Ways & Means

Ways and Means features bright ideas for how to improve human society. The show is produced by the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University.

S9 Episode 1: Missing Votes 04/29/2024

S9 Episode 1: Missing Votes Why many college students' ballots are getting tossed — and what could be done about it. --- In this episode of Ways & Means – as we head into the 2024 elections – why lots of North Carolina college students’ votes did not count in the last election, or the time before that, or the time before that. Why those votes weren’t counted, and how to prevent it from happening again. Guests: Gunther Peck, Associate Professor of History and Public Policy Studies, Duke University Duke Student Research Team Members: Ameya Rao, Hannah McKnight, Kathryn Thomas Tiffany Crawford, Master of Public Administration student at North Carolina Central University /episode/index/show/waysandmeans/id/31037193

S8 Episode 8: Goodbye, Cloud Factory 12/06/2023

S8 Episode 8: Goodbye, Cloud Factory In this episode: how a crusade shut down a coal-fired Chicago power plant for good. What the closing of that plant meant for children’s health and the environment. And what it didn’t mean. This is the eighth and final episode in our “Climate Change Solutions” series, where we look at research-based ideas to help cool a rapidly heating planet. Guests: Kimberly Wasserman is Exeutive Director of the Little Village Environmental Justice Organization, and past winner of the is Assistant Professor of Economics and Public Policy at Duke University. is a former PhD student in public policy at Duke, now Assistant Professor at the School of Public Policy at Penn State University. Youki Terada is Editor at Edutopia from the George Lucas Educational Foundation. Season 8 of Ways & Means is made possible thanks to support from the Office of the Provost at Duke University. /episode/index/show/waysandmeans/id/28956723

S8 Episode 7: Climate Migration: Why People Leave and What Might Help Them Stay 11/16/2023

S8 Episode 7: Climate Migration: Why People Leave and What Might Help Them Stay In this episode of Ways & Means: the hidden role that climate plays in the story of migration. How a changing climate is driving thousands of people to enter the U.S. each year. And how relatively small, inexpensive changes on the ground could make a difference with a daunting geopolitical problem. This is the seventh episode in our “Climate Change Solutions” series, where we look at research-based ideas to help cool a rapidly heating planet. Guests: is a political economist and associate professor of public policy and political science in the Sanford School at Duke University. She directs His new book, explores the connection between climate change, American lives and migration. Pedro Santos is a Honduran farmer. Also: voices of migrants from Guatemala Season 8 of Ways & Means is made possible thanks to support from the Office of the Provost at Duke University. /episode/index/show/waysandmeans/id/28672098

S8 Episode 6: The Tiny Packaging Tweak That Could Help The Planet 09/20/2023

S8 Episode 6: The Tiny Packaging Tweak That Could Help The Planet In this episode: kicking America’s multi-billion-dollar food waste habit. How tons of wasted food contribute to climate change, and how one simple change – better food date labels – just might help make a dent in the problem. This is the sixth episode in our “Climate Change Solutions” series, where we look at research-based ideas to help cool a rapidly heating planet. Guests: Season 8 of Ways & Means is made possible thanks to support from the Office of the Provost at Duke University. /episode/index/show/waysandmeans/id/28085501

S8 Episode 5: Bringing Water to Thirsty Fields With Help From the Sun 03/30/2023

S8 Episode 5: Bringing Water to Thirsty Fields With Help From the Sun In this episode of Ways & Means – New research into how solar mini-grids could change lives for farmers in Ethiopia, and why that matters for the climate as a whole. This is the fifth episode in our Climate Change Solutions series, where we look at surprising answers to the question of what we can do to help cool a rapidly heating planet. Guests: Jonathan Phillips, Director, at Duke University Rahel Bekele, Postdoctoral Associate at Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy, Team Member Marc Jeuland, faculty member at Duke Sanford School of Public Policy and Duke Global Health Institute, Principal investigator Season 8 of Ways & Means is made possible thanks to support from the Office of the Provost at Duke University. /episode/index/show/waysandmeans/id/26391492

