Sanford School of Public Policy
Duke University

In the Media

Fall 2009

U.S. News & World Report. Nov. 17. This article about "the green consumer" applies the analysis of personal traits from the new book You Are What You Chose by James Hamilton, professor of public policy, and Scott deMarchi.

Time. Nov. 12. James Hamilton, professor of public policy, and Scott de Marchi discuss their new book You Are What You Chose in this Q&A.

The New York Times. Nov. 12. Joel Fleishman, professor of public policy, comments on the trend of foundations spending down their endowments.

The Chronicle of Philanthropy Nov. 12. Professors of Public Policy Edward Skloot and Joel Fleishman comment on the new Social Impact Exchange, a first-of-its-kind forum aimed at increasing conversation about social philanthropic efforts.

Wisconsin Public Radio Nov. 10. Donald Taylor, Assistant Professor of Public Policy, called in to the Joy Cardin Show to discuss the lastest in the health care reform debate: the bill recently passed in the House of Representatives. Now it moves on to the Senate, where Taylor predicts it will have obstacles to overcome.

UNC-TV Nov. 9. The documentary, "North Carolina Giving," narrated by Amb. James Joseph, professor of public policy, explores philanthropy across the state.

Durham Herald Sun Nov. 5. The recession led to a decrease in test scores and an increase in out-of-wedlock births in low-income families, according to new research by Assistant Professor of Public Policy Christina Gibson-Davis. Gibson-Davis based the research on in-depth interviews and studies of other low-income communities.

NPR Nov. 3, William Darity, Professor of Public Policy and African and African-American Studies, comments on the impact of the recession on the economic outlook for African Americans. Darity is organizing a summit of black economists at UNC and Duke to discuss this economic climate.

The Grio Oct. 30. Professor of Public Policy and African and African-American Studies William Darity, in collaboration with Darrick Hamilton, discuss Federal Reserve Chief Ben Bernanke's comments regarding the disparity in wealth between races.

The (Raleigh News & Observer) Oct. 30. Assistant Professor of Public Policy Donald Taylor's latest in a series of columns. In it, he discusses the limits of a public option in the bill introduced to the Senate by Majority Leader Harry Reid.

Philanthropy News Digest Oct. 27. Duke University co-founds a first-of-its-kind philanthropic forum, aimed at increasing conversation about effective social programs. This story was also covered by The Wall Street Journal, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, PhilanTopic Blog, Olena's Blog on Corporate Social Responsibility.

The (Raleigh News & Observer) Oct. 22. Eighty years ago, an influential study was released which found college athletics to be “a highly organized commercial enterprise ... commanded by professional coaches." Professor of Public Policy Charles Clotfelter writes that little has changed over the past eight decades. This commentary also ran in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Oct. 25.

Durham Herald-Sun, Oct. 20. Sanford School meets fundraising target with $5.75 million gift from Duke University Trustee David Rubenstein. This story was also covered by WRAL, My Fox 8, MyNC.com, ABC 13, University Business, Fundraising Success, and News Spider

Los Angeles Times, Oct. 20. Professors of Public Policy Charles Clotfelter, Helen Ladd, and Jacob Vigdor's study on educational achievement cited in the Times' value-added research project.

Los Angeles Times, Oct. 19. Professor of Public Policy and Economics Helen Ladd comments on 'value-added' teacher evaluations.

KUER 90.1, Oct 19. Assistant Professor of Public Policy Don Taylor discussing policies about end-of-life care.

Billboard, Oct. 19. A new study by Assistant Professor of Public Policy Marc Bellemare and Andrew Holmberg of the Dept. of Justice examines how music piracy by college students is influenced by three factors: price, punishment and morality.

The Genomics Law Report, Oct. 19. Research Professor of Public Policy Robert Cook-Deegan discusses how the rapid pace of research in geonomics is outpacing law and social concerns.

The Philadelphia Enquirer, Oct. 15. Assistant public policy professor Donald Taylor and a former congressional staffer write about cost-saving suggestions to improve health care reform legislation.

The (Raleigh) News & Observer, Oct. 13. Susan Haga, assistant research professor for the Institute for Genome Sciences and Policy and public policy, discusses some of the ethic issues surrounding the practice of taking blood samples from newborn babies in this Op-Ed.

WUNC 91.5 Oct. 12. Philip Bennet, professor of the practice of journalism and public policy was a guest on the show "The State of Things," talking about the moral and ethical dilemmas journalists face as government watchdogs and how newspaper reporters can work to stay relevant in the digital age.

The Miami Herald, Oct. 6. Professor of Public Policy Jacob Vigdor discusses his findings that the recession has slowed the rate of assimilation of immigrants..

The (Raleigh) News & Observer, Sept. 25. Assistant Professor of Public Policy Don Taylor examines the Baucus bill as part of his ongoing series of commentaries on health care reform.

The New York Times, Sept. 21. Professor of Political Science and Public Policy Peter Feaver is quoted in the article "Good Will, but Few Foreign Policy Benefits for Obama."

The Chronicle of Higher Education, Sept. 21, Visiting Professor of the Practice in the DeWitt Wallace Center for Media and Democracy John Burness discusses the current state of Study Abroad programs in American universities.

WPR, Sept. 17. Don Taylor, assistant professor of public policy, discusses the implications of the Senate Finance Committee bill for health care reform with Wisconsin Public Radio host Joy Cardin.
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NPR, Sept. 14, Professor of Political Science and Public Policy Peter Feaver discusses the timeline of the war in Afghanistan.

New York Times blog, “Room for Debate” September 10. "What Was Missing in Obama’s Speech?" Assistant Professor Don Taylor suggests Medicare can be a vehicle for compromise in health policy reform.

Newsweek, September 9.  Research by Professor of Public Policy Charles Clotfelter shows that schools can't rely on extracurricular activities to solve the problem of self-segregation among students. Clotfelter examined photos of teams from 193 high school yearbooks to study the racial make-up of extracurricular groups and found they were less diverse than the school as a whole.

The New York Times, August 31. Senior Associate Dean Phil Cook and Maeve Gearing, PhD candidate at the Sanford School, proposed, that with proper oversight and coordination, the ignition interlock could be an extraordinarily effective way to prevent drunk-driving recidivism.

The Washington Times, August 26.  Visiting Lecturer Chrisopher Gergen discusses programs that college offer students to promote leadership and engagement with their local communities.

WUNC 91.5 FM, August 18.  Professor of Public Policy Jake Vigdor was a guest on the program "The State of Things," discussing the impact of recent budget cuts on education in the state.

The American Prospect, August 17.  William "Sandy" Darity, Arts and Sciences Professor of Public Policy, is the co-author of this article on "Race, Wealth, and Intergenerational Poverty" examining the persistent wealth gap between white and blacks and Latinos.

Summer 2009

The News Hour, July31. Assistant PPS David Schanzer was a guest on The News Hour, discussing domestic security issues in the wake of the arrest of suspected terrorists in North Carolina.

News and Observer, July 31. Assistant PPS Don Taylor, wrote an article called "Diagnosing Health Care costs". The United States will spend $2.5 trillion on health care this year, and the reform debate is focused on how to reduce costs. This is one in a series of ten commentaries on health care reform by Taylor and the other commentaries can be viewed here.

News and Observer, July 29. Assistant PPS David Schanzer, Quoted in an article concerning Triangle Terrorists, called " Alienation grew with Islamic faith.

News14.com, July 28. Assistant PPS David Schanzer, interviewed on the homegrown terrorists in the Triangle.

WRAL.com, July 27. Assistant PPS Don Taylor's Interview on WRAL News, listing his Helath care Commentaries.

Duke Today, July 27. Professor Frank A. Sloan and Professor Kevin A. Schulman, Co-Author article, "Putting the reform back into Health care Reform".

The Australian, July 27. Jake Vigdor, Professor of Public Policy, wrote and article called, "In Young Students' Minds Computers are Toys, not Tool".

North Carolina Public Radio (WUNC), July 23. James T. Hamilton, professor of public policy and director of the DeWitt Wallace Center for Media and Democracy, was interviewed by Host Frank Stasio, on his radio show "The State of Things", on new business model for newspapers.

The Wall Street Journal, July 22. Public Policy Professor Kenneth Dodge is quoted in the article, "For Difficult Kids, Choice of care Can Bring Rewards".

The Washington Post, July 12.  This article on "colorism" in the African American community cites research by William Darity, professor of public policy.

The (Raleigh) News & Observer, July 6.  Newspapers are closing across the country, shrinking the support and outlets for watchdog journalism. James T. Hamilton, professor of public policy, proposes newspapers becoming nonprofits as part of the solution.

Alternet.org, July 2.  Public Policy Professor William Darity discusses the Wall Street bailouts and the role of the Internation Money Fund in past fiscal crises.

Duke News, July 1.  A Q&A with Dean Bruce Kuniholm about Sanford's transition from Institute to School.

The New York Times, June 24 Kathryn Whetten, associate professor of PPS, discusses how little is know about orphan care in Tanzania and other parts of Africa.

Duke News, June 24.  Duke announces new Board of Trustees members, including Sanford alumni Sunny Kantha.

The Durham Herald-Sun, June 18.  Professor of PPS Bruce Jentleson explains why the Obama approach to the Iran election protests is the right one.

The Durham Herald-Sun, June 17  The Sanford Institute will participate in the federal Yellow Ribbon program to offer financial aid to military veterans.

The Philadelphia Enquirer, June 15.  MPP student Dan Kobayashi, in Kampala, Uganda, for his summer internship, writes about the opportunities and risks presented by Obama's popularity in Africa.

The (Raleigh) News & Observer, June 7.  "The healthy subsidize the sick" is one of the basic laws of all health care systems that Assistant Professor of PPS Don Taylor discusses in this op-ed on health care reform.

ABC News.com, June 6.  Anti-gun control groups continue to push hard, points out Professor of PPS Phil Cook.

Journalismnonprofit.blogspot.com, June 4. Phillip Bennett, who will join Sanford in the fall as the Eugene C. Patterson Professor of the Practice of Journalism and Public Policy, discusses how the nonprofit model could lead to solutions for the field of journalism.

Journalismnonprofit.blogspot.com, June 3. Professor of PPS Jay Hamilton, director DeWitt Wallace Center for Media and Democracy, discusses his program's new approach to saving journalism through new hires, conferences and research.

Spring 2009

NPR, May 28. In an interview with NPR, Professor of PPS Jay Hamilton, director of the DeWitt Wallace Center for Media and Democracy, discusses four things consumers look for in a newspaper.

WUNC 91.5 FM, May 28.  In a report on the State Employees Health Plan, Assistant Professor of PPS Don Taylor points out some of the financial challenges facing the plan.

The (Raleigh) News & Observer, May 24.  Jay Hamilton, professor of PPS and director of the DeWitt Wallace Center for Media and Democracy, talks about how two Washington Post journalists hired as professors at the Sanford Institute can help with developing new methods of reporting public policy.

The (Raleigh) News & Observer, May 18.  This editorial discusses the new Sanford School and its social impact as part of the legacy of its namesake, Terry Sanford.

TheGlobalist.com, May 15. Sanford Professor of PPS and Political Science Bruce Jentleson writes, "What happens in Las Vegas may stay in Vegas, as the old advertising mantra goes, but what happens in nation-states doesn't stay inside those states." Political instability in Pakistan has potential global impact, as does the failed Somali state; weaknesses of some countries "pose a viral threat ..."

The (Raleigh) News & Observer, May 9.  The News and Observer's executive editor John Drescher discusses the issues raised at the Sanford conference on financing journalism, such as foundation support for beat journalists. Jay Hamilton, professor of PPS, descibes out how newspapers provide a public good without receiving compensation as a "market failure."

Education Week, May 6. Public Policy student Adrienne Ziluca ('09) wrote this op-ed supporting continued funding for arts in education as part of her PPS 121 (Reporting Public Policy) coursework.

The (Raleigh) News & Observer, May 3. David H. Schanzer, associate professor of the practice of PPS, examines the way to provide accountability for those involved in the Bush Administration policies on interrogation.

The Washington Post, May 3.  James T. Hamilton, director of the DeWitt Wallace Center for Media and Democracy, and professor of PPS, points out the growing perception of media bias.

The (Raleigh) News & Observer, May 2.  Steffi Decker (’10) wrote this Op-Ed discussing the policy implications of a state bill to remove sports from low-performing school, as part of her work for the Certificate in Policy Journalism and Media Studies.

