Sanford School of Public Policy
Duke University
In the Media - Archive 2008
Fall 2008
Inside Higher Ed, Dec. 15. A recent study led by David Rabiner, associate research professor and director of undergraduate studies in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, found that 8.9 percent of Duke and UNC-Greensboro students had used the ADHD drugs Ritalin and Adderall without a prescription during college. Students mainly used the drugs for academic purposes, desiring to study longer or better. Other researchers on the project were from Duke (E. Jane Costello, professor of medical psychology and H. Scott Swartzwelder, clinical professor of psychiatry and psychology/neuroscience), UNC-Greensboro and the University of Michigan.
Time Magazine, Dec. 12. Alex Harris, professor of the practice of PPS and N.C. photographer, were invited to take pictures on the set of the movie Che, directed by Steven Soderbergh and starring Benicio Del Toro as the revolutionary Che Guevara, that explores the relationship of the townspeople and the actors in this photo essay.
Duke Today, Dec. 9. Two Sanford students, Jeremy Cluchey (MPP ‘09) and Nick Campisano (PPS ‘09), were named Federal Service Student Ambassadors for the 2008-2009 school year,
North Carolina Public Radio, Dec. 1. Associate Professor of PPS and Director of the Center for Health Policy Kate Whetten talks about her work on the rise of HIV/AIDS in the Deep South on the program “The State of Things.” She also gave an hour-long interview on WCOM-FM on Oct. 15 on the science program “Radio In Vivo.”
Duke Today, Nov. 28. As part of the Duke in Glasgow study abroad program, 13 PPS undergraduates had the opportunity to meet with the Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament, Alex Fergusson. The students participated in a question-and-answer session with Fergusson.
The New York Times, Nov. 17. Ken Dodge, professor of PPS and director of the Center for Child and Family Policy, discusses new research that links a “cascade of influences” of negative childhood events to serious teenage violence.
North Carolina Public Radio, Nov. 12. Kevin Bleyer, Dwane Powell and Adam Chodikoff, panelists at the Sanford event “Laughing at Power,” talked about their work as satirists on the program “The State of Things.”
Duke Global Health Institute, Nov. 10. Associate Professor of PPS and Sociology Giovanna Merli, also a member of the Global Health Institute, discusses her work on the spread of HIV in China.
Radio Health Journal, Nov. 9. Along with experts from Middlebury and Boston University, PPS professor Phillip Cook proposes raising taxes on alcoholic beverages to limit binge drinking on college campuses.
Duke Today, Nov. 7. Amb. James A. Joseph, professor of the practice of PPS, gave a talk on leadership on the day after the election, examining the qualities exemplified by Nelson Mandela and how those qualities are needed now.
Philadelphia Inquirer, Oct. 28. In an article soon to be published in the (Raleigh) News & Observer as well, PPS professor David Schanzer, the head of the Duke-UNC Triangle Center on Terrorism and Homeland Security, argues for the closing of the detention center at Guantánamo Bay. Schanzer also offers solutions for dealing with the different kinds of "enemy combatants" being held there.
Duke Today, Oct. 23. Duke demographer Giovanna Merli, a new member of the PPS faculty, is introduced to the Duke community. Merli is an expert on Chinese family policy, and she discusses the success of China's one-child-per-family laws as well as the reasons AIDS has been kept under control so well there.
USA Today, Oct. 22. A story on a radical proposal to invert the existing salary structure for teachers--the proposal suggests rewarding young teachers for high test scores, and doing away with seniority and tenure--quotes PPS professor Jacob Vigdor, an expert on the topic. The article also cites Michelle Rhee, Washington D.C. schools chancellor, who will appear at the Sanford Institute Nov. 17.
Durham Herald Sun, Oct. 19. Helen “Sunny” Ladd, professor of PPS and economics and Edward B. Fiske use an example of a local charter school to illustrate an educational approach that considers broader social problems facing students and compares the presidential candidates views on education.
The New Yorker, Oct. 13. As election season nears, a profile on Barack Obama and John McCain's future foreign policy concerns cites the Phoenix Initiative's Strategic Leadership Report, co-authored by PPS Professor Bruce Jentleson. The report argues that the United States' position in world affairs is untenable and must be completely reworked. Strategic Leadership: Framework for a Twenty-first Century National Security Strategy, the report in its entirety, can be viewed here.
Sunday Tribune, South Africa, Oct. 12. A discussion of curriculum reform in South Africa cites the book Elusive Equity: Education Reform in Post-Apartheid South Africa by Helen “Sunny” Ladd, professor of PPS and economics.
Charlotte Observer, Oct. 7. James Hamilton, professor of PPS and economics, points out the confusing design of the ballot in North Carolina, where the presidential selection is not included in the straight ticket option.
Raleigh News & Observer, Oct. 5. Columnist J. Peder Zane calls Oxford Professor Julian Savulescu "the bad boy of bioethics," in a review of the Crown Lecture Savulescu delivered at Sanford.
The Chronicle, Sept. 24: Jacob Vigdor, Professor of Public Policy Studies, advocates higher salaries for young teachers.
The News & Observer, Sept. 7: Jonathan Kuniholm, son of Sanford Director Bruce Kuniholm, is working with Duke and Johns Hopkins researchers to improve prosthetic arms. Kuniholm uses his Iraq war injury to inspire others.
Wall Street Journal.com, Sept. 4: Assistant Professor of Public Policy Studies and Political Science Evan Charney is critical of studies linking genetic traits to political behavior.
Durham Herald-Sun, Sept. 3: Visiting professor of the practice of public policy studies David Schanzer, director of the Triangle Center on Terrorism and Homeland Security, comments on the launch of the Institute for Homeland Security Solutions (discussed below).
North Carolina Public Radio, Sept. 3. On the program, “The State of Things,” Jacob Vigdor, associate professor of PPS, discusses his new plan for how teachers should be paid.
Raleigh News & Observer, Sept. 2. Associate Professor of PPS Jacob Vigdor says teachers should be paid more earlier in their careers, based on the findings in his new research.
Raleigh News & Observer, Sept. 2: The new Institute for Homeland Security Solutions, based at Research Triangle Park in Raleigh, is a collaboration of RTI International, Duke University, UNC-Chapel Hill, and the N.C. Military Foundation. The Institute will be co-directed by David Schanzer, a visiting professor of the practice of public policy studies, and is being funded by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Wall Street Journal.com, Aug. 29: Associate Professor of PPS Jacob Vigdor argues for changing how teachers are paid by increasing starting salaries. His new research report on the topic is published in Education Now.
BusinessWeek, Aug. 27: Four years after Duke welcomed freshmen with free iPods, Duke's assistant vice president for information technology Julian Lombardi says the university is considering taking another technological step forward, this time by giving students handheld video cameras to be used in class. PPS lecturer Ken Rogerson also comments on the level of comfort today's students have developed with technologies like internet video and Facebook.
The Chronicle of Higher Education, Aug. 25: Former senior vice president for public affairs and government relations John Burness, now a visiting PPS professor, criticizes the manner in which organizations like U.S. News & World Report and Money Magazine rank institutions of higher learning.
Raleigh News & Observer, Aug. 24: PPS and political science major Arthur Leopold has raised $1 million for the Obama campaign and is the youngest member of the campaign finance committee.
New York Sun, Aug. 22: Obama’s education policies are in-line with a “Broader, Bolder Approach to Education” said Professor of PPS Helen “Sunny” Ladd, who co-chairs the task force that drafted the proposal.
Summer 2008
Foreign Policy , August 2008: Defense Secretary Robert Gates’ new plan to fund academic research represents real progress, says Peter D. Feaver, a professor of political science and public policy at Duke and director of the Triangle Institute for Security Studies.
National Journal Magazine, July 26: Recent studies suggesting a biological basis for political preferences are criticized by Assistant Professor of PPS and Policital Science Evan Charney.
San Jose Mercury News, July 11: Research Professor of PPPS Robert Cook-Deegan, director of Duke's Institute for Genome Sciences and Policy's Center for Genome Ethics, Law and Policy, writes with two colleagues about a crackdown on companies offering direct-to-consumer genetic testing.
Democratic Strategist, “Obama and Iraq: A General Election Strategy”: July 3. With the Iraq War still near the top of voters’ list of concerns, Duke Public Policy Professor Bruce Jentleson offers a campaign strategy for presidential candidate Barack Obama.
Foreign Affairs: July/August 2008. Curtis Bradley, professor of law and public policy studies, reviews Benjamin Wittes' book, Law and the Long War, and calls it required reading for anyone interested in the legal challenges posed by the war on terror.
C-SPAN, June 30 – Professor of PPS Helen Ladd, co-chair of an education reform task force, joined a discussion Friday on "Remaining Competitive in a Flat World: Economists and Educators Debate the Economic Implications of the Crisis in American Education."
Raleigh News & Observer: June 30. Children of baby boomers can honor their parents by helping save for their long-term care, suggests Don Taylor, assistant professor of public policy.
Durham Herald-Sun: June 27. Testifying in a U.S. House committee hearing, Christopher Schroeder, professor of law and PPS, said that the Office of Legal Counsel provided too broad a view of presidential power in its advice to the White House on torture.
The Root.com: June 26. Professor of PPS William Darity makes the case for reparations for slavery.
C-Span: June 26. Christopher Schroeder, professor of law and PPS testified before the House Judiciary Subcommittee in a hearing on Guantanamo Bay interrogation rules (link under Recent Programs tab) that the Bush administration Justice Department reflected an “extreme view of absolute and uncontrollable presidential power.” See also Voice of America News.
New England Journal of Medicine, June 26: Maxwell Mehlman reviews the 2008 book Medical Malpractice by J. Alexander McMahon Professor of Health Policy and Management and Professor of Economics Frank Sloan and lawyer and health policy research associate Lindsey Chepke.
Raleigh News & Observer: June 26. Duke public policy major Abby Alger, a rising senior, co-founded the new blog Real World Republicans to reach out to Generation Next -- people 16 to 25.
North Carolina Public Radio: June 25. Joel Rosch of the Center for Child and Family Policy talks about crime trends and prevention efforts on the program "The State of Things."
University of Illinois-WILL-AM's Focus 580: June 23. Jacob L. Vigdor, associate professor of public policy studies and economics, talks about his research on immigration assimilation patterns in the United States over the past quarter century.(audio)
Winston-Salem Journal: June 13. The Davie County school board is considering realigning schools to move six-grade students to elementary schools and ninth-grade students to middle school, based on recommendations by Associate Professor of PPS Jacob Vigdor.
Raleigh News & Observer: June 12. Taxes on alcohol can reduce consumption, but North Carolina excise taxes have not kept pace with inflation, says Professor of PPS Phil Cook.
North Carolina Public Radio: June 11. On “The State of Things,” Professor of PPS Helen “Sunny” Ladd discusses the need for education reform in the wake of the failures of the No Child Left Behind policy. Ladd outlines the recommendations of a task force of experts, of which she is co-chair, that were announced this week as “A Broader, Bolder Approach to Education.”
Durham Herald-Sun: June 6. David Schanzer, visiting assistant professor of the practice of PPS and former congressional staff member, points out the ethical lapses in the “kiss and tell” book by former White House press secretary Scott McClellan.
Fox Business News: June 3. Assistant Professor of Public Policy Don Taylor discusses the possible impact of New York State’s new higher excise tax on cigarettes on smoking rates and the public costs of smoking.
Spring 2008
CNN.com, May 27 – America still does a good job of assimilating new immigrants, concludes this commentary about the new study by Associate Professor of PPS Jacob Vigdor.
Raleigh News & Observer, May 25 – Professor of Public Policy Studies Bruce Jentleson outlines possible international responses to the humanitarian crisis in Burma, which has been aggrivated by the military government's resistance to allowing outside aid.
Dallas Morning News, May 19. Linda Chavez discusses the new study by Jacob Vigdor, associate professor of PPS, on the rates of assimilation of recent immigrants to the U.S.
Raleigh News & Observer, May 18 -- Frank DiSilvestro, a graduate student in public policy at Duke and a research assistant at the Corporation for Enterprise Development, joins a colleague in outlining some "high-potential anti-recessionary options."
The Boston Globe, May 19. Associate Professor of PPS Jacob Vigdor discusses the findings of his new study, the Index of Immigrant Assimilation, which finds that new immigrants are quickly assimilating into American culture and what policies might encourage cultural and civic assimilation.
Durham Herald-Sun, May 18. Child abuse rates in Durham have dropped 48 percent since 2001, says Ken Dodge, professor of PPS and director of the Center for Child and Family Policy. Some of the change may be attributed to the center’s Durham Family Initiative.
U.S. News and World Report, May 15. A new study by Jacob Vigdor associate professor of PPS, finds that overall, immigrants are assimilating into American culture faster than ever. However, Mexico immigrants seem to be the exception, perhaps because many are here illegally. "There are plenty of indications here that for those Mexican immigrants who are interested in making a more permanent attachment to the United States, their legal status puts very severe barriers in that path,” Vigdor said. The Washington Post also covered the study on May 13.
Raleigh News & Observer, May 6: Terrorism and Islam should not be linked says Director of the Triangle Center of Terrorism and Homeland Security and Visiting Associate Professor of PPS David Schanzer. Keeping the distinctions between the two clear is important to discrediting bin-Laden and al-Qaida.
Denver Post, May 4: Kristin Goss, assistant professor of PPS, points out that this is a period of lack of attention to gun control, with little recent law-making on the issue.
Atlanta Journal-Constitution, April 24: Assistant Professor of PPS Elizabeth O. Ananat, whose work was cited in a report last week that claimed single parenthood costs taxpayers $112 billion, says that report ignored data showing that many women’s financial lives improve after divorce. She explains how the results add up.
Wisconsin Public Radio, April 9: In light of Gen. David H. Petraeus’ April 8 testimony before Congress, professor of public policy Bruce Jentleson joins WPR’s Jim Packard to discuss the latest from Iraq: troop levels, recent violence in Basra, Iran and congressionally-mandated benchmarks.
Washington Post, April 7: Visiting lecturer in public policy and recent author Christopher Gergen has created a successful career as an entrepreneur using social networking for each of his business endeavors.
Economic History Services, April 2: Mark Thornton, a Senior Fellow of the Ludwig von Mises Institute, reviews Paying the Tab, professor of public policy Philip J. Cook’s latest book on U.S. alcohol policy.
Raleigh News & Observer, April 1: Bruce W. Jentleson, a professor of public policy, outlines why he believes the United States needs “to shift from a military to a diplomatic surge” in Iraq.
(Chicago) Daily Herald, March 30: Assistant professor of public policy studies Evan Charney disputes Rice University political scientist John Alford’s claim that one’s political leanings can be predetermined according to genetic composition.
Durham Herald-Sun, March 30: Professor of public policy and economics Helen Ladd writes that although test-based accountability for schools has led to some gains in student achievement, as a reform strategy it still “falls short” in three key ways.
Washington Post, March 28: Paula D. McClain, a public policy professor and co-director of the Center for the Study of Race, Ethnicity, and Gender in the Social Sciences, has found that a majority of Latinos maintain stereotypical views about African-Americans.
North Carolina Public Radio, March 27: On “The State of Things,” Sanford Institute professor William “Sandy” Darity talks about a UNC-Duke conference exploring the global impact of biases based on color distinctions within races.
Waterbury (Conn.) Republican-American, McClatchy Newspapers, March 26: Duke public policy professor Bruce Jentleson says presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain was “trying to show he is a realist and not a neocon” with his major foreign policy speech this week.
Colorado Springs Gazette, March 22: In light of the upcoming presidential election, Robert Korstad, an associate professor of public policy studies and history, comments on the United States’ need for a civic culture that encourages greater conversation on issues of race and segregation.
(Florida) Sun-Sentinel, March 23: Gunther Peck, an associate professor of history and public policy, says the Clinton campaign has adopted the “Southern strategy” – used successfully by Republicans in the past – to exploit tensions between white and black Democrats. Also available to Durham Herald-Sun subscribers.