S8 Episode 4: How Cleaner Cookstoves Can Help Build a Healthier Planet 03/08/2023

S8 Episode 4: How Cleaner Cookstoves Can Help Build a Healthier Planet Upgrading stoves for people in the developing world could bring about a double win: improving people’s lives while making a big contribution to fighting climate change. We follow along with Duke Professor Subhrendu Pattanayak on a research trip to rural Kenya, and are invited into people's homes to see how they cook, and what might make them change their methods. , a look at surprising answers to the question of what we can do to help cool a rapidly heating planet. Guest: Subhrendu Pattanayak, Oak Foundation Distinguished Professor of Environmental and Energy Policy, Duke Sanford School of Public Policy Season 8 of Ways & Means is made possible thanks to support from the Office of the Provost at Duke University. /episode/index/show/waysandmeans/id/26169039

Welcome Lauren Rosenthal 03/08/2023

Welcome Lauren Rosenthal We are thrilled to welcome Lauren Rosenthal to the Ways & Means host chair! Lauren is an award-winning reporter and audio producer. Recently she's been focused on climate stories. (Check out her work on Season 2 of "," a podcast from APM Reports + American Public Media which explored "one city's year of climate chaos.") Lauren will start by hosting the next episodes of our Climate Change Solutions series. /episode/index/show/waysandmeans/id/26167704

S8 Episode 3: Greener Pastures: The search for climate-friendly ways to raise animals. 11/17/2022

S8 Episode 3: Greener Pastures: The search for climate-friendly ways to raise animals. In this episode of Ways & Means, we explore the impacts of meat production. Can we find a better way to raise animals as food and help the planet at the same time? , a look at surprising answers to the question of what we can do to help cool a rapidly heating planet. Guests: Cameron Oglesby, journalist and Duke Sanford School of Public Policy Master of Public Policy student North Carolina farmer Johnny Rogers Jennifer Curtis, Firsthand Foods Lee Miller and Michelle Nowlin, Duke’s Environmental Law and Policy Clinic A-dae Romero-Briones, Native Agriculture and Food Systems program at First Nations Development Institute Season 8 of Ways & Means is made possible thanks to support from the Office of the Provost at Duke University. /episode/index/show/waysandmeans/id/25053816

S8 Episode 2: Getting Strategic with Solar 10/12/2022

S8 Episode 2: Getting Strategic with Solar Location, location, location. Place matters a lot when it comes to the impact solar panels can have on the environment. The biggest environmental benefit comes from regions powered by coal. If your local electric utility runs on coal and you install solar panels on your home, it means that the power plant doesn’t have to burn as much coal to power your home, and that is really good for the climate. In this episode of Ways & Means: getting strategic when it comes to solar subsidies. This is the second episode in our series, Climate Change Solutions. Guests: Joe Opyoke, retired coal miner Elizabeth Opyoke Cruikshank, Bobby Harris, PhD Environmental Economics and Policy, Duke, '22 Steven Sexton, professor, Sanford School of Public Policy, Duke University Season 8 of Ways & Means is made possible thanks to support from the Office of the Provost at Duke University. /episode/index/show/waysandmeans/id/24657603

S8 Episode 1: Paying for a Healthy Planet 09/14/2022

S8 Episode 1: Paying for a Healthy Planet The Amazon has been called the lungs of the planet. Its dense jungles play a key role in absorbing the Earth’s greenhouse gases, but the forest is disappearing quickly. In this episode: research from Colombia, Africa and China illustrates how economics can help slow deforestation and combat the climate crisis. Guests: , Universidad de los Andes, Bogota, Colombia , Wuhan University, China; Duke Kunshan University , Duke University This is the first in our series Climate Solutions. Find out more about the film , including the song and the group Season 8 of Ways & Means is made possible thanks to support from the Office of the Provost at Duke University. /episode/index/show/waysandmeans/id/24366552

