Recently, the U.S. has experienced several financial crises - all of them hard on American families. In 2008, over eight million Americans lost their jobs in the Great Recession. In 2020, unemployment was at 13 percent thanks to the COVID pandemic. By early 2025, the economy had recovered and unemployment had dropped back to the 4 percent range. Then sweeping new tariffs sent the stock market reeling. Vicki Bogan, who studies household finance, inequality and investment decision making, talks wi...
May 14, 2025•31 min•Ep. 169
The U.S. is a nation of immigrants, but we have a complex history on the topic. At times, the government has tried deporting large numbers of immigrants, with the goal of protecting the jobs and wages of native-born Americans. The current administration has announced plans to deport all undocumented immigrants, even some legal immigrants, as well as new travel bans. Hannah Postel researches the relationship of migration and economic development and provides a historical perspective on immigratio...
Apr 18, 2025•26 min•Ep. 168
The price of housing has skyrocketed in recent years. Scholars estimate we are short between two and five million homes nationwide. Warren Lowell spent the last several years immersed in American housing policy as part of his PhD studies at the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University. For one study, he interviewed real estate developers and investors. He joins Sanford interim Dean Manoj Mohanan podcast to talk about what he learned. Read show notes/transcript at our website....
Apr 10, 2025•20 min•Ep. 167
In the wake of the financial crisis of 2008, Congress established the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the CFPB. It protects Americans from predatory practices by consumer finance companies. The CFPB enforces federal laws and investigates fraud and abuse. It has sent over 6.8 million complaints to companies for resolution so far. The bureau has been targeted for massive cuts by the new administration which, thus far, have been blocked by a federal judge. Mallory SoRelle, a consumer finance ...
Apr 01, 2025•20 min•Ep. 166
What does it mean for the country that President Trump has signed an executive order to begin dismantling the Department of Education? Leslie Babinski, a researcher who focuses on education and former director of the Duke Center for Child and Family Policy talks about this extraordinary change with guest host Anna Gassman-Pines, Senior Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs in the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University. Read show notes/transcript....
Mar 24, 2025•18 min•Ep. 165
What does it mean for democracy when a president owns a social platform, and is supported by others with major platforms of their own? Philip Napoli directs the DeWitt Wallace Center for Media and Democracy at Duke University and he joins Manoj Mohanan, interim public policy dean at Duke to discuss historical parallels to the connection between policy and media ownership, and regulation options. His book is called “Social Media and the Public Interest, Media Regulation in the Disinformation Age....
Mar 13, 2025•25 min•Ep. 164
The new administration’s interest in cold, snowy regions of the world might have come out of the blue to many Americans, but not to Tim Nichols. He leads the Duke University Sanford School of Public Policy Master of National Security Policy program – and he teaches about the growing strategic importance of Greenland and the broader Arctic. He joins Manoj Mohanan, interim public policy dean at Duke to discuss how melting ice is opening up international competition related to shipping and mineral ...
Feb 20, 2025•16 min•Ep. 163
President Trump returns to the White House with his “America First” approach - a strategy critics say often comes at the expense of international alliances and multilateral commitments. Duke professor Susan Colbourn, a historian specializing in NATO, joins Manoj Mohanan, interim Dean of the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke to discuss the topic. She’s the author of Euromissiles: The Nuclear Weapons That Nearly Destroyed NATO , and is associate director of the Duke Program in American Grand...
Jan 23, 2025•29 min•Ep. 162
It’s no secret that Americans’ ability to engage in meaningful conversations across political, cultural, and ideological divides feels more strained than ever. In this episode, we discuss how to bring people together. Two words: civil discourse. Duke professor Abdullah Antepli is a nationally recognized expert in civil discourse. Recently he’s been teaching a course on the topic and is creating public forums for dialogue between people with opposing views. Antepli leads Polis, Duke’s Center for ...
Dec 17, 2024•27 min•Ep. 161
Could political polarization be addressed by something very simple – getting to know each other better? David Brooks argues that polarization stems from an urgent need for connection. "There are connections between seeing others and strengthening our communities and in turn, democracy," he says. Brooks is an opinion columnist for the New York Times. He appears regularly on the PBS NewsHour, NPR's All Things Considered, and NBC's Meet the Press. His new book is titled, How to Know a Person, the A...
