Much research has been done on the recent boom and bust of the housing market in the United States, and housing’s impact on the labor market has been a topic of increasing interest among academics and policy makers.

As global competition and market pressures continue to intensify, many U.S. business leaders, educators and policymakers are focused on creating a workforce that will foster innovation and maintain the nation’s traditional position as the world leader in the sciences. To that end, the government and private sector alike are interested in measuring the supply and demand of jobs and labor within Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).

Public policy issues such as taxation, health care and the deficit are enormously complex, and political organizations compete to define the “correct” positions on issues. While it is often assumed that citizens take their cues from political party leaders, little research has been done on these dynamics of influence.

Leadership is never easy, and women in positions of power have the added challenge of balancing “dominant” and “communal” management styles. A 2012 study by scholars at Northwestern University and Duke University explores how race can further complicate the issue.