Duke Today, March 20: Three Duke faculty members, including professor of public policy and political science Paula McClain, currently sit on the Board of Overseers of the American National Election Study, which aims to provide data to help explain election outcomes. They are taking a close look at 2008's historic race.
Christian Science Monitor, March 20: Bruce Jentleson, a foreign-policy specialist at the Terry Sanford Institute of Public Policy, says that “It’s a different world (since the Iraq war), one that's more complex and with less of a sense that there will be a single leader.”
Detroit Free Press, March 19: Associate professor of history and public policy Gunther Peck explains how the idea of “white victimhood” has provided the energy behind the Clinton campaign’s recent efforts to stimulate a backlash against Barack Obama and his alleged preferential treatment in the media.
Pravda, March 17: Bruce Kuniholm, director of the Sanford Institute for Public Policy, provides commentary on the fifth anniversary of the Iraq War for the Russian daily newspaper Pravda. Note: article is written in Slovak.
Education Week, March 12: Duke Associate Professor of Public Policy Studies and Economics Jacob Vigdor discusses his recent study on the mixed results of performance-pay programs in the North Carolina public school systems. While the study shows some improvement in overall test scores, Vigdor says, the programs may have contributed to higher teacher turnover in low-performing schools.
New York Times Magazine, March 9: Professor of Public Policy and Law Joel Fleishman, who recently wrote a book on the role of private foundations in American life, talks about the role of strategic grants in facilitating social change.
Newsweek, March 5: In a discussion of the vice presidential nominee for the Democratic ticket, retired general Anthony Zinni, a visiting professor at Duke’s Sanford Institute, is mentioned as a “national-security choice.”
Durham News, March 1: Retired four-star Marine Gen. Anthony Zinni, a guest lecturer this semester in the Hart Leadership Program at the Sanford Institute, shares his excitement for the involvement of young people in the presidential campaign.
Philadelphia Inquirer, Feb. 27: "We like to think gun violence is someone else's problem, but it's everyone's problem," says Phil Cook, a professor of public policy and co-author of two widely referenced studies about the cost of gun violence in the United States. (AP story also appeared in The New York Times and more than 190 other news outlets.)
Duke Today, Feb. 21: The Sanford Institute-connected Durham Family Initiative has birthed a new program that will help Durham County reach out to support its youngest new residents.
The Journal of the American Medical Association, Feb. 20: University of Miami practicing physician Bernd Wollschlaeger, M.D., reviews public policy professor Phil Cook's most recent book, "Paying the Tab," a broad analysis of the effectiveness of alcohol policy legislation in the United States.
Duke University News & Communications, Feb 19: The strong opposition showing in the Pakistani elections should help prevent violence and lend credibility to the results, but it foreshadows political instability, says assistant professor of public policy Judith Kelley.
Raleigh News & Observer, Feb. 17: N&O columnist Rob Christensen writes that few people had a bigger role in creating the potentially pivotal superdelegates in 1982 than three North Carolina Democrats, including former Duke professor and current U.S. Rep. David Price and former Gov. Terry Sanford, then Duke’s president.
Charlotte Observer, Feb. 11: Duke economist and professor of PPS Charles Clotfelter's research should push policymakers and the public to act on the problem of teacher absences, the newspaper says.
Forbes, Feb. 6: Professor of health policy and management Frank Sloan says it's the complications of diseases that drive up total treatment costs.
VOA News, Feb. 6: Paula McClain, professor of public policy and co-director of the Center for the Study of Race, Ethnicity and Gender, remains cautious about the change occurring in voters' attitudes toward historic racial and gender barriers in American politics.
New Scientist, Feb. 2: Evan Charney, a political scientist and assistant public policy professor, is critical of some of the studies that have found personality differences between people who hold varying political views. (Link to free preview and full text for subscribers; e-mailed upon request to dukenews@duke.edu.)
