Policy Perspectives

In this episode, the GW WonkCast team welcomes guests Richard Kahlenberg and Da’Shon Carr to speak about the repercussions of the recent Affirmative Action decision made by the Supreme Court in June, and how education policymakers might navigate the post-affirmative action landscape.

First, co-hosts Ali Ulin and Nathan Varnell spoke with Richard D. Kahlenberg, a lecturer at George Washington University’s Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration and a non-resident scholar at Georgetown University’s Progressive Policy Institute. Kahlenberg is the author or editor of nearly 20 books and has been called “the intellectual father of the economic integration movement” in K–12 schooling and “arguably the nation’s chief proponent of class-based affirmative action in higher education admissions.” Though affirmative action has been overturned, the path forward is not clear, and not all scholars agree. While class-based admissions is a distinct, potentially innovative path forward for institutions of higher education to promote equitable admissions, many scholars and advocates argue the door isn’t shut on race-specific diversity efforts. In the second half of this episode, the team spoke with Da’Shon Carr, a Policy Analyst for the Education, Opportunity, and Mobility Initiative with New America’s Higher Education Team. Carr has written extensively at New America promoting racial equity in higher education, particularly as part of the Higher Education team’s Affirmative Action Listening Tour interviewing scholars, students and professionals about the effects of the Students for Fair Admissions decisions on educational equity.

Please direct your feedback on this episode to [email protected] or [email protected].

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The views expressed herein are those of the hosts and do not necessarily reflect the views of Policy Perspectives or the Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration.

The GW WonkCast has returned! Season 7, Episode 1 begins after nearly a year hiatus with a new team, co-host Ali Ulin, co-host Nathan Varnell and producer Annie Robey. In this episode, former Brief Policy Perspectives staff writer David Trimmer (MPA ’23) interviews Matt Bruenig, founder of the People’s Policy Project think tank and distinguished welfare policy expert, to discuss how state welfare policies can be effectively implemented. The co-hosts then spoke to David to hear his thoughts on emerging programs across the U.S. and welfare policy as a field of study.

Read David’s original piece with Matt Bruenig here.

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The views expressed herein are those of the hosts and do not necessarily reflect the views of Policy Perspectives or the Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration.

Sources:

Join WonkCast host William Somes for a special interview with Garrett Kephart (MPP ’07) and Chris Smith (MPA ’86) from the Trachtenberg School Advisor Council. In this episode, William, Garrett, and Chris discuss a regulation proposed by the Securities and Exchange Commission to require corporations to disclose information related to their climate footprint, as well as the political debates surrounding the regulation.

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The views expressed herein are those of the host and do not necessarily reflect the views of Policy Perspectives or the Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration.

Sources:

Statement By Commissioner Peirce opposing the rule: https://www.sec.gov/news/statement/peirce-climate-disclosure-20220321

Proposed rule: https://www.sec.gov/rules/proposed/2022/33-11042.pdf

SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin: No. 99 – Materiality:https://www.sec.gov/interps/account/sab99.htm

Commentary from National Public Radio on the proposed rule:https://www.npr.org/2022/03/21/1087832674/the-s-e-c-climate-change-disclosures-companies

SEC mission: https://www.sec.gov/about.shtml

SEC history: https://www.sec.gov/about/what-we-do and https://www.history.com/topics/us-government/securities-and-exchange-commission#:~:text=The%20SEC%20was%20created%20in,prevent%20any%20future%20market%20calamities.

Join WonkCast host William Somes for a special interview with Sarah Nichols, the Sustainable Maine Director for the Natural Resources Council of Maine, an environmental advocacy organization. In this episode, William and Sarah discuss extended producer responsibility (EPR) policy and other policies intended to increase recycling and decrease the amount of packaging waste in landfills.

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The views expressed herein are those of the host and do not necessarily reflect the views of Policy Perspectives or the Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration.

Join WonkCast host William Somes for a special interview with Policy Perspectives author Allison Woolverton, who’s research titled Management of an Aquifer Threatened by Saltwater Intrusion will appear in Volume 29 of the Policy Perspectives Journal. Allison discussed environmental threats to the Southern Hills Aquifer in Louisiana, as well as the options and responsibilities that policymakers have to protect this and similar natural sources of fresh water.

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The views expressed herein are those of the host and do not necessarily reflect the views of Policy Perspectives or the Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration.

Even if individual action doesn’t permanently change the course of public policy, it can still make a splash. In this episode, WonkCast host William Somes discusses individuals who have significantly affected policy throughout American history, and what policymakers can learn from their acts.

Episode Transcript

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The views expressed herein are those of the host and do not necessarily reflect the views of Policy Perspectives or the Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration.

Politicians in America are selected through democratic elections, but how do these elections work? What are the consequences of our electoral system, and do other countries do it better? This week WonkCast host William Somes is joined by Verena Wingerter, an International Affairs and Cybersecurity student on exchange from the Hertie School in Berlin, Germany. Following a brief introduction, William and Verena discuss the features of the American and German electoral systems for selecting federal legislators, as well as the benefits and flaws of both. William then concludes with a discussion of alternative electoral systems that have been employed in the United States in recent years, including ranked-choice and single transferable vote systems.

References:

Dubner, S. J., & Levitt, S. D. (2015). Think like a freak. HarperCollins USA.

Katz, R. S. (2007). Political Institutions in the United States. Oxford University Press.

Rule, W., & Zimmerman, J. F. (1992). United States electoral systems: Their impact on women and
minorities. Greenwood Press.

Episode Transcript

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The views expressed herein are those of the host and do not necessarily reflect the views of Policy Perspectives or the Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration.

Join Co-Hosts Fania Jean, Eli Richman, and Sean Parker for an in-depth discussion of two issues that will certainly headline the upcoming 2020 elections. Preston Bruce edited this episode.

Relevant Links:

Here’s How Warren Finds $20.5 Trillion to Pay for ‘Medicare For All’

Elizabeth Warren Proposes $20.5 Trillion Health Care Plan

Trump Serves Notice to Quit Paris Climate Agreement

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The views expressed herein are those of the co-hosts and do not necessarily reflect the views of Policy Perspectives or the Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration. 

We often hear the word “right” used in policy discussions and debates about federal programs. But what exactly is a right? What is the difference between a positive right and a negative right? How does our understanding of rights influence what we believe about the roles and responsibilities of a government and its citizens? This week, co-hosts Nathalie Grogan, Eli Richman, and Eric LaDue explore these questions and their implications for modern-day policy issues including healthcare, gun control, and education. 

Relevant links: 

The Bill of Rights

Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: Rights 

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The views expressed herein are those of the co-hosts and do not necessarily reflect the views of Policy Perspectives or the Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration.