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Politics & Polls #36: Do Science and Facts Matter in the Trump Administration? 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…
Politics & Polls #35: The Future of Conservatism in a Trump Era 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…
Trump Unlikely to Change U.S. Foreign Policy, Experts Say 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 …
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Considering the Millennium Challenge: Graduate Workshop Explores Global Poverty 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…
Politics & Polls #34: How Normal is the Trump Presidency? 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…
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Lending a Hand: Students Join the Fight for Human Rights in China 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…
Politics & Polls #33: Trade in a Trumpian World 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…
Politics & Polls #32: Peace in the Middle East? 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…
Social Exclusion Leads to Conspiratorial Thinking, Study Finds 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…
Politics & Polls #31: The Cognitive Science of ‘Trumpology’ 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…
Politics & Polls #30: Immigration & Border Control with Doug Massey February 10, 2017
Politics & Polls #30: Immigration & Border Control with Doug Massey
A federal appeals court has blocked President Donald Trump’s executive order issuing an immigration ban barring people from seven predominantly Muslim countries from entering the United States. Trump also has made moves toward building a border wall with Mexico, which recent figures suggest may cost an estimated $21 billion. If implemented, what would an immigration ban and a border wall accomplish?In this episode, professors Julian Zelizer and Sam Wang take a deep dive into immigration and border control with Doug Massey, one of the country’s leading experts in this field. Throughout the discussion, Massey busts many myths, including the question of…
Wide Data Nets: The Dilemma of Catch & Release February 08, 2017
Wide Data Nets: The Dilemma of Catch & Release
The digital revolution is generating massive amounts of information. And while big data certainly benefits researchers and consumers, it also poses significant privacy concerns.In this WooCast episode, Tim Lee of Vox interviews Princeton professors Prateek Mittal and Matt Salganik about the benefits, risks and concerns related to big data.This episode is part of a series featuring moderators and panelists who will participate in the Princeton-Fung Global Forum: “Society 3.0+: Can Liberty Survive the Digital Age?” The conference, to be held March 20-21 in Berlin, is being organized by the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs…
Politics & Polls #29: The Trump Show January 31, 2017
Politics & Polls #29: The Trump Show
It seems as if America is watching two shows in parallel. On one hand, we’re seeing the political process unfold with cabinet nominees being appointed and executive orders being signed. On the other hand, the country has front-row seats to The Donald Trump Show, a gripping drama filled with unexpected twists and turns.Are we seeing the birth cries of an authoritarian regime? Or is it the gang that couldn't shoot straight? Professors Julian Zelizer and Sam Wang debate this and more in episode #29. ABOUT THE HOSTSZelizer is the Malcolm Stevenson Forbes, Class of 1941 
Professor of History and Public Affairs at Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson…
Politics & Polls #28: The Women’s March on Washington with Katha Pollitt January 26, 2017
Politics & Polls #28: The Women’s March on Washington with Katha Pollitt
Hailed as one of the largest protests in American history, the Women’s March on Washington gathered hundreds of thousands of people in the district and millions in sister marches across the world.Held just a day after President Donald Trump’s inauguration, the protest was an opportunity for Americans to bring gender and reproductive rights to the forefront, an issue many feel is under threat by a Trump administration. In this episode of Politics & Polls, professors Julian Zelizer and Sam Wang discuss the march and reproductive rights with Katha Pollitt, a columnist for The Nation. Pollitt’s column, “Subject to Debate” has been cited as “the best…
WooCast: How the Digital Cookies Crumble January 25, 2017
WooCast: How the Digital Cookies Crumble
Can liberty survive the digital age? In this episode, Princeton University professors Jennifer Rexford and Janet Vertesi discuss internet infrastructure and its effect on how people use the web as a vehicle for communication and information.This episode is part of a series featuring panelists who will participate in the Princeton-Fung Global Forum: “Society 3.0+: Can Liberty Survive the Digital Age?” The conference, to be held March 20-21 in Berlin, is being organized by the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs.Jennifer Rexford is the Gordon Y.S. Wu Professor of Engineering, professor of computer science and chair of the…