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Politics & Polls #56: The Aftermath of Charlottesville August 17, 2017

Politics & Polls #56: The Aftermath of Charlottesville

A brutal protest in Charlottesville, Virginia, left three people dead and dozens injured on Aug. 11 and 12 as white nationalists, white supremacists and Neo-Nazis descended on the city and clashed violently with anti-racism protestors. President Donald Trump initially condemned the conflict on Twitter and then a few days later placed blame upon both parties involved in the clash.The event, which has rattled Americans, has brought racial tensions to the forefront. In this episode, Professors Julian Zelizer and Sam Wang discuss the aftermath of Charlottesville — and what to expect in the weeks ahead.ABOUT THE HOSTSZelizer is the Malcolm Stevenson Forbes…

Lower-Income Children Raised in Counties With High Upward Mobility Display Fewer Behavioral Issues, Perform Better on Cognitive Tests August 14, 2017

Lower-Income Children Raised in Counties With High Upward Mobility Display Fewer Behavioral Issues, Perform Better on Cognitive Tests

Children who grow up in urban counties with high upward mobility exhibit fewer behavioral problems and perform better on cognitive tests, according to a study led by Princeton University.Children in these counties display fewer behavior problems at age 3 and show substantial gains in cognitive test scores between ages 3 and 9. Growing up in a county with higher intergenerational mobility reduces the gap between economically advantaged and disadvantaged children’s cognitive and behavioral outcomes by around 20 percent. The study, published Aug. 14 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, provides further evidence that place, measured at…

Doctors Trained at Lowest-Ranked Medical Schools Prescribe More Opioids August 14, 2017

Doctors Trained at Lowest-Ranked Medical Schools Prescribe More Opioids

Physicians trained at the United States’ lowest-ranked medical schools write more opioid prescriptions than physicians trained at the highest-ranked schools, according to a study by Princeton University. The study suggests that better training for physicians, and for general practitioners in particular, could help curb the nation’s opioid epidemic.From 2006 to 2014, “If all general practitioners had prescribed like those from the top-ranked school [Harvard], we would have had 56.5% fewer opioid prescriptions and 8.5% fewer overdose deaths,” said Janet M. Currie, the Henry Putnam Professor of Economics and Public Affairs at Princeton's Woodrow Wilson…

Politics & Polls #55: Has the Conservative Revolution Succeeded? A Conversation with Nancy MacLean August 10, 2017

Politics & Polls #55: Has the Conservative Revolution Succeeded? A Conversation with Nancy MacLean

Joining today’s episode is Nancy MacLean, an award-winning scholar of the twentieth-century United States, whose new book, “Democracy in Chains: The Deep History of the Radical Right’s Stealth Plan for America,” has been described by Publishers Weekly as “a thoroughly researched and gripping narrative… [and] a feat of American intellectual and political history.” Booklist called it “perhaps the best explanation to date of the roots of the political divide that threatens to irrevocably alter American government.”MacLean discusses her book with Professors Julian Zelizer and Sam Wang, as well as the widely publicized controversial debates that have…

Junior Summer Institute Serves as “Boot Camp” for Future Leaders in Public Policy August 07, 2017

Junior Summer Institute Serves as “Boot Camp” for Future Leaders in Public Policy

"You have every right to have a say and to lead in the domestic affairs of your country. You have every right to have a say and to lead in the foreign affairs of your country. You have every right to have a say and to lead in global affairs. These are not the preserves of a selected few."With this inspirational message, James Gadsden MCF ’85, former U.S. ambassador to Iceland (2002-2005) and former lecturer and diplomat-in-residence, concluded the international policy workshop he taught this summer to rising college seniors from around the country.The students are at Princeton University through the Public Policy & International Affairs (PPIA)…

Study Links Unhealthy Segregated Neighborhoods to Childhood Asthma August 04, 2017

Study Links Unhealthy Segregated Neighborhoods to Childhood Asthma

Researchers have had trouble explaining why black children are much more likely than other children to suffer from asthma. A new study by Princeton University strongly suggests that much of the answer lies in persistent residential segregation, which traps minority children in unhealthy, polluted neighborhoods.In the United States, black children are twice as likely as other children to develop asthma. Past research has attributed some of this difference to low birth weight, as black children are also more likely than others to be born at a low weight — defined as less than 2,500 grams, or about 5.5 pounds — and low birth weight is a risk factor for…

Politics & Polls #54: The Republic of Spin with David Greenberg August 03, 2017

Politics & Polls #54: The Republic of Spin with David Greenberg

Spin. It’s used by public relations gurus and politicians to shape an image or message, thereby influencing the public’s perception of a story. And it’s engrained in American politics, as presidents and presidential candidates both have used the art of spin to frame stories and public opinion. p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Helvetica} span.s1 {font-kerning: none} To discuss the art of spin, David Greenberg, a professor of history and journalism and media studies at Rutgers University, joins this episode of Politics & Polls. Greenberg’s book, “Republic of Spin: An Inside History of the American Presidency,” examines the rise…