The Diamondback, April 15.  Philip J. Cook, Associate Director of Sanford, advocates on behalf of a growing movement to lower the legal drinking age. 

The (Raleigh) News & Observer, April 5. David Schanzer, visiting associate professor of the practice of PPS, outlines the flaws in former Vice President Cheney's critique of the Obama adminstration's counterterrorism policies.

CNN.com, April 2. Giovanni Zanalda, visiting professor of PPS, discusses the parallels of the current economic situation to the banking crisis in Sweden in the early 1990s, when the government moved agressively to nationalize the failed banks.

Los Angeles Times, March 23.  William "Sandy" Darity, professor of PPS, African and African American Studies, and Economics, explains why the economic crisis is hard on blacks and Latinos.

The Durham Herald Sun, March 22.  William "Sandy" Darity, professor of PPS, African and African American Studies, and Economics, speaks out on why the Obama presidency may be harmful for black people.  Darity claims Obama is not advancing social policy agendas.

USA Today, March 18.  James T. Hamilton comments on the transformations of the newspaper industry in the wake of the closing of several major daily papers.

WUNC 91.5 FM, March 11.  Nasim Fekrat, an Afghani journalist and media fellow at the DeWitt-Wallace Center for Media and Democracy, was a guest on "The Story." He discusses why he believes so deeply in freedom of expression that he's willing to risk his life.
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The Durham Herald-Sun, March 5. Jeremy Block, a graduate student pursuing a Master's of Public Policy degree and a Ph.D in biochemistry, has been named one of 108 White House Fellows regional finalists. White House Fellows spend a year assisting top White House staff, and are chosen based on remarkable achievement early in their professional careers.

Duke News, March 4. PPS Professor Giovanni Zanalda is teaching a course on the history of financial and monetary crises, including commentary on current events, just as the United States experiences one of the most challenging in its history.

The (Raleigh) News & Observer, March 3. In a time of economic hardship, PPS Professor Ken Dodge urges North Carolina lawmakers to use evidence-based policymaking in determining how to spend limited public resources.

The (Raleigh) News & Obsever, March 3. PPS Professor Robert Korstad and History doctoral candidate Max Krochmal suggest that Congress guarantee workers' rights, as it did in the 1930s, to help the economy recover from recession.

The New York Times' Caucus Blog, Feb. 10. A raft of documentaries about Barack Obama's 2008 campaign and election are in the works, including one by Durham resident Ariel Rogers. Rodgers focused on the group "Durham for Obama", and features PPS Professor Gunther Peck in the film.

The Toronto Globe and Mail, Feb. 18.  Anirudh Krishna, associate professor of PPS and policitial science, discusses issues of poverty in India highlighted by the movie Slumdog Millionaire.

Duke News, Feb. 16. Gregory Morrison, a PPS and history major, has been selected to deliver the sermon at Duke Chapel on Sunday, Feb. 22, at 11 a.m.

The Chronicle, Feb. 16. Michael McInerney, a second-year MPP student, recently started a student group, DukeVets, to give veterans more of a voice on campus.

The Washington Post, Feb. 15. Katherine Tiedemann (PPS ’07), a program associate at the New America Foundation, helped create charts and maps of trends in the Afghan war to illustrate the complexities of the conflict in a .pdf graphic entitled “Obama’s War.”(8.6mb) Tiedemann was profiled in the Summer 2008 issue of Public Policy Focus.

The Durham Herald-Sun, Feb. 10. PPS Professor Ken Dodge argues that preventive social programs, not punishment, would most help at-risk or chronically violent youths, and proposes three general ways for society to better shape these children.

The Chronicle, Feb. 10. Journalism legend and former Los Angeles Times editor John Carroll spoke with The Chronicle as part of the Ewing Lecture on Ethics and Journalism at the Sanford Institute. To listen to an exclusive interview with Carroll, click here

Gulfnews, Feb. 9. With relations between Syria and the United States beginning to thaw, an article on how the two nations can rebuild positive relations quotes PPS professor Bruce Jentleson, who recently met with Syrian president Bashar Al-Assad as part of a US Institute for Peace delegation.