Debugger Presents: Begged and Borrowed 03/16/2022

Debugger Presents: Begged and Borrowed Special Takeover: The Debugger podcast has taken over the Ways & Means feed for a three-part series: This episode is the third of the series. Large technology companies are so powerful they now threaten democracy. They are too big to sue, and current regulations are not holding them responsible for their actions or outcomes. What can be done when a large tech company is doing something that is harmful to society? How can the technology companies that want to differentiate themselves demonstrate they are behaving responsibly? Well – this isn’t the first time the U.S. has been faced with a large, runaway industry that needed effective government oversight. We’ll look closely at the governance frameworks that are used for big banks, environmental polluters, drug companies to allow them to demonstrate responsible decision making. The series is produced with support from the Cyber Policy Program at Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy, and Duke’s Kenan Institute for Ethics. /episode/index/show/waysandmeans/id/22471925

Debugger Presents: What Hasn't Worked 03/09/2022

Debugger Presents: What Hasn't Worked Special Takeover: The Debugger podcast has taken over the Ways & Means feed for a three-part series: This is episode two of that series. Very large tech companies fit into a special tech category called “platforms.” Companies like Facebook, Google, Twitter, and Amazon are so big – it’s like they are on a raised on a platform at a country fair, and can be heard all over the fairgrounds. The platform gives them an advantage; because they can be heard by more people, their technology can have a more impactful reach. These companies have a lot of money, and power. But what if society becomes convinced one of these tools is hurting kids, or failing democracy, or polluting the environment, or stealing? Since they are so big that even fines don’t seem to scare them, what now? In this episode: we’ll explore what’s been tried to hold tech companies accountable. The series is produced with support from the Cyber Policy Program at Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy, and Duke’s Kenan Institute for Ethics. /episode/index/show/waysandmeans/id/22394567

Debugger Presents: Too Big to Sue 03/02/2022

Debugger Presents: Too Big to Sue Special Takeover: The Debugger podcast has taken over the Ways & Means feed for a three-part series: In this episode: It’s critical to understand just how hard it is to tell big tech companies what to do. The United States’ legal system is set up for a fair fight, but in practice tech firms are often able to act as their own judge and jury. They control everything from what apps we see, to what data they collect about us to whether or not misinformation and hate speech circulate widely online. Series produced with support from the Cyber Policy Program at Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy, and Duke’s Kenan Institute for Ethics. /episode/index/show/waysandmeans/id/22303451

Season 7 is coming 02/28/2022

Season 7 is coming Season 7 launches Wednesday March 2 with a series: "Defending Democracy (And Us!) From Big Tech." The three-part series explores how powerful big tech companies are, and what governments can do to keep them accountable. The series is hosted by journalist Bob Sullivan, and is a collaboration with the Debugger podcast. Thanks to the Cyber Policy program at Duke University's Sanford School of Public Policy, and Duke's Kenan Institute for Ethics. Promo music: Footsteps on Alden and the Corner Office. . /episode/index/show/waysandmeans/id/22282661

S6 Episode 6: A Conversation About Reparations 05/14/2021

S6 Episode 6: A Conversation About Reparations Throughout history, the U.S. and other countries have paid reparations to a wide range of people and groups, for a variety of wrongs. But reparations to African Americans have not been paid to date. /episode/index/show/waysandmeans/id/19110881

S6 Episode 5: White Brutality 04/07/2021

S6 Episode 5: White Brutality Throughout the nation’s history, time and again, promising signs of African American progress have been shattered by acts of violence serving the interests of white supremacy. The extent of that violence is widespread and ongoing. /episode/index/show/waysandmeans/id/18634910

Upcoming Episodes 03/31/2021

Upcoming Episodes Episode 5 premieres April 7. It will explore white violence against Black people through the decades. /episode/index/show/waysandmeans/id/18558425

S6 Episode 4: Whitening the Middle Class 03/24/2021

S6 Episode 4: Whitening the Middle Class In this episode: The GI Bill was a conveyor belt into the middle class for millions of white WWII veterans, but many African American veterans were excluded. Subsequent generations continue to feel the effects. /episode/index/show/waysandmeans/id/18443537

