Today, the London School of Economics launches its newest blog venture, USApp – American Politics and Policy.

USApp showcases the best in academic commentary on American politics and policy. This week and beyond:

• Saskia Sassen writes on Detroit and Chicago’s diverging economic fortunes;
• Steven Horwitz looks at the real effects of US Federal Reserve Bank’s policy of Quantitative Easing;
• the LSE’s Tim Newburn writes on the US’s shifting penal policies;
• we examine what the US and EU’s free trade agreement might mean for Mexico and Canada;
• we look at why some US voters have more power than others;
• we find out how war can help the President to get things done in Congress; and
• we have much more commentary and analysis to come.

USApp’s mission is to increase the public understanding of social science in the context of American politics and policymaking. Our focus is broad-based and multidisciplinary, covering all aspects of governance, economics, politics, culture and society in the United States, and in its continental neighbours, Canada and Mexico.

We seek to contribute to a better informed public debate, to facilitate the sharing and exchange of knowledge between experts within and outside universities, and to open up the full richness of contemporary academic research so as to increase its perception and impact. We also seek to achieve a qualitative improvement in the British, European and rest of the world’s understanding of domestic politics in the United States at the level of states and major cities, and encompassing the full range of American social, urban and regional issues.

For more information please see About USApp.

Please follow us on Twitter, Like us on Facebook, and subscribe to our posts via RSS.

We’re also looking for contributions – click here to find out how to join in our conversation.