(London) The Times, Feb. 4: Research led by Duke political scientist and professor of public policy Paula McClain sheds light on the outlook of Latino voters, who are expected to participate in this year’s primary voting in greater numbers than before. See also Christian Science Monitor: Latino Vote Critical for Clinton on Super Tuesday
Newsweek, Feb. 4: Political science and public policy professor Paula McClain discusses her research, which sheds light on the stark racial divide that's been revealed in primary voting.
Christian Science Monitor, Jan. 30: Professor of public policy Bruce Jentleson discusses the challenge the next president will face in improving America's stature abroad.
Marketplace, Jan. 29: Duke health policy analyst Chris Conover says it's not realistic to think that a rollback of the Bush tax cuts will cover the cost of universal health insurance coverage.
DiversityInc, Jan. 25: Paula McClain, a professor of political science and public policy who has researched Latino attitudes toward blacks in the South, talks about the crucial Latino voting bloc. (with audio) See also (U.K.) The First Post: Clinton and Obama Battle for Hispanic Vote
Bangor Daily News, Jan. 24: An executive with the Maine Beer & Wine Wholesalers Association says she isn't ready to accept the central argument in public policy professor Phil Cook's book on alcohol control, Paying the Tab.
CNN's Anderson Cooper 360 Degrees, Jan. 23: Duke political science and public policy professor Paula McClain says black women may relate more with Barack Obama because of issues of race than with Hillary Clinton because of issues of gender. (See fifth report.)
Duke University News & Communications, Jan. 23: The Center for Child and Family Policy has been selected to evaluate the first phase of a new five-year nationwide effort to deliver developmental resources to 15 million young people.
NPR’s “Tell Me More,” Jan. 23: Professor of public policy, African and African American Studies and political science Paula McClain discusses her new study on how racial attitudes among Hispanics may affect voting patterns in the 2008 elections.
Duke University News & Communications, Jan. 16: Latinos tend to identify more with whites than with blacks, according to preliminary findings of a Duke study. This dynamic may affect the upcoming Democratic primaries, says Paula McClain, professor of political science, public policy and African and African American Studies.
NPR's "Tell Me More," Jan. 18: Duke professor Paula McClain's research concluding that Latino voters may identify more with Clinton than Obama is making news in the blogosphere.
Raleigh News & Observer, Jan. 16: Duke economist and Z. Smith Reynolds Professor of Public Policy Studies Charles Clotfelter's examination of North Carolina schools is part of emerging research suggesting that teacher absences lead to lower student test scores, even when substitutes fill in.
UNC-TV’s “N.C. Now,” Jan. 16: Dr. Michael Merson, director of the Duke Global Health Institute, will be the guest for a newsmaker interview today on UNC-TV’s N.C. Now.
Los Angeles Times, Jan. 13: Duke professor of public policy studies Bruce W. Jentleson writes that in its attempt to repair the damage of the last seven years, the Bush administration is turning to foreign policies it once rejected.
Raleigh News & Observer, Jan. 13: David H. Schanzer, a visiting professor of the practice of public policy studies, says coverage of the current election "shows how the media have aggrandized their own power while losing sight of the importance of actual voters." (search the N&O's “Print Edition Archives” for online copy)
Governing Magazine, Jan. 2008: North Carolina’s department of revenue developed a new tax collection strategy based on the recommendations of Duke MPP students who studied ways to improve voluntary compliance within the state's Hispanic community.
North Carolina Public Radio News, Jan. 9: Don Taylor, assistant professor of public policy, discusses the costs of aging in the U.S, pointing out that most long-term care-giving takes place privately. The U.S. spends $200 billion on institutional care each year for 1.4 million people, while more than 10 million people are cared for in the community, with an estimated cost of at least $300 billion.
Clinician’s Roundtable, Reach MD, Jan. 7-12: Don Taylor assistant professor of public policy, discusses the cost savings of hospice care to the Medicare program with satellite radio talk show host Susan Dolan. [Show available at http://www.reachmd.com/xmsegment.aspx?sid=2108 after free registration.]
Palm Beach (Fla.) Daily News, Jan. 4: "We are in the midst of a great philanthropic revolution in this country," says Duke public policy and law professor Joel Fleishman, who is involved in many initiatives concerned with improving the performance of the nonprofit sector.
Sanford Building