Policy 360
Episodes
Ep. 182 GLP-1 Drugs - One Thing They Don't Reduce
25 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy have revolutionized the management of diabetes and obesity. Millions of Americans are experimenting with them. Ce...
Ep. 181 What Jamaican Sprinters Can Teach Us About Upward Mobility
11 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Duke Sanford School of Public Policy Professor Anirudh Krishna has been studying a seemingly simple question: why do people in certain countries just...
Ep. 180 Trust & Leadership: A Conversation with CQ Brown, Jr. Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
25 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
As 21st Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General CQ Brown, Jr. advised the President, the Secretary of Defense, and the National Security Counc...
Ep. 179 Power to the Renters: Tenant's Rights in a Landlord's World
06 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Every year, 250 million Americans face issues that land them in the civil justice system; think eviction, debt collection and poor housing. And here'...
Ep. 178 The Hidden Everyday Successes of Government - And How That Can Help Democracy
15 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Danny Werfel recently served as the 50th Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service. He led the U.S. tax system twice, and in his most recent stin...
Workers: a non-compete clause should give you pause
19 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What if a single clause in your job contract could quietly shape how much you are able to get paid -- after you leave that job? And what if that same...
Ep. 176 A Conversation with the 16th Administrator of the EPA Michael Regan
04 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Michael Regan recently served as the 16th Administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Previously he was Secretary of the...
Ep. 176 A Conversation with the 16th Administrator of the EPA Michael Regan
04 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Michael Regan recently served as the 16th Administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Previously he was Secretary of the...
Ep. 175 AI Music is Singing Like a Canary in a Coal Mine
19 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Every technology in music history leaves artists behind. What if one left them all behind? AI-generated music is severely undermining artists' abili...
Ep. 174 Yes, the Data Center Next Door Can Be a Good Neighbor
13 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Data centers hold computers and equipment that are the backbone of the digital age. They make possible the computational power and data storage needed...
Ep. 173 Reforming Criminal Reform
10 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode: from living under a bridge to building bridges between policy and practice, CJ Appleton's story is one of resilience, purpose, and po...
Ep. 172 Will AI Prompt a New Golden Era?
24 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we'll explore AI – from deepfakes to the growing importance of social media verification. Our guest Robyn Caplan is an Assistant Pro...
Ep. 171 Gerrymandering: A New Era of Re-districting Battles
10 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
States have increasingly come under pressure from President Trump to redraw district voting lines now even though they are traditionally redrawn every...
Ep. 170 Rethinking How Americans Learn to Be Americans
02 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today's guest, John Hillen, says that only a third of native-born Americans can pass the citizenship test that American immigrants are required to pas...
Ep. 169 Tariffs, the Stock Market and Your Wallet
14 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Recently, the U.S. has experienced several financial crises - all of them hard on American families. In 2008, over eight million Americans lost thei...
Ep. 168 Immigrants Built America, Can We Keep Building Without Them?
18 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The U.S. is a nation of immigrants, but we have a complex history on the topic. At times, the government has tried deporting large numbers of immigran...
Ep. 167 Keys to Tackling the U.S. Housing Crisis
10 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The price of housing has skyrocketed in recent years. Scholars estimate we are short between two and five million homes nationwide. Warren Lowell spen...
Ep. 166 Explainer: What Dismantling the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Will Cost Americans
01 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In the wake of the financial crisis of 2008, Congress established the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the CFPB. It protects Americans from preda...
Ep. 165 Explainer: What Dismantling the Department of Education Really Means
24 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What does it mean for the country that President Trump has signed an executive order to begin dismantling the Department of Education? Leslie Babinski...
Ep. 164 When Those Who Lead Own Your Feed
13 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What does it mean for democracy when a president owns a social platform, and is supported by others with major platforms of their own? Philip Napoli d...
Ep. 163 Why is Everybody So Interested in Greenland and the Arctic?
20 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The new administration's interest in cold, snowy regions of the world might have come out of the blue to many Americans, but not to Tim Nichols. He le...
Ep. 162 A New Administration Considers NATO
23 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
President Trump returns to the White House with his "America First" approach - a strategy critics say often comes at the expense of international al...
Ep. 161 Election 2024: Towards More Civil Discourse
17 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It's no secret that Americans' ability to engage in meaningful conversations across political, cultural, and ideological divides feels more strained t...
Ep. 160 Election 2024: How Seeing Each Other Can Combat Polarization
04 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Could political polarization be addressed by something very simple – getting to know each other better? David Brooks argues that polarization stems ...
Ep. 159 Election 2024: Lying in Politics with PolitiFact Founder Bill Adair
08 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Policy 360, Duke Professor Bill Adair joins us to discuss lying in politics. Adair founded the Pulitzer Prize-winning fact-checki...
