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Princeton University President Christopher L. Eisgruber
Features April 12, 2017
Princeton-Fung Global Forum Asks if Liberty Can Survive the Digital Age
While the internet has undoubtedly been an unparalleled source of information and connection, it also has proven to be one of the most powerful tools for breaching privacy and security. Understanding the balance between privacy and security — and how it affects liberty and democracy — was the theme of the fourth Princeton-Fung Global Forum held March 20-21 in Berlin. About 450 industry experts, scholars and students, as well as 30 reporters and editors from German and American media outlets, gathered to hear 40 speakers discuss liberty in the digital age. The two-day forum, "Society 3.0+: Can Liberty Survive the Digital Age?" was organized by…
Features April 12, 2017
WWS Reacts: Neil M. Gorsuch Confirmed to Supreme Court
With a final tally of 54 to 45, Judge Neil M. Gorsuch was confirmed by the U.S. Senate to become the 113th justice of the Supreme Court. Justice Gorsuch’s confirmation puts an end to a yearlong saga regarding who would fill the late Justice Antonin Scalia’s vacant seat. It also fractured certain political conventions as Senate Republicans used the “nuclear option” to end the filibuster and bring the nomination to a vote with a simple majority. The effect was that Gorsuch could be confirmed with a simple majority rather than a supermajority of 60. We discussed the confirmation with Jonathan Kastellec, an assistant professor at Princeton’s Department…
Features April 06, 2017
Politics & Polls #38: Unraveling the ‘Trump-Russia Saga’
As the investigation into Russia’s interference with the 2016 U.S. election continues, President Donald Trump continues to call the story “fake news,” “phony,” and “a total scam,” mostly by way of Twitter. He also continues to try to change the conversation by making groundless allegations, particularly his claim that President Barack Obama wiretapped Trump Tower. What do we know for certain about Trump’s connection to Russia? And what else might be revealed as the Senate and House intelligence committees continue their investigations?To better unravel this ongoing news story, Professors Julian Zelizer and Sam Wang interview Sarah Kendzior, a St…
Features April 04, 2017
WWS Reacts: Renewing Ties with Egypt
President Donald Trump welcomed Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to the White House on Monday, confirming that Egypt would find a “great friend and ally in the United States.” The meeting signals a shift in U.S.-Egyptian relations following years of tension between the two countries. We discussed what renewing ties with Egypt will mean for the United States with Amb. (Ret.) Daniel C. Kurtzer, lecturer and S. Daniel Abraham Professor in Middle Eastern Policy Studies. Kurtzer served as U.S. ambassador to Egypt from 1997 to 2001 and as U.S. ambassador to Israel from 2001 to 2005. Q. President Donald Trump recently pledged support for Egypt and…
Features March 30, 2017
Politics & Polls #37: On the Same Team? Trump’s Dynamics with Congress
Shortly after the bill to replace the Affordable Care Act was pulled, President Trump called The Washington Post’s Robert Costa to discuss what happened. The President had a “defiant and even-tempered tone," says Costa. The defeat in the House introduced Trump to the realities of the legislative process and Congress' factions. How will Mitch McConnell fare in securing the Senate votes needed to confirm Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court? What can these events tell us about Trump’s evolving relationship with and influence over Congress? Professors Julian Zelizer and Sam Wang interview Robert Costa for the latest episode of Politics & Polls. Costa is…
Features March 23, 2017
Politics & Polls #36: Do Science and Facts Matter in the Trump Administration?
President Trump’s budget blueprint proposes deep cuts to research at the National Institutes of Health and the Environmental Protection Agency. What lies ahead for scientific expertise and evidence-based policymaking? Are facts, evidence and truth under siege by the new administration? p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Helvetica; background-color: #fffb01} span.s1 {font-kerning: none} In this episode of Politics & Polls, professors Julian Zelizer and Sam Wang interview Rush D. Holt about the current state of science in the U.S., from public opinion to its role in government decision-making.Holt, Ph.D., is chief executive officer…
Features March 15, 2017
Politics & Polls #35: The Future of Conservatism in a Trump Era
The election of President Donald Trump has challenged the political machine of conservativism. Now, many on the right are grappling with how to make sense of “Trumpism” and whether it fits into the conservative movement that’s been developing over the past few decades.A new policy and political journal, “American Affairs,” aims to intellectualize the Trumpism movement as it unfolds. The publication is led by Julius Krein, a 2008 Harvard University graduate, who joins professors Julian Zelizer and Sam Wang on this episode of Politics & Polls.Krein is an American political writer and the founding editor of American Affairs. He first went into a…
Features March 15, 2017
Trump Unlikely to Change U.S. Foreign Policy, Experts Say
Given President Donald Trump’s “America First” ideologies, many question the future of American foreign policy.But it is unlikely that President Trump will dramatically change U.S. foreign policy due to a number of domestic, political and international constraints, according to a new essay written by researchers at Princeton University, Harvard University and the University of Illinois.Published March 15 in the International Security Studies Forum, the essay was written by Stephen Chaudoin, University of Illinois; Helen V. Milner, Princeton University; and Dustin Tingley, Harvard University.When it comes to foreign policy, America has an …
Princeton School of Public and International Affairs logo on a grey background.
