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WWS Reacts: Trump's State of the Union January 31, 2018

WWS Reacts: Trump's State of the Union

President Donald Trump delivered the State of the Union address on Jan. 30, touching upon issues related to immigration, infrastructure, the economy, health care, and national security. We discussed his speech with experts from Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, who shared their reactions below. Q. President Trump explained how the coalition to defeat the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has liberated almost 100 percent of the territory once held by the group in Iraq and Syria. Is this true? Does this mean we’re making progress in terms of ending ISIS? What more must be done? “This is true. It’s…

At Wilson School’s Junior Summer Institute, College Students Get a Taste of Public Policy Master’s Program January 23, 2018

At Wilson School’s Junior Summer Institute, College Students Get a Taste of Public Policy Master’s Program

As a participant in the Public Policy and International Affairs (PPIA) Fellowship Program — a national consortium of top public policy and international affairs graduate schools — Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs has since 1985 hosted a Junior Summer Institute (JSI) for students between their junior and senior years of college. Focusing especially on students from underrepresented groups, the program aims to prepare young people for graduate study and careers in public policy and international affairs.Below are profiles of two students for whom JSI was a stepping stone to the Wilson School MPA program…

Politics & Polls #74: The Second Coming of the KKK January 18, 2018

Politics & Polls #74: The Second Coming of the KKK

President Donald Trump’s election stirred up what some call a resurgence of white nationalism. But is this a new phenomenon outside of mainstream America? Or has white nationalism been more part of American culture than we’ve been willing to admit?Julian Zelizer and Sam Wang untangle this issue in this episode, which features historian Linda Gordon, who recently published “The Second Coming of the KKK: The Ku Klux Klan of the 1920s and the American Political Tradition.”Gordon is a professor of history and a University Professor of the Humanities at New York University. Her early books focused on the historical roots of social policy issues,…

WWS Reacts: Putin’s Attacks on Democracy January 16, 2018

WWS Reacts: Putin’s Attacks on Democracy

Last week, a U.S. government report outlined attacks made by Russian President Vladimir Putin on democratic institutions over nearly two decades. The report, commissioned by U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD) and released by Democratic staff of the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, details the many ways in which the Russian government has combined Soviet-era approaches with today’s technological tools. We discussed the report, its findings and recommendations with Jacob N. Shapiro, professor of politics and international affairs at Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. Shapiro, who co-directs the…

Politics & Polls #73: Why You Should Care about Gerrymandering January 11, 2018

Politics & Polls #73: Why You Should Care about Gerrymandering

A panel of federal judges rejected a congressional district map in North Carolina, calling it a partisan gerrymander. Never before has a court overturned a Congressional districting plan on grounds of partisanship. The panel ordered the state legislature to redraw the map. p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Helvetica} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px} span.s1 {font-kerning: none} Gerrymandering, a practice which manipulates district boundaries for political gains, is a much-debated topic in the political sphere. In this episode, Professors Julian Zelizer and Sam Wang discuss what’s…

In India, Subtle Corruption Robs Villagers of Roads January 11, 2018

In India, Subtle Corruption Robs Villagers of Roads

Examining a major road-building program in India, researchers at Princeton University and the Paris School of Economics used an innovative technique to show that political corruption increased the chances that roads meant to connect isolated areas to the rest of the country would never be built, even though the government had paid for them.The study, published in the Journal of Development Economics, found that almost 500 all-weather roads listed in the road program’s monitoring data as having been completed and paid for were never built. The researchers connected these “missing roads” to political corruption — specifically, to local politicians…

Politics & Polls #72: Social Research in the Digital Age January 04, 2018

Politics & Polls #72: Social Research in the Digital Age

From smart phones to social media, digital technology has changed the way we live — åallowing for new explorations of human behavior. Big Data now enables scientists to process data about human behavior on a scale never before imaginable.In this episode, Professors Julian Zelizer and Sam Wang interview Matt Salganik, a professor of sociology at Princeton University. Salgnik’s new book, “Bit by Bit: Social Research in the Digital Age,” explores these concepts, detailing how the digital revolution is transforming how social scientists observe behavior, ask questions, run experiments and engage in mass collaborations.Salganik is also affiliated with the…

Politics & Polls #71: Inside the Mind of Donald Trump December 20, 2017

Politics & Polls #71: Inside the Mind of Donald Trump

What’s going on in the mind of President Donald Trump? Journalist Ellis Henican provides a humorous, illustrated look into the president’s psyche in a new book, “Trumpitude.” He discusses this and more with professor Julian Zelizer in this episode.ABOUT THE HOSTSZelizer is the Malcolm Stevenson Forbes, Class of 1941 Professor of History and Public Affairs at Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. He has been one of the pioneers in the revival of American political history. He is the author of several books including, most recently, "The Fierce Urgency of Now: Lyndon Johnson, Congress, and the Battle for the…