Nov 04, 2024•26 min•Ep. 160
In this episode of Policy 360, Duke Professor Bill Adair joins us to discuss lying in politics. Adair founded the Pulitzer Prize-winning fact-checking organization PolitiFact . His new book, Beyond the Big Lie , explores how and why politicians lie, which party does it more, and what can be done about it. This episode is part of our ongoing series of policy-focused conversations related to the 2024 election. Guest host: Phil Napoli, Director of the DeWitt Wallace Center for Media and Democracy a...
Oct 08, 2024•37 min•Ep. 159
Historically Black colleges and Universities (HBCUs) have played an important role in America’s past, present, and future – and it’s becoming clear that they are playing a big role in democracy itself. Duke Sanford School of Public Policy professor Deondra Rose joins us to discuss the topic. Her new book is The Power of Black Excellence: HBCUs and the Fight for American Democracy. This episode is part of our ongoing series of policy-focused conversations related to the 2024 election....
Sep 25, 2024•17 min•Ep. 158
Duke professor William A. (Sandy) Darity joins host Manoj Mohanan, interim Dean of the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University, to discuss his research on the racial wealth gap and its historical roots. They examine the implications of various policy proposals, including reparations and baby bonds, and how these policies might address the persistent disparities between Black and white households. This episode is part of our ongoing series of policy-focused conversations related to the...
Sep 18, 2024•21 min•Ep. 157
In this episode we will explore a policy idea that Republicans and Democrats seem to agree upon: expanding the Child Tax Credit. Duke professors Anna Gassman-Pines and Lisa Gennetian join host Manoj Mohanan, interim Dean of the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke, to discuss their recent op-ed, "Cash Alone Won’t Relieve ‘Surviving’ American Families." They delve into the history of the Child Tax Credit and its beneficial yet incomplete impact on working-class American families. The episode i...
Aug 29, 2024•21 min•Ep. 156
Frank Bruni discusses his new book, "The Age of Grievance." --- Frank Bruni is a distinguished journalist and celebrated author. He talks with Judith Kelley about his latest book, "The Age of Grievance," which explores the cultural and political impacts of Americans’ fixation on grievances: “More and more Americans are convinced that they’re losing because somebody else is winning. More and more tally their slights, measure their misfortune, and assign particular people responsibility for it. Th...
Jun 20, 2024•35 min•Ep. 155
Maria Ressa won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2021 for challenging corruption in her native country, the Philippines. She is now focused on the threat to democracy from big tech. --- Maria Ressa is a groundbreaking international journalist. She won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2021 for her efforts to address corruption in the Philippines. Ressa is CEO of Rappler, an international news organization that she founded. She is the author of “ How to Stand Up to a Dictator: The Fight for our Future. ” The book...
Apr 16, 2024•47 min•Ep. 154
New series of related courses at Duke University explore civil discourse and democracy. --- Today’s guests argue that the January 6th storming of the Capitol in the United States is a stark example of the violence that can come from the way in which people talk to each other across the political divide. To address the issue, Duke faculty members Stephen Buckley and Sue Wasiolek have developed a series of courses for students focused on civil discourse and democracy. Their goal is to “deepen unde...
Apr 02, 2024•27 min•Ep. 153
In 2016, President Barack Obama awarded her the National Humanities Medal for "championing the stories of an unsung history." A conversation with Isabel Wilkerson. --- Isabel Wilkerson, an esteemed American journalist and author, visited the Duke Sanford School of Public Policy recently to meet with students and present the 2024 Terry Sanford Lecture. Born in Washington, D.C., and a graduate of Howard University, Wilkerson’s career in journalism included notable positions at The New York Times, ...
Mar 12, 2024•47 min•Ep. 152
“In 2018, Gallup recorded that some 74% of Americans said they had 'a great deal’ or 'quite a lot' of confidence in the military; in 2023, that number had dropped to 60%. That is still high compared to other governmental institutions, but it is a marked decline.” – Peter Feaver Peter Feaver is a professor at Duke University, where he runs the Program in American Grand Strategy. He talks with Judith Kelley, Dean of the Sanford School of Public Policy about his new book, Thanks for Your Service: T...
Feb 07, 2024•46 min•Ep. 151
Jasmine Crowe-Houston is a social entrepreneur and founder of Goodr.co. Jasmine started her journey cooking soul food for hungry unhoused people in her kitchen in her one-bedroom apartment in Atlanta. She fed upwards of 500 people a week for years with pop-up kitchens and parks and parking lots. Then in 2017, she founded Goodr , a technology-based food waste management company that connects firms with food surpluses to nonprofit organizations that can use the food. She has worked with organizati...
