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Features April 10, 2019
WWS Reacts [Audio]: Israel Elections
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was reelected in Israel’s elections and will begin his fifth term in office. What’s next for the country under his leadership? Sharing his response to this news in the audio clip below is Daniel Kurtzer, lecturer and S. Daniel Abraham Professor in Middle East Policy Studies at Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. Kurtzer served as U.S. ambassador to Egypt (1997-2001) and as U.S. ambassador to Israel (2001-2005). While U.S. media and others are reporting a clear victory for Netanyahu, Kurtzer’s reaction suggests that Netanyahu’s pathway toward a coalition may be…
Doctors in surgery
Features April 03, 2019
Government Subsidies Could Be Key to Containing Hospital-Born Infections
Alan Krueger
Features March 19, 2019
Alan B. Krueger, Prominent Labor Economist and Dedicated Public Servant, Dies
Alan B. Krueger, an esteemed labor economist who advised Bill Clinton and Barack Obama during their presidencies, died March 16. He was 58.A pioneer in his field, Krueger shepherded the empirical revolution in economics, using data to tackle some of the country’s toughest quandaries. He brought this approach into the classroom at Princeton University, where he educated and inspired hundreds of students in his more than 30-year teaching tenure.“Alan Krueger was an extraordinary economist and a valued colleague,” said Christopher L. Eisgruber, Princeton University president. “His brilliant scholarship illuminated many topics, including the value of a…
Features March 12, 2019
WWS Reacts [Audio]: Brexit Fails Again. Now What?
Prime Minister Theresa May's plan to exit the European Union was shot down again by Britain's Parliament in a 391 to 242 vote on March 12. What does this mean for the country and May's leadership? Professor Harold James sent us a one-minute dispatch from Britain, sharing his reaction to the vote. James is the Claude and Lore Kelly Professor in European Studies and a professor of history and international affairs at Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. James, co-director of the Program in Contemporary European Politics and Society, studies economic and financial history and modern European history. …
Michael Oppenheimer
Features February 22, 2019
Q&A: Discerning Experts: The Practices of Scientific Assessment for Environmental Policy
Governments around the world rely on scientific assessments to guide environmental policy and action. Yet, these assessments, like those produced by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and other organizations, can sometimes exhibit limitations, including scientific bias and even errors of omission in their search for the facts.A new book co-authored by Michael Oppenheimer of Princeton University uncovers the systemic bias and errors of omission within scientific assessments, presenting a roadmap for how the process can be improved. The book, “Discerning Experts: The Practices of Scientific Assessment for Environmental Policy,” was published…
Features February 05, 2019
WWS Reacts: Venezuela’s Leadership Crisis
A number of countries — including the United Kingdom, Spain, France, Germany, Sweden and Denmark — have recognized opposition leader Juan Guaidó as interim president of Venezuela. Meanwhile, President Nicolás Maduro argues firmly he is the legitimate leader. What does the leadership clash mean for the country and its relationship with the United States? We discussed the crisis in Venezuela with Magaly Sanchez R, senior researcher from the Woodrow Wilson School's Office of Population Research and former professor at Central University of Venezuela. Q. What are the implications of the United States and other countries supporting Juan Guaidó, Venezuela…
Features February 04, 2019
Project to Collect Real Portraits of American Life
Today, only half of children grow up to earn more than their parents, as opportunities for upward mobility continue to decline. Meanwhile, more than 15 percent of children live in poverty.Understanding what is behind these problems has been a challenge, as each pocket of the United States faces particular struggles. The American Voices Project will make it possible to take these local differences into account. Through comprehensive interviews and rigorous field work, the project will collect rich comprehensive portraits of American life, from finances to personal wellbeing to individual values and aspirations.Eighty research fellows will interview 5…
Features January 31, 2019
WWS Reacts: U.S.-Taliban Peace Talks
The United States and the Taliban in Afghanistan are currently in the midst of negotiations about a possible withdrawal by the U.S. from that country. Many fear this could signal a “surrender” by the U.S., putting Afghanistan at risk of becoming a hub for terrorism. We discussed the peace talks with Jacob Shapiro, associate professor of politics and international affairs. Shapiro studies political violence, economic and political development in conflict zones, security policy and urban conflict. Q. What sparked the peace talks between the U.S. and the Taliban? Shapiro: These talks have been going on and off at varying levels of intensity since…
Features January 18, 2019
Private Sector Can Grow Despite Violent Conflict, Princeton Study Shows
Despite decades of violent conflict across countries like Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq, thousands of private sector firms are operating in those among other conflict-affected regions. As generators of jobs, incomes, profits, taxes and innovation, these firms are crucial not just to economic growth, but potentially to post-conflict peace agreements as well. Yet, they face significant obstacles to growth, according to a new report led by researchers at Princeton University.This is one of several major findings in a report prepared by Princeton’s Empirical Studies of Conflict Project (ESOC) for the United Kingdom’s Department for International…
Features January 16, 2019
WWS Reacts: The Brexit Plan Was Defeated. What’s Next?
