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Features 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:…
Features 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…
Features 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,…
Features 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…
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Features 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…
Features 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…
Features 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…
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Features July 13, 2017
Göttsche Awarded $1 Million Fellowship to Study Nuclear Archaeology
Malte Göttsche, a Princeton University postdoctoral researcher at the Program on Science and Global Security (SGS), was awarded a $1million, five-year fellowship to support the creation of a nuclear archaeology research group.The Freigeist Fellowship — also known as the Free Spirit Fellowship — is awarded by Germany’s Volkswagen Foundation and recognizes outstanding, creative and independent early-career researchers to promote visionary research projects. Ten to fifteen fellowships are awarded annually.Göttsche’s research will bring together a team of physicists, engineers and social scientists to Germany’s Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule…
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Features July 06, 2017
From A to Z: Woody Woo in 2016-2017
From hosting an Auction to weighing in on the Zika virus, the 2016-17 academic year at the Woodrow Wilson School was both productive and exciting! The Woo family tuned in to a new podcast series, supported local charities, and learned from the experiences and expertise of many high-profile figures in public policy. Take a look back at these and many more highlights from the year. Credits:Graphic Designer: Egan JimenezLead Writer: Gillian E. SamiosEditor: Elisabeth DonahueContributors: Sarah Binder and B. Rose Kelly
Features July 05, 2017
Fourth of July Q&A: Zachary Beecher, Class of 2013, Captain, U.S. Army
Zachary Beecher is a captain on the 2nd Brigade Combat Team’s staff working for the brigade commander in developing the analysis for the ongoing advise-and-assist mission in Iraq. For the first six months of his deployment, Beecher served as the logistics advise-and-assist coordinator for 2nd Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division. With his team of logistics advisers, he coordinated efforts with coalition partners including Sweden, New Zealand, Great Britain, Australia, Hungary, Norway, Germany, France and others while working hand-in-hand with the Iraqi Army to provide support and real-time consultations on optimizing logistics operations in support of the…
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Features June 29, 2017
Politics & Polls #50: One-Year Anniversary
This week marks the one-year anniversary of Politics & Polls! In this episode, Professors Julian Zelizer and Sam Wang reflect on everything that’s transpired over the past year from the presidential campaign to President Donald Trump’s election.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…
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Features June 29, 2017
Princeton Study Evaluates Aid Programs in Afghanistan
On June 21, the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) hosted an event featuring guest speakers and a public discussion of a study led by the Empirical Studies of Conflict Project (ESOC), based at Princeton University. The study, commissioned by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), evaluates the effectiveness of different stabilizing programs in Afghanistan and reflects on the most essential components of a successful program.Ethan Kapstein, associate director of ESOC and visiting lecturer at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, summarized the main findings in a special policy report titled “Aid…
Research
Features June 29, 2017
Climate Change to Damage U.S. Economy, Increase Inequality
Unmitigated climate change will make the United States poorer and more unequal, according to a study published June 29 in the journal Science. The poorest third of counties could sustain economic damage costing as much as 20 percent of their income if warming proceeds unabated.States in the South and lower Midwest, which tend to be poor and hot already, will lose the most, with economic opportunity traveling northward and westward. Colder and richer counties along the northern border and in the Rockies could benefit the most as health, agriculture and energy costs are projected to improve.Overall, the study — whose authors include Michael Oppenheimer,…
Research
Features June 28, 2017
Revitalizing Detroit Requires Development of Specific Neighborhoods
Despite the relatively large number of employees working in downtown Detroit, the city continues to be afflicted by urban blight, surrounded by a swath of vacant neighborhoods. Changing this pervasive phenomenon has been at the forefront for developers, city officials and groups like Detroit Future City, an initiative with a strategic vision for the city’s future.Debuting a new economic model, a team of researchers from Princeton University and the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond have identified 22 neighborhoods that, if developed, could bring in millions of dollars in residential and business rents while attracting thousands of new residents to the…
Features June 28, 2017
Decrease in Lead Exposure in Early Childhood May Be Responsible for Drop in Crime Rate
Exposure to lead in the preschool years significantly increases the chance that children will be suspended or incarcerated during their school careers, according to research at Princeton University and Brown University. Conversely, a drop in exposure leads to less antisocial behavior and thus may well be a significant factor behind the drop in crime over the past few decades.Given that children who are suspended or incarcerated are more likely to be involved in crime as adults, the finding supports the hypothesis that falling crime rates over the past few decades were caused largely by a sharp decline in childhood lead exposure. Lead was banned from…