Politics & Polls #70: Alabama’s Senate Race December 14, 2017

Politics & Polls #70: Alabama’s Senate Race

Democrat Doug Jones won a pivotal Alabama Senate seat Dec. 12, a victory carrying with it significant national consequences. Jones, a former U.S. attorney, defeated Republican Roy S. Moore, a former chief justice who’s been ensnarled in claims of sexual harassment.Professors Julian Zelizer and Sam Wang discuss the race results in this episode of Politics & Polls.ABOUT THE HOSTSZelizer is the Malcolm Stevenson Forbes, Class of 1941 Professor of History and Public Affairs at Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. He has been one of the pioneers in the revival of American political history. He is the author…

Hydraulic Fracturing Negatively Impacts Infant Health December 13, 2017

Hydraulic Fracturing Negatively Impacts Infant Health

From North Dakota to Ohio to Pennsylvania, hydraulic fracturing, also known as fracking, has transformed small towns into energy powerhouses. While some see the new energy boom as benefiting the local economy and decreasing U.S. reliance on foreign oil, others fear the potential health and environmental consequences that come along with fracking.Health risks increase for infants born to mothers living within 2 miles of a hydraulic fracturing site, according to a study published Dec. 13 in Science Advances. The research team found that infants born within a half a mile from a fracking site were 25 percent more likely to be born at low birth weights,…

Dark Side of the Moon: Motorcycle Deaths Linked to Full Moons December 11, 2017

Dark Side of the Moon: Motorcycle Deaths Linked to Full Moons

Distracted drivers, like those who text behind the wheel, are a danger to themselves and to others. Even a brief, momentary glance away from the road can result in life-threatening consequences.Research published Dec. 11 in The BMJ points toward another potential distraction for motorists: the full moon, gracing the sky with its brightness around 12 times a year, and the dazzling supermoon, which comes into focus around once a year.The researchers found that on nights illuminated by a full moon, fatal motorcycle accidents increased by 5 percent compared to nights without a full moon. On evenings when the supermoon decorated the sky, this increased to…

Police Officers Highly Motivated by Supervisor Scrutiny December 08, 2017

Police Officers Highly Motivated by Supervisor Scrutiny

Police officers are highly responsive to the scrutiny of their superiors, a Princeton University study shows. The findings suggest that rules and supervision can be effective at reforming police behavior.Published Dec. 7 in the Journal of Politics, the study examines millions of police records from the New York Police Department’s (NYPD) stop-question-and-frisk program — a controversial police tactic wherein officers detain, question and potentially search pedestrians.In 2013, the NYPD suddenly mandated that officers provide thorough, narrative descriptions of their stops of criminal suspects to their superiors, justifying their reasons for each stop…

Politics & Polls #69: How the Media Covers Race December 06, 2017

Politics & Polls #69: How the Media Covers Race

How the media covers race remains a palpable concern in today’s America. In this episode, award-winning journalist Tanzina Vega chats with Professors Julian Zelizer and Sam Wang about the many issues related to race and the media.Vega is speaker on issues of race, media and inequality in the United States as well as a Ferris Professor of Journalism at Princeton University and an Eisner Fellow at the Nation Institute. Her forthcoming book is titled, “Uppity: Women, Race and Class in America.”Vega has worked for and contributed to CNN, CNNMoney, WNYC Radio, Reuters, Billboard magazine and The New York Times, where she won an Emmy award for outstanding…

Frymer discusses ‘Building an American Empire’ November 29, 2017

Frymer discusses ‘Building an American Empire’

Paul Frymer, a professor of politics at Princeton University and the director of the Program in Law and Public Affairs at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, studies democratic representation in the United States. His particular interests are the historical place of political institutions such as courts and parties in responding to racial and class inequality.This fall, Frymer’s latest book, “Building an American Empire: The Era of Territorial and Political Expansion,” was published by Princeton University Press. The book examines the politics of American expansion, showing how the federal government’s land use policies —…

Politics & Polls #68: Captivity and Survival in Syria November 29, 2017

Politics & Polls #68: Captivity and Survival in Syria

Photographers are often on the front lines of war, risking their lives to document deadly conflict zones. One such photojournalist is Jonathan Alpeyrie, a French-American photographer who was captured and held hostage by Syrian rebels in 2013. In this episode, Alpeyrie describes his 81 days of being bound, blindfolded and beaten — an experience that forced him to question the value and risks of his career. He explains why, despite the violence thrust upon him, he chose to see the humanity in his captors, immersing himself in their culture, language and traditions.This and more is explored in his new book, "The Shattered Lens: A War Photographer's True…