Jan 18, 2024•24 min•Ep. 150
Cal Newport's books, with titles like Deep Work , Digital Minimalism , and A World Without Email, have sold over two million copies worldwide. He’s a contributing writer for the New Yorker, weighing in on hot button tech issues of the day. He is also a professor and a founding member of Georgetown University’s Center for Digital Ethics. He joins host Judith Kelley, Dean of the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University, to talk productivity and focus in the face of communication overload...
Oct 25, 2023•43 min•Ep. 149
In this episode: how a program that supports kids outside of the school hours is driving student educational outcomes. New research shows that programs like Student U, which provides extra academics to participants after the school day and on summer breaks, along with field trips, social workers for families and more, should be considered closely as models by policymakers. The results indicate “comprehensive services outside of time spent in school can yield valuable benefits for disadvantaged s...
Oct 07, 2023•35 min•Ep. 148
Richard Burr retired recently from public service after serving five terms in the U.S. House of Representatives (1995-2005) and three in the U.S. Senate (2005-2023). He came to Duke’s campus to speak to students in Professor Jon Rosenwasser’s Master of National Security Policy course, PubPol 890: Promise and Peril of US Intelligence. While on campus, he spoke with Duke Sanford School of Public Policy Dean Judith Kelley about bipartisanship, political polarization, and the importance of passing d...
Apr 14, 2023•33 min•Ep. 147
Stephen J. Hadley served as deputy national security advisor, and then national security advisor to President George W. Bush. He recently edited a new book, along with Duke professor Peter Feaver and others, Hand-Off: The Foreign Policy George W. Bush Passed to Barack Obama. The book is a collection of the national security and foreign policy memos that were prepared for the transition between the Bush and Obama administrations. The memos are now declassified and are made public in this book for...
Apr 04, 2023•49 min•Ep. 146
The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) features compelling characters and intertwined storylines. Think Captain America, Iron Man, X-Men, Thor, the Hulk, The Fantastic Four, Ant-Man, Wolverine, Black Panther, the Avengers and more. Today's guests argue that in addition to being exciting stories to watch, the MCU features lots of messages about government, public policy, and society — and they’ve collaborated with more than two dozen leading scholars to explore these themes in a new book. Guests: L...
Mar 16, 2023•35 min•Ep. 145
It's no secret that the United States has major issues with gun violence and police brutality, but with a growing distrust between communities facing high rates of gun violence and law enforcement, how can we prevent future crimes and make our communities safer? Judith Kelly, Dean of the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University considers this question and more with Professor in the School of Public Policy and author of Policing Gun Violence Philip Cook. Guest: Philip Cook, emeritus Pro...
Mar 03, 2023•36 min•Ep. 144
Plastics are a huge part of our everyday life, and most people know that plastics contribute to litter, but did you know that plastics also add to climate change? Host Dean of the Sanford School of Public Policy, Judith Kelley discusses this issue and potential policy solutions with Duke Ph.D. candidate Zoie Diana. Guest: Zoie Diana, Ph.D. candidate in Marine Science & Conservation at Duke University, speaks about her research of the harmful effects of plastics and the connections to public ...
Feb 16, 2023•19 min•Ep. 143
CO2 emissions play a major role in climate change. Guest host and J.D./UPEP doctoral candidate Gabriela Nagle Alverio speaks with Sanford Professor and Interim Director of the Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment, and Sustainability Brian Murray about different carbon tax approaches and their pros and cons for curbing emissions. Guest: Brian Murray: Interim Director of the Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment & Sustainability, Research Professor at the Sanford School of Public Po...
Jan 20, 2023•26 min•Ep. 142
Climate change is forcing many people to move due to environmental stressors like heat, hurricane, and drought. Duke Sanford School of Public Policy Dean Judith Kelley speaks with Kerilyn Schewel and Sarah Bermeo of the Duke Center for International Development about emerging climate migration patterns and how research might better inform policy. Guests: Sarah Bermeo: Director of Graduate Studies of the Master of International Development Policy in the Sanford School; Author of Targeted Developm...
Oct 19, 2022•31 min•Ep. 141
When it comes to climate change, it’s important for all of us to think in new ways. For example, can we use artificial worlds to improve access to energy data? Are there ways to track climate change with satellites and AI? Guests: Marc Jeuland, faculty member at the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University Kyle Bradbury, Managing Director of the Energy Data Analytics Lab at the Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment, and Sustainability This is the first in.a series of conversations...
Sep 08, 2022•37 min•Ep. 140