Ep. 158 Election 2024: HBCUs and the Fight for American Democracy
25 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Historically Black colleges and Universities (HBCUs) have played an important role in America's past, present, and future – and it's becoming clear ...
Ep 157 Election 2024: Racial Wealth Inequality and Policy
18 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Duke professor William A. (Sandy) Darity joins host Manoj Mohanan, interim Dean of the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University, to discuss ...
Ep. 156: Election 2024: Better Support for Families
29 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we will explore a policy idea that Republicans and Democrats seem to agree upon: expanding the Child Tax Credit. Duke professors Anna...
Ep. 155 The Age of Grievance
20 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Frank Bruni discusses his new book, "The Age of Grievance." --- Frank Bruni is a distinguished journalist and celebrated author. He talks with Judith ...
Ep. 154 Nobel Peace Prize Winner Maria Ressa
16 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Maria Ressa won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2021 for challenging corruption in her native country, the Philippines. She is now focused on the threat to d...
Ep. 153 Towards More Civil Discourse
02 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
New series of related courses at Duke University explore civil discourse and democracy. --- Today's guests argue that the January 6th storming of the ...
Ep. 152 A Conversation With Writer Isabel Wilkerson
12 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In 2016, President Barack Obama awarded her the National Humanities Medal for "championing the stories of an unsung history." A conversation with Isab...
Ep. 151 America's 'High But Hollow' Military Support
07 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"In 2018, Gallup recorded that some 74% of Americans said they had 'a great deal' or 'quite a lot' of confidence in the military; in 2023, that numbe...
Ep. 150 Fresh Ideas to Curb Food Waste
18 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Jasmine Crowe-Houston is a social entrepreneur and founder of Goodr.co. Jasmine started her journey cooking soul food for hungry unhoused people in he...
Ep. 149 He's on a Quest to Find Depth in a Distracted World
25 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Cal Newport's books, with titles like Deep Work, Digital Minimalism, and A World Without Email, have sold over two million copies worldwide. He's ...
Ep. 148 How Support Outside of School Can Lead to Better Student Outcomes
07 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode: how a program that supports kids outside of the school hours is driving student educational outcomes. New research shows that program...
Ep. 147 Former Senator Richard Burr
14 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Richard Burr retired recently from public service after serving five terms in the U.S. House of Representatives (1995-2005) and three in the U.S. Sena...
Ep. 146 Hand-Off: The Foreign Policy George W. Bush Passed to Barack Obama
04 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Stephen J. Hadley served as deputy national security advisor, and then national security advisor to President George W. Bush. He recently edited a new...
Ep. 145 The Politics of the Marvel Cinematic Universe
16 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) features compelling characters and intertwined storylines. Think Captain America, Iron Man, X-Men, Thor, the ...
Ep. 144 Philip Cook's Book: Policing Gun Violence
03 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It's no secret that the United States has major issues with gun violence and police brutality, but with a growing distrust between communities facing ...
Ep. 143 Plastics: The Climate Connection and Policy Possibilities
16 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Plastics are a huge part of our everyday life, and most people know that plastics contribute to litter, but did you know that plastics also add to cli...
Ep. 142 Carbon Tax
20 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
CO2 emissions play a major role in climate change. Guest host and J.D./UPEP doctoral candidate Gabriela Nagle Alverio speaks with Sanford Professor an...
Ep. 141 Climate Migration
19 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Climate change is forcing many people to move due to environmental stressors like heat, hurricane, and drought. Duke Sanford School of Public Policy D...
Ep. 140 Satellites, Machine Learning and Climate Change
08 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When it comes to climate change, it's important for all of us to think in new ways. For example, can we use artificial worlds to improve access to ene...
Ep. 139 Bipartisan Report Calls for Rebalancing U.S. Priorities Towards Children
08 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
According to a recent bipartisan report from the American Enterprise Institute and Brookings Institution, the federal budget inadequately addresses ch...
Ep. 138 Effective Ways to Connect Across the Political Aisle
24 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Ray Starling grew up on a hog and tobacco farm in rural North Carolina. He recalls working on the property by age five. Abdullah Antepli grew up in po...
Ep. 137 The Truth About Sanctions
24 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Russia has invaded Ukraine. In response, President Biden has promised that the U.S. will impose "severe sanctions" against Russia for its actions. But...
Ep. 136 COVID & Families Across Cultures
09 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
COVID-19 has upended lives around the world. Prior to the pandemic, Jennifer Lansford and her colleagues were conducting in-depth. multi-year research...
Ep. 135 'Something Fundamental Has Shifted'
26 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Duke Sanford School of Public Policy Professor Stephen Buckley argues In some ways, the events of January 6 and related actions by Trump and his allie...