Supreme Court Rulings Can Signal a Shift in Societal Norms July 31, 2017

Supreme Court Rulings Can Signal a Shift in Societal Norms

When the Supreme Court issued its 2015 ruling in favor of same-sex marriage, Americans understood the decision as a signal of Americans’ increasing support of same-sex marriage, according to a study published by Princeton University. The researchers found that, regardless of political ideology, non-LGBTQIA Americans perceived stronger and increasing public support for gay marriage in the wake of the Court’s ruling than before the decision. This was in spite of the fact that personal attitudes and feelings toward gay marriage did not change in reaction to the decision.Published in Psychological Science, the research, which features a time series survey…

Politics & Polls #53: Battles for Freedom with Eric Foner July 27, 2017

Politics & Polls #53: Battles for Freedom with Eric Foner

Drawing connections between the past and present often sparks fierce debates within the American political landscape. In this episode, Eric Foner, one of America’s most distinguished historians, discusses these interpretations of history and how they relate to today. His latest book, “Battles for Freedom,” explores this “use and abuse of American history,” unearthing the hidden history of American radicalism.Foner is the DeWitt Clinton Professor of History at Columbia University and specializes in the Civil War and Reconstruction, slavery, and 19th-century America. p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Helvetica} span.s1 {font-kerning:…

Exposure to Violence Hinders Short-Term Memory, Cognitive Control July 24, 2017

Exposure to Violence Hinders Short-Term Memory, Cognitive Control

Being exposed to and actively remembering violent episodes — even those that happened up to a decade before — hinders short-term memory and cognitive control, according to a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.The study, which was co-authored by Princeton University’s Pietro Ortoleva, examined more than 500 civilians in Colombia, a country that has experienced both urban violence and rural warfare within the past two decades.The findings demonstrate the long-lasting effects of violence on cognition and memory recall and highlight the need for policies that provide proper therapy for those coping with violence.“Memory…

Politics & Polls #52: How Social Movements Achieve Change with Steven Levingston July 19, 2017

Politics & Polls #52: How Social Movements Achieve Change with Steven Levingston

The Civil Rights Movement is often looked back upon as a time when social activism sparked real political change. During that time, the United States saw some of its greatest leaders guide the country through turbulent years. Martin Luther King Jr. and President John F. Kennedy provided different models of leadership, which some argue are needed today. p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Helvetica} span.s1 {font-kerning: none} In this episode, Professor Julian Zelizer interviews Steven Levingston, nonfiction editor at the Washington Post, about the battle over civil rights. Levingston is the author of "Kennedy and King: The President,…

Mas Named Co-Director of NBER’s Labor Studies Program July 19, 2017

Mas Named Co-Director of NBER’s Labor Studies Program

Alexandre Mas, professor of economics and public affairs at Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, has been named co-director of the Labor Studies Program at the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER). The appointment is effective September 2017.Mas’s research focuses on the effect of unions and workplace unrest on productivity, unemployment measurements and the economic effects of unemployment insurance programs. He is director of the Industrial Relations Section at Princeton and also has served as chief economist at the U.S. Department of Labor.The Labor Studies Program at NBER examines issues…

Connecting Information Technology and Policy July 19, 2017

Connecting Information Technology and Policy

How to effectively regulate and oversee the internet has become increasingly complicated for policymakers. Today’s information revolution has contributed to unanticipated policy issues concerning privacy, intellectual property and free speech, among others.A spring 2017 course taught by Princeton University Professor David Dobkin and Joanna N. Huey, associate director at Princeton’s Center for Information Technology Policy (CITP), challenged students to grapple with these pressing topics by discussing policy through a technical lens.“The course taught me to accept that technology brings uncertainty and to be wary of regulations that are created…

In Mexico, Type of Work Is Tied to Mobility Disparities as People Age July 18, 2017

In Mexico, Type of Work Is Tied to Mobility Disparities as People Age

Certain occupations may significantly contribute to mobility problems as workers age, worsening income-based disparities in disability, a study co-authored by Princeton University’s Noreen Goldman finds.The research, conducted by Goldman with Hiram Beltrán-Sánchez and Anne Pebley at the University of California, Los Angeles, finds this to be especially true in middle-income countries like Mexico, where occupational health and safety regulations are weak or were enacted comparatively recently.Poor people are considerably more likely to suffer from limited mobility as they age. Previous research has demonstrated a relationship between disability among…

Politics & Polls #51: The Trump-Russia Story with Benjamin Wittes July 13, 2017

Politics & Polls #51: The Trump-Russia Story with Benjamin Wittes

President Donald Trump has spent his first months faced with a potential scandal involving Russia, an issue that’s only grown since the election with discussions and investigations about possible obstruction and collusion. In recent weeks, this has dominated national political debates, especially in Congress and the White House.Benjamin Wittes, co-founder and editor-in-chief of the Lawfare blog, joins this episode of Politics & Polls to discuss where things stand in the Trump-Russia story. The Lawfare blog is “devoted to sober and serious discussion of ‘hard national security choices.’” p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px…