Policy 360

Tyrone Hayes is known for his research findings regarding the effects of the herbicide atrazine on frogs. Atrazine is often used by corn farmers, but Hayes' research illuminated serious questions about its safety. Syngenta, the manufacturer of atrazine, launched a campaign to discredit both Hayes and his research, which resulted in the settlement of a multi-million dollar class-action lawsuit against Syngenta.

When she was in her 20s, Maya Ajmera founded The Global Fund for Children. The non-profit invests in innovative organizations working with some of the world’s most vulnerable children. She says scaling an organization doesn't always mean scaling out. Sometimes it can be down (serving more in the community) or up (advocating for your idea on a wider stage.) Her latest book is called Invisible Children: Reimagining International Development at the Grassroots.

As we edge ever closer to election day in the U.S., Sanford professor Peter Feaver argues it’s time to critically examine the country’s grand strategy. He says the need to do so is becoming ever more pressing. He hopes the next president will assess the underlying assumptions of the country's grand strategy and have a sense of urgency to deal with what he calls a foreign policy crisis.

Peter Feaver is Professor of Political Science and Public Policy at Duke. He also serves as Director of the Duke Program in American Grand Strategy. He served in the White House during two administrations.

Feaver talks with Sanford's Dean, Kelly Brownell.

Image by Thomas Hawk, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license.www.flickr.com/photos/thomashawk/ Music: Impromptu in Blue by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license. Artist: www.incompetech.com/

Guest host Ryan Smith, Senior Director of Innovation at the Sanford School, discusses local government innovation with Mariel Beasley of the Center for Advanced Hindsight at Duke. Mariel and Ryan are collaborating on a new course on the topic. The founders of a Durham, N.C.-based Idea Lab join the discussion.

Music: Impromptu in Blue by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license. Artist: www.incompetech.com/

One of the most highly anticipated Frontline documentaries of the year premieres this week on PBS. "The Choice" takes a close look at Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump in an unusual way. Rather than interview Trump or Clinton directly, filmmakers interview the people in their lives: childhood friends and former colleagues, for example. The idea is, if we can better understand where they came from and what’s shaped them, we will gain insight into what kind of President each would be. Kelly Brownell talks to one of the film's producers, Phil Bennett. 

A 2012 study found that 89% of high school and college students had already decided unequivocally that they would never consider running for elected office. Guest host Deondra Rose talks with Jennifer Lawless, the author of the book "Running from Office: Why Young Americans are Turned Off to Politics."

General Martin Dempsey is former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and as such was the nation’s highest-ranking military officer. He talks about his unlikely rise in the military, changes in the military since 9-11, the one thing he wishes he could have accomplished during his time as chairman, and the words he found to comfort those left behind when a fellow serviceman or woman has been killed.

Parents have all sorts of concerns about their children when it comes to technology. Duke Professor Candice Odgers tells us which concerns her research shows are valid. 

Since the late 1990s, the academic performance of many students in London has risen dramatically – so much so, it now exceeds national averages. The improvement is due largely to big gains in the 13 districts of Inner London – places with the greatest concentrations of low-income and minority students. Sanford professor Helen “Sunny” Ladd spent a month in two of those boroughs, Tower Hamlets and Hackney, in order to identify what policies are driving the change.

How should we determine whether children are actually learning in school? The U.S. has standardized testing, but some other countries have followed a different approach known as "inspection and review". Sanford professor Helen "Sunny" Ladd thinks such an approach shows great promise.