2025 Research, Policy, and Impact Review
The challenges facing state and local governments today are complex, deeply interconnected, and politically charged. They demand more than quick fixes or armchair analyses: the way toward good governance is in tailored diagnoses, trusted partnerships, pragmatic innovation, and a willingness to change the conversation about what the public sector can achieve.
This 2025 Impact Review gives some insight into how CUNY ISLG approaches that work. Over the past year, our team has partnered with government leaders, community-based organizations, researchers, philanthropists, and community advocates here in New York and across North America to understand and address problems as they actually show up in practice, not just on paper. We have worked to improve the systems that shape community safety, fiscal policy, human services, and trust in state and local governments, working alongside partners to design solutions grounded in data, community knowledge, and operational reality.
None of this work happens in isolation. It is the product of experience, collaboration, persistence, and a shared belief that better outcomes are possible when research, policy, and public purpose are aligned.
This report captures not just some of what we produced in 2025, but how we worked—and why these approaches matter.
The Review looks at a selection of the work we’ve done through four key strategic interventions:
Analyzing and diagnosing challenges;
Building partnerships and infrastructure;
Designing and innovating solutions; and
Changing public dialogue.