In a dramatic vote, Parliament said no to Britain Prime Minister Theresa May’s plan for leaving the European Union. Called one of the worst parliamentary defeats in modern times, the 432 to 202 vote highlights Britain’s fractured government. We discussed the vote and implications with Harold James, the Claude and Lore Kelly Professor in European Studies and a professor of history and international affairs at Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. James, co-director of the the Program in Contemporary European Politics and Society, studies economic and financial history and modern European history. Q. What's…
Features January 15, 2019
Q&A: Information, Democracy, and Autocracy: Transparency and Political (In)Stability
Americans seeking information about unemployment rates, wage growth and inflation can do so with the click of a button. But transparency of this kind is not readily available in many developing countries. How does this flow of information — or lack thereof — affect political stability around the world?A new book published by researchers at Princeton University, New York University (NYU) and the University of Minnesota (UMN) examines how information affects political and economic phenomena including mass protests, foreign direct investment, and the stability of dictatorships and democracies. They find that while transparency enhances the stability of…
Features January 08, 2019
Q&A: Fault Lines: A History of the United States Since 1974
Princeton faculty members Kevin Kruse and Julian Zelizer are well known for their efforts to explain U.S. history and current events to the broad public.Kruse turns to Twitter to lay out the facts of history in a rapid-fire media cycle. He also occasionally takes on prevaricating online pundits.Zelizer is a CNN Political Analyst and a noted commentator in international and national media on contemporary politics. His weekly “Politics and Polls” podcast with Sam Wang, a professor of molecular biology and the Princeton Neuroscience Institute, provides analysis of the latest political headlines and trends.Now, Kruse and Zelizer have written “Fault Lines:…
Features January 07, 2019
No Laboratory Needed: The Person Project Mines Social Science Data with Secure Online Quizzes
Understanding the human psyche is complex, for ordinary people and scientists alike. Now, researchers at Princeton University have created a new tool for social scientists to study human psychology through a series of fun, thought-provoking activities. Launched this month, the Person Project website and smartphone application (available for both iPhone and Android) are designed to encrypt and store securely collected data from users who participate in these activities, providing an online platform for researchers to use in academic studies. “The goal of this project is to connect people to psychological research and give curious users the opportunity…
Features December 20, 2018
WWS Reacts: Following Texas Ruling, What’s Next for the ACA?
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) appears to be on the chopping block again after a federal court judge in Texas ruled the law unconstitutional. While the ruling likely won’t have any immediate effects, it could eventually jeopardize the nation’s health care system. We discussed the ruling and what’s next for the ACA with Heather Howard, a lecturer in public affairs at Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs and a faculty affiliate at the Center for Health and Wellbeing. Howard is director of the State Health and Value Strategies program, a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation-funded program that provides technical…
Features December 17, 2018
WWS Reacts: Trump’s Border Wall, DACA and "Chain Migration"
So-called “chain migration” is in the news again as House Republicans try to introduce a government funding bill that includes $5 billion in funding for a border wall between the United States and Mexico. Just last week, President Donald Trump threßatened to shut down the government if he doesn’t get the funding for the wall in a heated exchange about border security with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. We discussed the ins and outs of “chain migration” — including the true figures — with Marta Tienda, Maurice P. During Professor in Demographic Studies and professor of sociology and public affairs, in the…