Ep. 134 Loving Lies
12 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Stephen Glass's story is legendary in certain circles – he is one of the most famous liars in journalism. In 1998, as a young writer for the New R...
Ep. 133 COP26: The Student Perspective
08 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Twelve Duke students had an exciting opportunity recently – they attended the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland....
Ep. 132 Dr. Jim Yong KIm
24 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Jim Young Kim is a physician and anthropologist who previously served as the President of the World Bank. As a student at Harvard he co-founded th...
Ep.131 Redistricting and American Democracy
10 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Scholars, practitioners, advocates and students gathered recently at Duke University to examine the topic of redistricting, the process of drawing con...
Ep. 130 Debt as a Lever for Power
27 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
There's been tremendous political wrangling in the US recently about raising the debt ceiling (how much money we allow ourselves to borrow). The U.S. ...
Ep. 129 (Un)certainty: On Journalism, Education and Social Discourse
13 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
If you've ever opened the New York Times, it's likely that you've read something by Frank Bruni. He worked at the paper for 25 years as metro reporter...
Ep. 128 For Sale: Your Personal Information
22 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Duke University's Cyber Policy program has a new report that shows data brokers are openly and explicitly advertising sensitive information about US i...
Ep. 127 Inside Military 'Training Villages'
08 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Most Americans have no idea that there are elaborate pretend Iraqi and Afghan villages scattered around the United States – on US military bases. Th...
Ep. 126 Considering COVID-19 and Long-Term Care
03 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
COVID-19 has ripped through nursing homes and long-term care facilities in the US, painfully unveiling and amplifying the problems that have been inh...
Ep. 125 Building Organizations that Matter
20 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What does it take to build a business from the ground up? Are there special challenges that women face? Are there lessons that can be learned from tho...
Ep. 124 Balancing Social Corporate Responsibility and the Bottom Line
04 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What role do corporations play in a functioning democracy? Is there a way to encourage companies to be more socially responsible? Guest: Stan Litow is...
Ep. 123 Breaking the Social Media Prism
16 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Our guest this episode is part of a team of researchers that used data from real people's social media accounts to build bots that expose people to ne...
Ep. 122 Unintended Consequences
02 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Sometimes we know exactly what the consequences of a policy will be, and sometimes we don't. In this episode, we'll explore a surprising consequence r...
Ep. 121 Demystifying AI for Military Commanders
18 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we look at ways to demystify artificial intelligence (AI) for military commanders and arm military personnel with the right questions...
Ep. 120 The Failed Politics of Consumer Financial Protection
07 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
As Elizabeth Warren memorably wrote, "It is impossible to buy a toaster that has a one-in-five chance of bursting into flames and burning down your ho...
Ep. 119 Healthcare, Computers, and Consumer Choice
18 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we explore new research into providing healthcare recommendations by algorithm. Professor Kate Bundorf recently published a study exa...
Ep. 118 Should Congress Make Domestic Terrorism a Crime?
02 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
On January 27, 2021, the Acting Secretary of Homeland Security issued a first-ever National Terrorism Advisory System (NTAS) Bulletin due to a heighte...
Ep. 117 South Africa After the Rainbow
03 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Duke Professor Anne-Maria Makhulu joins Dean Judith Kelley to compare the current racial and socioeconomic disparities of South Africa with the dispar...
Ep. 116 Engaging the Evil Empire
20 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The end of the Cold War is often considered a bit of a geopolitical anomaly. In 1980 the increasing antagonistic relations between the U.S. and the So...
Ep. 115 The Day After Election Day
05 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In a special episode, Policy 360 joins a panel of Duke University experts for a debrief the day after election day 2020. Sanford professors Mac McCork...
Ep. 114 Everything You Need to Know About Voting in North Carolina
22 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This episode takes a look behind the curtain to see what actually happens during elections and just how your vote counts and is counted. Judith Kelle...
Ep. 113 Telling the Stories Behind China's Biggest Political Developments
09 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Since graduating from Sanford in 2015, Emily Feng has travelled all over China as a foreign correspondent covering topics ranging from human rights, t...
Ep 112 Fragile Democracy: Race and Voting Rights in North Carolina
24 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
North Carolina has been at the center of discussions around race-based voter suppression, most recently focused on stringent voter ID requirements. Wi...
Ep 111 Philanthropy Series: Helping People with Means to Give
10 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Thomas J. Tierney is an expert in smart philanthropy and co-founder of the Bridgespan Group which provides management consulting to nonprofits and phi...
Ep. 110 Philanthropy Series: Share Our Strength's Billy Shore
10 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Billy Shore is a founder of the organization Share Our Strength, the umbrella organization of No Kid Hungry. Over the past 35 years, the organization ...
