The Politics and Policy Research Lab engages scholars, students, activists, and community members in research projects intended to improve the functioning of democratic governance and support democratizing social movements.


People


Spencer Piston, Director


Andrew King, Senior Researcher


Research and Policy Analysis


Families Betrayed: Mandatory Reporting in Massachusetts' Schools (with Family Matters 1st Boston and Movement for Family Power). In progress


Preliminary Analysis of Somerville's Police Review Policies for Body-Worn Cameras. Sent for Public Comment to the Somerville, Massachusetts City Council on June 30, 2026.


ShotSpotter, ICE, and Cambridge. Presented to the Commission on Immigrant Rights and Citizenship in Cambridge, Massachusetts on June 23, 2026.


Can SoundThinking Data be Shared with ICE? Presented to the Public Safety Committee of the Cambridge, Massachusetts City Council on April 29, 2026.


Forensic Snake Oil: ShotSpotter Is Untrustworthy and Dangerous. Presented to the Public Safety Committee of the Cambridge, Massachusetts City Council on June 2, 2025. ​



Student internships


The Black Response, a civic association consisting of Black and African residents of Cambridge, MA, working to replace policing and other carceral systems with community-grounded solutions for public safety


CPCS Accountability Project, which supports efforts to ensure the quality of public defense in Massachusetts


Family Matters 1st Boston, a dedicated community-driven organization focused on addressing the unjust disparities within Massachusetts' Department of Children and Families system