interact across regions, shaping security, economic cooperation, and global stability in an increasingly interconnected world.

Center on Emerging Technologies

Shaping Responsible Tech Policy

The Center on Emerging Technology examines the use of AI-detection tools in K–12 and higher education and their consequences for students and institutions. This work focuses on how inaccurate detectors can generate false positives, leading to grading penalties, academic integrity disputes, and increased stress for students. The Center analyzes the error rates of widely used detection systems, documents how they are applied in practice, and assesses their effects on educational outcomes and student well-being.

Building on this analysis, the Center develops policy recommendations to limit the use of automated tools in high-stakes academic decisions without meaningful human review. This research informs ongoing federal discussions on artificial intelligence and education, including conversations involving Don Beyer and the Congressional AI Caucus, the House AI Task Force chaired by Jay Obernolte and Ted Lieu, and members of the Senate AI Caucus including Mike Rounds, Martin Heinrich, and Mark Kelly.

The Center’s goal is to provide lawmakers, education agencies, and school systems with practical guidance that protects students’ rights while supporting responsible, transparent uses of AI in educational settings.

Center on Health Policy

The Center on Emerging Technology examines the use of AI-detection tools in K–12 and higher education and their consequences for students and institutions. This work focuses on how inaccurate detectors can generate false positives, leading to grading penalties, academic integrity disputes, and increased stress for students. The Center analyzes the error rates of widely used detection systems, documents how they are applied in practice, and assesses their effects on educational outcomes and student well-being.