Podcasts

In today’s workplace, writing is an essential skill. Whether drafting a policy memo, an email, or even a tweet, succinct writing is the key to effective communication. Best practices for clear writing are explored in a new book by Martha Coven: "Writing on the Job: Best Practices for Communicating in the Digital Age,” published by Princeton University Press. In the book, Coven draws upon decades of experience in the public and private sectors — as well as in the classroom at Princeton University — to provide a helpful guide for anyone looking to improve their writing. Coven, lecturer and John L. Weinberg/Goldman Sachs & Co. Visiting Professor at…

China’s intentions to become the world’s next superpower are clear. After decades of trade and investments with advanced democracies, the country is far richer and stronger today than ever before. At the same time, China remains regressive toward its citizens and aggressive toward countries abroad. How did we get to this point? The West and its allies underestimated the resilience and ruthlessness of the Chinese Communist Party, Aaron Friedberg argues. In a new book, “Getting China Wrong,” he explains why the West’s strategy toward China failed and offers a path forward for U.S. foreign policy toward China. Friedberg is a professor of politics…

Social Security remains beloved and holds bipartisan support among American citizens. Yet the program faces an insolvency crisis. It pays out more in benefits than it collects in taxes and is therefore devouring its trust fund. By 2034, when the fund is projected to run dry, it’s estimated that 81 million Americans will face automatic benefit cuts of 20%. There is nothing complicated about fixing Social Security, according to R. Douglas Arnold, the William Church Osborn Professor of Public Affairs, Emeritus, and professor of politics and public affairs, emeritus, at Princeton University. Legislators could simply raise taxes or they could cut benefits…

Freedom of religion is a constitutionally protected right in the religion clause of the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. By definition, this should reflect America’s diversity and cover all people equally — whether Christian, Jewish, Muslim, agnostic, or atheist. In practice, however, Americans sometimes support policies that seemingly violate the civil rights of Muslims. Although the U.S. Census identifies Muslim immigrants of the Middle East and North Africa as white, they face discrimination and prejudices of being terrorists, suspicious, and violent. This paradox is the heart of “The Racial Muslim: When Racism Quashes Religious Freedom,…

Whether it be earning a college degree, buying a house, or addressing income shortfalls, access to credit is essential for many people’s well-being and social opportunities in today’s richest countries. Yet, with credit also comes the burden of debt, which many are shouldering in an unsteady economic climate. But why are some people in some countries more indebted than others? Andreas Wiedemann, assistant professor of politics and international affairs, seeks to understand this in his new book, “Indebted Societies.” Through detailed accounts of individuals and countries, Wiedemann develops a new social policy theory of everyday borrowing to examine…

“I can’t breathe.” Those were George Floyd’s final words before he was murdered by police in Minneapolis — just outside a store known for being the "best place to buy menthol cigarettes." Today’s rise in Black deaths, cries of “I can’t breathe,” and the menthol cigarette can all be linked to a long history of race and exploitation. This is revealed in a new book by historian Keith Wailoo: “Pushing Cool: Big Tobacco, Racial Marketing, and the Untold Story of the Menthol Cigarette,” which pulls back the curtain on the hidden persuaders who shaped menthol buying habits and racial markets across America. Wailoo is the Henry Putnam University Professor…