S6 Episode 3: A Tale of Two Cities 03/17/2021

S6 Episode 3: A Tale of Two Cities In this episode: how the federal government promoted housing segregation and thwarted African American home ownership. /episode/index/show/waysandmeans/id/18355598

S6 Episode 2: This Land is My Land 03/10/2021

S6 Episode 2: This Land is My Land A tale of two promises made by the U.S. government – one kept, one broken. What happened, and what does this have to do with the existing wealth gap between African Americans and white Americans? /episode/index/show/waysandmeans/id/18262586

S6 Episode 1: Not So Long Ago 03/03/2021

S6 Episode 1: Not So Long Ago Series premiere: “The Arc of Justice – From Here to Equality." Inspired by professor William “Sandy” Darity Jr. and A. Kirsten Mullen's book From Here to Equality: Reparations for Black Americans in the 21st Century. /episode/index/show/waysandmeans/id/18166901

Live: Climate Whistleblowers 11/14/2020

Live: Climate Whistleblowers Live event for Duke Energy Week 2020. Guests: /episode/index/show/waysandmeans/id/16809563

S5 Episode 6: Reparations: How it Could Happen 10/29/2020

S5 Episode 6: Reparations: How it Could Happen The question of whether and how to compensate descendants of people formerly enslaved in the United States has hung over the country since the end of the Civil War. It’s getting new traction in the 2020 election. Duke Professor William "Sandy" Darity has created a Reparations Planning Committee to flesh out the details of how a reparations program would work. /episode/index/show/waysandmeans/id/13204559

S5 Episode 5: Secrets of Great Political Leadership 10/15/2020

S5 Episode 5: Secrets of Great Political Leadership What makes a great political leader in a deeply divided time, and what can we learn from one of the most striking examples in American history? Listen to the story of Nelson Mandela and learn about the surprising strategies that made his leadership work. /episode/index/show/waysandmeans/id/16421045

Welcome to Our New Host, Lindsay Foster Thomas 10/14/2020

Welcome to Our New Host, Lindsay Foster Thomas Today, we're announcing a new chapter in Ways and Means - we have a new host! /episode/index/show/waysandmeans/id/16403558

S5 Episode 4: When Local News Dries Up 10/01/2020

S5 Episode 4: When Local News Dries Up The decline in local news is having a real effect on democracy. A look at why local news is struggling -- and what can be done about it. /episode/index/show/waysandmeans/id/13400060

S5 Episode 3: The Battle Over Guns in America - What's Changed 09/17/2020

S5 Episode 3: The Battle Over Guns in America - What's Changed On this episode we ask – how did the gun control movement become a force in American politics -- after being overshadowed for so long by the NRA? In a word: money. /episode/index/show/waysandmeans/id/16040429

S5 Episode 2: Why Young People Don’t Vote – And How to Change That 09/03/2020

S5 Episode 2: Why Young People Don’t Vote – And How to Change That For some reason there's a big gap between young Americans' intention to vote and the chance that they will actually do it. In this episode: why so few young people in the United States vote. This season of Ways & Means is supported by /episode/index/show/waysandmeans/id/15861860

S5 Episode 1: How Afterschool Programs Can Empower Parents 08/20/2020

S5 Episode 1: How Afterschool Programs Can Empower Parents We explore research into how government-funded afterschool programs for poor families are empowering politically motivated parents. Hear from staff and parents about how these programs have inspired change in their community and learn what elements build effective programs. /episode/index/show/waysandmeans/id/13693400

Season 5 Relaunch 08/19/2020

Season 5 Relaunch Season 5 of Ways & Means relaunches Thursday, August 20, 2020. The season is dedicated to issues in U.S. politics and civic life and hot topics in the 2020 elections. The season originally premiered in the spring of 2020, but was put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The season is a co-production of the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University and Duke's Polis: Center for Politics. Music: "Pinky" by Blue Dot Sessions /episode/index/show/waysandmeans/id/15679775

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