Policy 360

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 2024 election

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 is the first in a series of policy-focused conversations related to the 2024 election.

Also: welcome to our new host, Manoj Mohanan, interim Dean of the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University.

Frank Bruni discusses his new book, "The Age of Grievance."

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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. The blame game has become the country’s most popular sport and victimhood its most fashionable garb.”

Bruni is the Eugene C. Patterson Professor of the Practice of Journalism and Public Policy at Duke.

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.

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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 is a memoir of her life’s work to hold power to account.

In her book, Ressa argues that the trend toward authoritarian rulers around the world has been helped in large part by big tech. She documents how social media platforms are allowed to  spread lies and foster hate and disinformation — all to the detriment of democracy.

New series of related courses at Duke University explore civil discourse and democracy.

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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 understanding of how public debates shape–and are shaped by–policymakers, higher education, and the media.”

In 2016, President Barack Obama awarded her the National Humanities Medal for "championing the stories of an unsung history." A conversation with Isabel Wilkerson.

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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, recognized with the Pulitzer Prize in 1994, becoming the first woman of African-American heritage to win the award in journalism.

Her debut book, “The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration,” garnered widespread acclaim for its exploration of the mass migration of African Americans from the South to the North and West. This seminal work earned her numerous awards and established her as a leading voice on social justice in America.

In her latest book, “Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents,” Wilkerson delves into the concept of caste systems and their enduring influence on American society. Drawing parallels between the caste systems of India, Nazi Germany, and the United States, the book offers profound insights into the structural inequalities and systemic injustices that persist in contemporary America. She talks with Judith Kelley, dean of the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University.

“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: The Causes and Consequences of Public Confidence in the US Military.

Note: this conversation took place in late October, 2023.

Transcript & resources

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 organizations that have food waste issues, like the Atlanta International Airport, Hormel Foods, and Turner Broadcasting.

Today, Goodr has expanded nationwide and sponsors free grocery stores and schools. She has combined charity, innovation, and market-based solutions into a for-profit waste management company that Inc. Magazine called a rare triple win.

Guest host: Norbert Wilson of the World Food Policy Center. Their podcast is The Leading Voices in Food.

Jasmine Crow-Houston was on Duke's campus to give the 2023 Terry Sanford Distinguished Lecture. Her talk was tied in with Duke's Climate Commitment.

Transcript & resources

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.

Cal Newport was on Duke’s campus to give the fall 2023 Crown Lecture in Ethics.

Transcript & resources

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 students.”

Guests: Alexandra Zagbayou is a professor of the practice at Duke Sanford. She previously was part of the founding team of Student U. Sarah Komisarow is an assistant professor at the Sanford School.

Transcript & resources.