Ep. 109 Local Challenges in a Global Pandemic: Durham's Response to COVID-19
27 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Since the first confirmed case of coronavirus in Durham county back in March, the Durham city and county governments have had the tall task to contain...
Ep. 108 A Wartime President?
30 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In late March President Trump said he considers himself a wartime president. The fight against COVID-19 has since intensified; the number of cases in ...
Ep. 107 Getting Cash Payments to Millions of Americans? Easier Said than Done
16 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Discussions about providing direct cash payments to Americans have filled Congressional chambers in recent weeks. But discussions are one thing. Getti...
Ep. 106 He Predicted a Pandemic
01 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Many in the US were blindsided by the COVID-19 pandemic's severity. Not Gavin Yamey. In early 2018 he wrote the op-ed, The Odds of a Devastating Pande...
Ep. 105 Peace Works
06 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Former Ambassador Frederick Barton has conflict management experience in over 40 crisis zones -- Haiti, Iraq, Nigeria, Turkey and more. He served as f...
Ep. 104 Should Political Ads on Social Media be Regulated?
05 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we sit down with two people with different views for a conversation about social media platforms and political advertising. Matt Pera...
Ep. 103 Designing Tech Policies for an Audience of Billions
22 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Is tech moving too fast for policymakers to catch up? A conversation with Matt Perault. He served as a director of public policy at Facebook. He is no...
Ep. 102 Soda Tax 101
08 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Being obese puts people at risk for chronic disease like diabetes and is the leading cause of preventable death in the U.S. In this episode we explore...
Ep.101 Artificial Intelligence and India
13 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Nivruti Rai is country head of Intel India and was recognized by Fortune India as one of the top 20 Most Powerful Women in Business in that country....
Ep. 100 A Good Provider is One Who Leaves
22 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Jason DeParle is a reporter for the New York Times and a two-time finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. He was just a young reporter when he moved to the s...
Ep. 99 The Connection Between Medicaid and Democracy
08 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Medicaid is one of the largest social welfare programs in the United States. With over 70 million people enrolled, it covers 20 percent of the US popu...
Ep. 98 Getting Out the Vote on Campus
25 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The number of college students across the nation who voted in the midterms doubled between 2014 and 2018. At Duke University, the voting rate was even...
Ep. 97 Anatomy of a Flawed Policy
09 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In 2009, President Obama launched an initiative designed to use a community outreach approach to counter violent extremism. Ten years later, Professor...
Ep. 96 Climate Change, Protest and Polarization
25 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
With recent scientific reports on the effects of climate change, climate strikes around the world and big companies like Amazon promising action, clim...
Ep. 95 The Unseen Health Effects of Forest Fires
06 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
New research shows forest fires are actually more harmful than we've previously thought. It's not just about the impact they may have on the environme...
Ep. 94 A Conversation with a Young State Legislator
23 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Jacob Bachmeier serves in Montana's House of Representatives. He was just 18 when he was elected. A classmate was his campaign manager. At the time of...
Ep. 93 China's Investment in Coal Around the World
03 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
China is investing heavily in coal around the world, even going so far as to build the coal sector from scratch, in a variety of developing countries....
Ep. 92 Don't Just Document Declines In Nature. Reverse Them
19 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In a new intergovernmental report, scientists say a million species of plants and animals could go extinct due to climate change, many within our life...
Ep. 91 Powering Rural Zambia
07 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
A Duke University interdisciplinary student team has spent the past academic year trying to get a better understanding of the barriers to energy inves...
Ep. 90 Housekeeper & City Council Member
17 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Research shows that working-class people almost never become politicians, but Carmen Castillo is both a hotel housekeeper and a three-term Providenc...
Ep. 89 Is it Time to Regulate Social Media?
03 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The massacre in Christchurch, New Zealand was announced online and streamed live on Facebook. Afterwards, copies of the video were uploaded to YouTub...
Ep. 88 The Daily Show Writer/Producer Zhubin Parang
20 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Political satire isn't new, it's been with us throughout history, even Shakespeare's works were packed with political commentary. Lately Political New...
Guest Podcast Trending Globally: Populism
06 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
We came across a great podcast produced by the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs at Brown University. It's called Trending Globa...
Ep. 87 Madeleine Albright
05 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Madeleine Albright served as the 64th U.S. Secretary of State under President Bill Clinton. In this episode of the Policy 360 podcast, she joins Sanfo...
Ep. 86 Deforestation and China's Belt and Road Initiative
26 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In 2013, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced the One Belt, One Road Initiative. The massive infrastructure project aims to link countries along the...
Ep. 85 The Last Ambassador to Venezuela
12 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Venezuela is in the midst of a catastrophic economic crisis. According to Forbes, Venezuela's yearly annual inflation reached 80,000% in 2018, up from...