Features March 10, 2017
Considering the Millennium Challenge: Graduate Workshop Explores Global Poverty
Princeton University’s fall break offers students a week away from the classroom, and Woodrow Wilson School graduate students enrolled in a policy workshop use the time to travel the globe researching real-world policy and observing practical application of the lessons they’ve learned on campus.In fall 2016, students in Ethan Kapstein’s graduate policy workshop focused on the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC). The class, “Ensuring the Long Run Impact of MCC Country Compacts,” examined how MCC applies policy principles to U.S. foreign aid.In 2004, the Bush administration founded the MCC, aiming to create a more efficient foreign aid delivery…
Features March 09, 2017
Politics & Polls #34: How Normal is the Trump Presidency?
The start of Donald Trump’s presidency has been anything but predictable. So far, his first 100 days in office have been filled with a lot of heat, noise — and executive orders.But is this that abnormal? Or is it par for the course? Where do we draw the line between what is unprecedented, and what we’ve seen before?Professors Julian Zelizer and Sam Wang discuss these questions — which are based on a recent article in The Upshot, a column for The New York Times— in episode #34 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…
Princeton School of Public and International Affairs logo on a grey background.
Features March 01, 2017
Lending a Hand: Students Join the Fight for Human Rights in China
According to the World Report 2016 issued by the Human Rights Watch in July 2015, the Chinese government reportedly began detaining and interrogating human rights lawyers and activists. By September 2015, approximately 280 men and women had been arrested, with 40 still remaining in custody. Many believe that most of these 40 people are held in secret locations without access to lawyers or family, some beyond the legal time limits. According to their accusers, these lawyers and activists are part of a “major criminal gang.”An annual undergraduate Policy Task Force led by Martin S. Flaherty, visiting professor of public and international affairs at…
Features March 01, 2017
Politics & Polls #33: Trade in a Trumpian World
President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to withdraw from the negotiating process of the Trans-Pacific Partnership and has vowed to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement. Both moves signal to foreign nations that the United States may have a very different outlook on international trade under President Trump. In this episode of Politics & Polls, professors Julian Zelizer and Sam Wang interview (Ret.) Amb. Michael B.G. Froman ’85 about his outlook for international trade in a ‘Trumpian World.’ p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Helvetica} span.s1 {font-kerning: none} Amb. Froman served in President…
Features February 22, 2017
Politics & Polls #32: Peace in the Middle East?
Almost every U.S. president has struggled to broker peace agreements in the Middle East, especially among Israel and Palestine. For many, the possibility of a peace agreement seems dire, with a two-state solution that seems to be fleeting. But what can we expect to see from President Donald Trump?To unravel these complex issues, Amb. Daniel Kurtzer joins this episode of Politics & Polls with co-hosts Julian Zelizer and Sam Wang.Kurtzer is the S. Daniel Abraham Visiting Professor in Middle Eastern Policy Studies at Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. Following a 29-year career in the U.S. Foreign…
Features February 16, 2017
Social Exclusion Leads to Conspiratorial Thinking, Study Finds
Recent polls have shown that many white, working-class people in America feel pushed out by society, a reason why many voted for President Donald Trump. Many of these supporters latched onto misinformation spread online, especially stories that justified their own beliefs.New research may show why so many were willing to believe exaggerated and misleading reports. According to a Princeton University study published in the Journal of Experimental and Social Psychology, social exclusion leads to conspiratorial thinking.The two-part analysis — which did not specifically investigate Trump supporters, but two random samples of people — found that the…
Features February 15, 2017
Politics & Polls #31: The Cognitive Science of ‘Trumpology’
Donald Trump’s presidency has evoked strong emotional and psychological responses from both the public and the president himself, raising issues not often brought forth in public policy and governance.Many, including members of the media, are trying to make sense of this complicated web of anger, passion, rationality and irrationality. Among those reporters is Jesse Singal of New York Magazine, who is bringing the social sciences into the news amid an often-heated environment.In this episode of Politics & Polls, professors Julian Zelizer and Sam Wang interview Singal and discuss, among other topics, his recent articles on fear among conservatives…