Durham Herald-Sun, Feb. 5.  Newark Mayor Cory Booker spoke at the Sanford Institute about creating change.  His talk was part of the Hart Leadership’s Program Connect2Politics.

The Chronicle, Feb. 3. The Chronicle presents a Q&A with PPS Professor Bruce Jentleson about his recent meeting with Syrian president Bashar Assad in Damascus. Jentleson talks about Syria’s relationship with Iran, the country’s reaction to Barack Obama, and its support of Hamas and Hezbollah.

The Jerusalem Post, Feb. 1. PPS Professor Bruce Jentleson, part of an eight-man delegation to Syria last month, comments on the Middle Eastern nation’s expressed willingness to negotiate with Israel and renew diplomatic relations with the United States.

BNA's Privacy & Security Law Report, Jan. 27. At a conference entitled “Protecting National Security and Privacy,” held at the Sanford Institute of Public Policy Jan. 27, government officials discuss the likelihood of sharing more intelligence information with the European Union’s law enforcement agencies. Experts predict the Obama administration will be more forthcoming with data sharing in its attempt to crack down on worldwide terrorism.

The Chronicle of Philanthropy, Jan. 15. After observing the lack of success stemming from last year's multi-billion dollar Wall Street bailout, Joel Fleishman and Edward Skloot propose that the Obama administration focus on building up nonprofit organizations instead of showering money on the chaotic financial institutions that led to the current economic crisis.

The Chronicle, Jan. 14. The Sanford Institute of Public Policy still plans to become Duke's tenth school by its target date of July 1, 2009, according to Sanford director Bruce Kuniholm and Communications Director Karen Kemp. Despite the difficult economic situation, fundraising is on track for the transition, and both Kuniholm and Kemp spoke about the advantages of becoming a school.

The Chronicle, Jan. 14. Political Science professor Peter Feaver and History professor Alex Roland have developed a new program entitled "Duke American Grand Strategy", a course of study that includes guest lectures, classes, and research in an attempt to better understand how a nation can achieve its foreign-policy objectives. The first program of this kind was started at Yale in 2000, and Feaver hopes to improve on the Yale version through a parternship with the Sanford Institute of Public Policy, a unique department at Duke.

The Chronicle, Jan. 14. PPS professor Don Taylor, head of the Benjamin N. Duke Memorial Scholarship program, discusses the scholarship's efforts to compete more effectively with the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill's renowned Morehead-Cain Scholarship. Both grants are aimed at students from the Carolinas, and 12 to 15 Benjamin N. Duke Scholars are named each year.

The Volokh Conspiracy, Jan. 5-9. In a series of blog posts, ITT/Sanford Professor of Public Policy Phil Cook, currently on sabbatical, writes about the positive effects that raising the excise tax on alcohol could have for all Americans. Cook begins with a brief history of alcohol legislation in the United States, and then argues the merits of a higher excise tax and of lowering the drinking age.

To read Cook's blog entries in sequence, scroll to the bottom of Eugene Volokh's introduction, which is linked above. Then click on the link entitled "An Insurrection and 2 Constitutional Amendments". The string consists of five posts, the last of which is framed as a response to reader comments.

Freakonomics , Jan. 7. In a post for the New York Times' Freakonomics blog entitled "Setting the Agenda for Fighting Crime", Phil Cook and two other economists propose the government make a series of drastic moves regarding the regulation of intoxicating substances, improving the life prospects of the poor, and improving deterrence. All told, the trio argues that its ten-step plan will lower the crime rate while also reducing the amount of people in prison.

PBS News Hour with Jim Lehrer, Jan. 9.  William “Sandy” Darity, Professor of PPS, African and African American Studies, and Economics, explains why warnings of the economic crisis were ignored.

Miller-McCune, January-February issue.  Jay Hamilton discusses the emerging field of "computational journalism", a technology-assisted method intended to improve the quality of investigative reporting. Through a process known as data mining, which involves complex mathematical algorithms sorting through immense quantities of data, Hamilton and others hope to make investigave reporting more efficient and more economically viable.

Raleigh News & Observer, Jan. 5.  Governor-elect Bev Purdue selected Gene Conti (MPP ’78) to head North Carolina’s Department of Transportation.  Conti is a former state and US transportation administrator. 

Class on the Sanford Building Lawn