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Features 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…

Features 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,…

Features 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…

Features 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…

Features 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…

Features 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 —…

Features 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…

Features November 15, 2017

Politics & Polls #67: The Day the Donkey Roared

Democrats triumphed in the Virginia and New Jersey gubernatorial races Nov. 7, which some say is a strong rebuke to Republican President Donald Trump. Are the democratic victories a predictor of what’s to come in the midterm results next year?Joining this episode are Larry Sabato and Geoffrey Skelley of Sabato’s Crystal Ball, a website run by the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics known for being a leader in the field of political predictions. The Crystal Ball keeps tabs on presidential elections, along with every Senate and gubernatorial race, as well as the tightest campaigns for the House.Sabato, editor in chief of Sabato’s Crystal Ball,…

Features November 15, 2017

Uwe Reinhardt, Leading Authority on Health Care Economics and Admired Teacher, Dies at 80

Uwe Reinhardt, one of the nation’s leading health care economists and beloved Princeton University professor, died Monday, Nov. 13. He was 80. A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. on April 21, 2018, in the University Chapel. During the nearly 50 years that Reinhardt was at the University, he was regarded as one of the most influential health economists and health policy experts in the country, known for his ability to explain extraordinarily complex health care issues to a very broad audience. Considered “a moral compass for American health care” by the Kaiser Family Foundation, he advised both domestic and international bodies on a number of…

Features November 14, 2017

With More Than 1.6 Million Survey Responses, Princeton’s Survey Research Center Turns 25

Surveys are a part of our everyday lives — from customer service telephone surveys and retail email surveys to the official U.S. Census. Many surveys are designed to inform important research on issues that affect many lives.For the past 25 years, a dedicated center at Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School has gathered an astonishing 1,676,908 survey responses, on topics ranging from the economics of concert ticket pricing (with more than 3,000 interviews conducted at 26 venues around the U.S.) to the way students’ opinions change after their first year of college.Since its establishment in 1992 through a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon…

Features November 08, 2017

Sonya Smith Joins Woodrow Wilson School as Director of Graduate Admissions

Sonya Smith, who has served in senior admission positions at Princeton University and Stanford University, joins Princeton’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs as director of graduate admissions, effective Nov. 29.Smith has served as associate dean and director of diversity outreach for Princeton’s Undergraduate Office of Admission since April 2013. In her new position at the Woodrow Wilson School, Smith will oversee the operations of the Graduate Admissions Office.“We are delighted Sonya has accepted the position of director of admissions,” said Dean Cecilia Elena Rouse. “She brings to this position invaluable expertise and…

Features November 08, 2017

Politics & Polls #66: A Year of Donald Trump

In this episode, Julian Zelizer and Sam Wang take a look back at the past year and analyze all that has unfolded since Donald Trump was elected president of the United States.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 Great Society." Zelizer is a frequent commentator in the international and…

Features November 06, 2017

Satellite Imagery Reveals Decline in ISIS Oil Production

Oil production by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) steadily declined between 2014 and 2016, indicating that the group was financing itself in other ways, like taxation or extortion.Using satellite imagery, a team of researchers led by Princeton University and the World Bank analyzed 42 oil production sites controlled by ISIS across Syria and Iraq. The researchers found the group’s production peaked in 2014, but never came close to pre-war production and declined steadily through 2016, long before the group lost physical control of its oil assets.Because many terrorist organizations and insurgencies tap oil as a revenue source, it is…

Features November 02, 2017

Politics & Polls #65: Alaskan Politics with Rep. Bryce Edgmon

Given the news consistently coming out of Washington, it can be easy to forget what’s happening at the local level. In this episode, Julian Zelizer and Sam Wang turn their attention toward Alaska, a state whose budget has been especially affected by steep drops in oil prices. They discuss this and more with state Rep. Bryce Edgmon (D-Dillingham), Speaker of the Alaskan House of Representatives. An Alaskan native, Edgmon represents the 37th District since 2006. He is the first Alaskan native to hold the position. He is currently serving as co-chair of the Health & Social Services Committee and chair of the Committee on Committees. He is also a…

Features November 01, 2017

SINSI Spotlight: Alisa Tiwari '14, U.S. Department of Justice

As a Princeton University undergraduate, Alisa Tiwari '14 evaluated New York City’s controversial stop-and-frisk program for her senior thesis. With a background in domestic policy, African-American studies, and urban studies, and drawing on her coursework in politics, policy analysis, and statistics, she spent countless hours analyzing police data, reviewing the relevant legal issues, and considering the perspectives of both officers and community members to assess the efficacy, constitutionality, and broader societal impacts of the practice. Her thesis, “Watch Where You Walk: An Evaluation of Stop and Frisk in New York City," earned her the J…

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