Ep. 180 Trust & Leadership: A Conversation with CQ Brown, Jr. Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Policy 360
As 21st Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff . advised the President, the Secretary of Defense, and the National Security Council. He now serves as an executive in residence at Duke with appointments in the Sanford School of Public Policy and the Pratt School of Engineering. Over his career, General Brown has held many different roles. As a pilot with the U.S. Air Force, he has logged more than 3,100 flying hours. He also served as the first African American chief of a U.S. military service, the Air Force, and was unanimously confirmed for that role by the Senate in 2020.
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Ep. 179 Power to the Renters: Tenant's Rights in a Landlord's World
Policy 360
Every year, 250 million Americans face issues that land them in the civil justice system; think eviction, debt collection and poor housing. And here's a shocking number: more than 90% of people with low incomes either get no legal help or inadequate legal assistance. Today’s guest, Mallory SoRelle, is a public policy faculty member at Duke. She's co-written a book called . The book is filled with true stories and analysis about how to harness power, politics, and justice to create effective public policy for everyone.
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Ep. 178 The Hidden Everyday Successes of Government - And How That Can Help Democracy
Policy 360
Danny Werfel recently served as the 50th Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service. He led the U.S. tax system twice, and in his most recent stint he was in charge of a dramatic transformation, launching more digital solutions in a two-year period than in the previous two decades combined. Werfel joins us to talk about leadership, organizational change, and how a broader understanding of what the government does – and gets right – could have a profound impact on political polarization and democracy itself. Danny Werfel earned a Master of Public Policy degree at Duke, and is now...
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Ep. 177 Workers: a non-compete clause should give you pause
Policy 360
What if a single clause in your job contract could quietly shape how much you are able to get paid -- after you leave that job? And what if that same contract clause ends up limiting the places you can move for a job? Today, the hidden power of the non-compete clause. from Matt Johnson, professor at the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University and co-authors gives insight into what the practice actually costs workers.
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Ep. 176 A Conversation with the 16th Administrator of the EPA Michael Regan
Policy 360
Michael Regan recently served as the 16th Administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Previously he was Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality where he secured the largest coal ash cleanup settlement in U.S. history. And he led negotiations on the cleanup of the Cape Fear River from PFAS contamination.
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Ep. 175 AI Music is Singing Like a Canary in a Coal Mine
Policy 360
Every technology in music history leaves artists behind. What if one left them all behind? AI-generated music is severely undermining artists’ ability to make a viable living. Is it a canary in the coal mine for music and for how AI will affect the future of work more broadly? and Professor David Hoffman of the Duke Sanford School of Public Policy discuss the research they are conducting with students to address these issues. Host: Anna Gassman-Pines. This episode
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Ep. 174 Yes, the Data Center Next Door Can Be a Good Neighbor
Policy 360
Data centers hold computers and equipment that are the backbone of the digital age. They make possible the computational power and data storage needed to train AI models, store content, and operate the cloud-based services that many of us rely on. Some say that data centers and the innovations that come from them are key to solving huge issues facing the world right now, while others note major environmental concerns related to how they operate. However, a new report says data centers run by huge companies like Google called hyperscalers could actually be good for the environment in a key way...
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Ep. 173 Reforming Criminal Reform
Policy 360
In this episode: from living under a bridge to building bridges between policy and practice, CJ Appleton’s story is one of resilience, purpose, and possibility. Appleton is a new faculty member at the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University. After a rocky start to his academic career, including dropping out of college and becoming homeless, today he’s eager to bridge the gap between criminology scholarship and US policy. His focus is on desistance, the process of ending a criminal career. Duke Sanford interim Dean Manoj Mohanan hosts.
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Ep. 172 Will AI Prompt a New Golden Era?
Policy 360
In this episode we’ll explore AI – from deepfakes to the growing importance of social media verification. Our guest Robyn Caplan is an Assistant Professor at Duke’s Sanford School of Public Policy and is currently teaching a class on the transformation of media. Her latest research considers the blue-check verification process that is used on many social platforms. Our host for this episode is Anna Gassman-Pines, Senior Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs in the Sanford School of Public Policy.
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Ep. 171 Gerrymandering: A New Era of Re-districting Battles
Policy 360
States have increasingly come under pressure from President Trump to redraw district voting lines now even though they are traditionally redrawn every 10 years in response to the census. In response, Democratic strongholds like California are also taking steps to redraw maps out of cycle. Our guests today are both keeping a close eye on such “gerrymandering” efforts. Duke professor Jonathan Mattingly teaches a course on the topic and was involved in a gerrymandering challenge that went all the way to the US Supreme Court. Asher Hildebrand had a front row seat to the redistricting process...
info_outlineIn 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.