Schar School News for November 2024

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Research Looks to See How Hidden Costs of Social Security Claiming Takes Toll on Widows

Andrew J Schappert — Wed, 13 Nov 2024 15:52:08 +0000

Research Looks to See How Hidden Costs of Social Security Claiming Takes Toll on Widows Andrew J Schappert Wed, 11/13/2024 - 10:52

The timing of filing for Social Security benefits is one of the most important decisions senior Americans must make. But few think about the implications filing early or late in life has on widowed spouses, a segment of society that represents nearly 12 million women, according U.S. Census data.

Sita Slavov: ‘I would hope that this study can help inform families, financial advisors, and policymakers about this important aspect of retirement security.’ Photo by Ron Aira/Creative Services

Some two million of those widows live below the poverty line.

In a new and detailed study of the topic, Sita Nataraj Slavov, a professor of public policy at the Schar School of Policy and Government at ��AV, is diving into a critical issue facing America’s aging population: How Social Security claiming decisions affect the financial security of widows.

It’s important to know that the later in life an individual files for Social Security—between 62 and 70—the larger the monthly benefit. Prior research, she said, has shown that many, if not most, people can increase the lifetime value of their benefits by delaying claiming.

Her new research focuses on the choices made by primary earners as to when to claim Social Security benefits and how these decisions shape the financial landscape for their surviving spouses in later life. A key component of her analysis is to assess how the timing of a deceased spouse's Social Security claim influences these financial outcomes after widowhood.

“If the primary earner passes away first, the secondary earner receives a survivor benefit that’s equal to the primary earner’s benefit, including the gains from delay,” she said. “In other words, by delaying, primary earners can pass on a higher survivor benefit to their widowed spouses. So, the original claiming age of the primary earner in a marriage has major implications for the well-being of the secondary earner, if the secondary earner is widowed.”

Using advanced econometric techniques, Slavov is employing difference-in-differences and event study models to trace the shifts in income, labor participation, wealth, and poverty risk that widowed secondary earners experience. She plans to examine how these shifts may be larger or smaller depending on the deceased spouse’s claiming age.

“Social Security is the largest source of retirement income for most Americans,” she said. “Among those aged 65 and over, widowed women have a higher poverty rate than others. The poverty rate in this group is around 16 percent, compared to around 10 percent for all individuals 65 and older.”

Many of these widows, she said, “are secondary earners who are receiving survivor benefits. I would hope that this study can help inform families, financial advisors, and policymakers about this important aspect of retirement security.”

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Sita Nataraj Slavov

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Panelists Dive Into Details During a ‘Presidential Election Debrief’ at Mason Square

Andrew J Schappert — Tue, 12 Nov 2024 20:24:03 +0000

Panelists Dive Into Details During a ‘Presidential Election Debrief’ at Mason Square Andrew J Schappert Tue, 11/12/2024 - 15:24

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University Life Arlington Director Melissa Thierry introduces the panel: From left, David Ramadan, Jennifer N. Victor, Terry McAuliffe, and Mark J. Rozell. Photos by Buzz McClain/Schar School of Policy and Government

Nearly 120 audience members—more than 30 of them students from the Schar School of Policy and Government’s undergraduate Democracy Lab Learning Community—filled the seats and dined on pizza at ��AV’s Mason Square Monday evening to hear a panel of Schar School political pundits break down the results of the November 5 elections.

Distinguished Visiting Professor Terry McAuliffe: ‘Twelve of the last 14 [presidential] elections have been change elections.’

The Pizza & Perspectives: 2024 Presidential Election Debrief did not disappoint in providing the promised insights as to how and why national and regional elections transpired the way they did. The 90-minute event can be seen at the Schar School’s YouTube channel.

Schar School dean Mark J. Rozell, the moderator for the discussion, kicked off the event by asking Schar School associate professor Jennifer N. Victor what was different about this election cycle that set it apart from others and could it have lasting impact.

After explaining about political realignments and shifting of consensuses, “this was an anti-incumbent sentiment wave election and that explains how we got here,” Victor said.

Distinguished Visiting Professor and former governor of Virginia Terry McAuliffe added that “Twelve of the last 14 [presidential] elections have been change elections. People want to change the person who is in power. Forty percent of the people who voted said their number one issue was the economy and Donald Trump won that by 21 points.

“Twenty percent of those who voted said immigration was the number one issue, and Trump won that by 71 percent…Going into this election was going to be a hard thing for Vice President Harris: 70 percent of Americans thought the country is headed in the wrong direction. Kamala Harris was the partner of Joe Biden. She had a very tough hand to deal with.”

David Ramadan, foreground, and the panelists listen to a question from the audience.

Before taking questions from the audience, Rozell reminded the panel that politics never takes a year off in Virginia and that in 2025 the state will elect a new governor.

“The Democrats will have the advantage next year to win the governor’s mansion in Virginia,” said professor of practice and former state delegate David Ramadan, pointing out that traditionally—with the exception of McAuliffe, who broke the convention—the new governor is aligned with the sitting president’s opposing party.

“But it’s not just that,” he added. “They have the advantage on the ground. They have already chosen their nominee in current Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger. The Republicans haven’t made up their mind…Of course, the crazier things that come out of Washington will make it more and more appealing for Democrats to win the gubernatorial election next year.”

Among the lines that received audience applause, McAuliffe announced that during the event he had just received a text message announcing his daughter-in-law—finally, after 10 hours of labor—had given birth to his first grandchild, a boy. (See the announcement at the 32-minute mark on YouTube.)

Also receiving applause was Virginia Delegate Vivian Watts (D-39), the longest-serving woman in the House (she took office in 1996) and current chairman of the finance committee. Watts said she attended to hear the questions from the audience, including those from students, as the questions would reveal additional insights to how the commonwealth’s electorate is responding to the election.

The event was sponsored by George Mason’s University Life and hosted by University Life Mason Square. See this page for information about future Mason Square events in Arlington, Virginia.

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After Earning a Master of Public Policy Degree, Marine Captain Staton Is Headed to Congress

Andrew J Schappert — Mon, 11 Nov 2024 15:49:58 +0000

After Earning a Master of Public Policy Degree, Marine Captain Staton Is Headed to Congress Andrew J Schappert Mon, 11/11/2024 - 10:49

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Since 2018, the Schar School of Policy and Government at ��AV has welcomed a cohort of United States Marine Corps officers to campus as Master of Public Policy (MPP) students. The officers chosen for the prestigious Marine Corps Congressional Fellowship Program will complete their fellowships by working for elected representatives on Capitol Hill. Captain Naquan Staton is among the 2024 cohort.

Captain Naquan Staton has a very simple reason for applying to the Marine Corps Congressional Fellowship Program. As a financial management officer, the Charlottesville native sees firsthand how the congressional legislative process directly affects military strategic planning for resource allocation. In short, he wants to be able to do his job more strategically and successfully.

“As Congress passes authorizing and spending bills, I—at the receiving end—have to continually forecast how such activities will impact military operations and requirements,” he said. “When I learned that the Marine Corps had a program that allowed its members to gain firsthand experience in the legislative process, I was eager to apply.”

Captain Naquan Staton: ‘It's an honor to undergo such an essential preparation process at George Mason.’ Photos provided.

After more than 17 years in the Marine Corps, Staton is back at college for the third time. He earned a BS in business administration from Regent University in 2017 and an MBA from Baylor University in 2021. Now he’s at George Mason’s Schar School studying for a master of public policy degree. He said he appreciates the school’s support to the Marines cohort.

“Beginning with the application process until now, my second semester, the admissions staff, the advisors, the professors, and even the school's dean have provided us with strong academic support, preparing us for our time on Capitol Hill next year,” he said. “It's an honor to undergo such an essential preparation process at George Mason.”

The MPP program has so far delivered what Staton was hoping for when he applied. In particular, the course taught by Adjunct Professor Andrew Pavord called National Budgeting Process fit right in his professional wheelhouse.

“He is an oracle for all things budget,” Staton said. “He did more than teach the students about the federal budgeting process—he went deep into its history, explaining cause and effect from yesterday to today.”

Pavord is an example of the accomplished practitioners who make up much of the adjunct and affiliated Schar School faculty. In addition to teaching at George Mason, Pavord, a former executive at the U.S. Department of the Treasury, is CEO at Federal Consulting Alliance, a Virginia-based, veteran-owned consultancy. He and others on the faculty bring their experience into the Schar School classrooms and provide an extra dimension of learning.

Naquan Staton was promoted in 2022 to captain in a ceremony at Marine Corps Recruit Depo in San Diego.

Knowing more about how public policy is developed and deployed is important to Staton who said the appropriations process is the segment of public policy that interests him the most.

“Most policy problems that Congress attempts to solve are solved with money and by appropriation,” he said. “Policy initiatives often come with a price tag, which demands congressional consensus before arriving at the president's desk. So many policy proposals and great ideas flow through Congress. Still, the appropriations pie is only so large, and it's fascinating to see which ideas actually take flight.”

Next year, as he serves on Capitol Hill, Staton will be able to see how the fabled “sausage is made” by legislators and their staffs, and by the end of his Hill tour, he hopes to be well-versed in the congressional culture and understand the key areas of policy, politics, and process.

“It's one thing to have a fundamental understanding of how a bill becomes a law, but until you have been in the kitchen, it's difficult to truly appreciate how the ingredients come together,” he said.

With a regime change in Washington arriving in January, things could be less than normal in official Washington for the Marine Corps fellows, but Staton isn’t concerned.

“I believe every Marine's best attribute is composure under chaos,” he said. “We are taught to be flexible, fast, and to constantly consider all risks to the mission. Being somewhat aware of how high-tempo the halls of Congress are, I'm confident any Marine Fellows will thrive.”

More than 4,700 of George Mason’s more than 40,000 students are military or veteran-connected. The university is designated a Military Friendly ^TM institution and has been rated as a top college for veterans by U.S. News and World Report. In fall 2024, the university’s incoming freshman transfer cohort was 20 percent military connected, and the incoming graduate cohort was 19 percent military connected. See this webpage to learn about the Military, Veterans, and Families Initiative at George Mason.

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Marine Corps Fellow Captain Desiree Peterson: Studying to Improve Military Processes

Andrew J Schappert — Fri, 08 Nov 2024 13:21:09 +0000

Marine Corps Fellow Captain Desiree Peterson: Studying to Improve Military Processes Andrew J Schappert Fri, 11/08/2024 - 08:21

Since 2018, the Schar School of Policy and Government at ��AV has welcomed a cohort of United States Marine Corps officers to campus as Master of Public Policy students. The officers chosen for the prestigious Marine Corps Congressional Fellowship Program will complete their fellowships by working for elected representatives on Capitol Hill. Captain Desiree A. Peterson is a member of this year’s cohort.

Marine Corps Captain Desiree A. Peterson’s military and academic journey has led her from undergraduate studies at the United States Naval Academy, where the communications officer earned her BS in Honors English in 2019, to George Mason’s Schar School where a Master of Public Policy degree awaits. After she dons her cap and gown next year, the Paterson, New Jersey, native will head to the halls of Congress.

Peterson’s path is not only about personal growth but about gaining the insight needed to bring tangible improvements to the Marine Corps, she said. In fact, her drive to join the Congressional Fellowship Program grew from her curiosity about the inner workings of policy and how it impacts the processes within the Marine Corps.

“I wanted to gain a more comprehensive understanding of policymaking to bring back insights that could improve Marine Corps processes,” Peterson said. “The fellowship offers a unique chance to see the legislative process from the inside, which I believe is essential for enhancing our effectiveness as a force.”

Captains and Marine Corps Congressional Fellows Desiree A. Peterson, left, and Elizabeth Hosie at the U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial in Arlington, Virginia. Photo provided.

Equally, she views this as a pathway to becoming a more well-rounded leader, balancing her technical expertise with equally crucial skills of communication and policy understanding.

“As someone who has worked in a highly technical field, it remains important to me to maintain balance and continue to pursue to develop both technical skills and the ability to communicate complex material effectively,” she said.

Her ultimate goal is not just to understand policy but to use it to shape and optimize processes within the military. As officers advance in their careers, she said, understanding the “why” behind decisions can dramatically influence operations within the Corps.

By comprehending how processes—like the authorization and appropriations that influence military spending—directly impact the way the Marines are trained and equipped, Peterson sees a chance to act as a bridge, capable of explaining decisions and their impact to those under her leadership.

“It is my goal to better understand the legislative processes that inform the design of our force, but also to integrate myself within a cohort of scholars, leaders, and staff and members of Congress who possess the latitude to not only understand, but influence, the way we prepare for and respond to future national security concerns,” she said.

One of her favorite classes has been Technology, Culture, and Commerce, taught by Adjunct Professor Mark Langevin, an expert in global commerce and policy.

“This course expanded my understanding of how Congress intersects with evolving industries and technology, as well as the broader cultural impacts of technological change,” Peterson said. “This intersection is especially relevant to my background, highlighting the challenges the military faces in rapidly adapting to new technological landscapes.”

In addition to her professors and fellow classmates, Peterson has received academic encouragement from previous Schar School Marine Corps fellows.

“I am deeply grateful for the mentorship I've received throughout my journey to join this program,” she said. “Marines who previously completed this fellowship have shared invaluable insights that shaped my understanding of the experience, providing a realistic view of what it entails and helping me determine if it would be the right fit.”

Her upcoming service on Capitol Hill is a far cry from her typical duties in uniform, but Peterson is ready for the transition.

“Military training has prepared me to stay mission-focused and resilient, qualities that will be crucial when navigating the complexity and pace of Congress,” she said. “My hope is that this experience [at the Schar School] will provide the opportunity for me to represent the Marine Corps in a small capacity so that we can connect the needs of the service with the realities of the legislative process to foster better understanding and outcomes.”

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Mark Langevin

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