Woocast's Politics & Polls

President Donald Trump pledged to bring jobs back to America during his campaign, appealing to a strong middle class base that’s been struggling with stagnant wages and few job opportunities. Since the 1990s, death rates among this demographic — specifically middle-aged white Americans without college degrees — have been on the rise thanks to opioid addiction, alcohol abuse and suicide. This same pattern isn’t seen in other parts of the world, reversing decades of progress. Economist Anne Case, whose landmark study with co-author Sir Angus Deaton first detected the rise in mortality rates, joins this episode to discuss why “deaths of despair” are plaguing middle-aged white Americans. Case, who has written extensively on health over the life course, is the Alexander Stewart 1886 Professor of Economics and Public Affairs at Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. She also serves as director of the Research Program in Development Studies. Case and Deaton’s research on m

In his campaign promise to make America great again, President Donald Trump vowed to “bring jobs back to America” and revitalize the nation’s labor industry. Now, one hundred days into the Trump presidency, some might be wondering: Where are all of those jobs? Believers say job creation is right around the corner, while critics argue little has been done, as Trump has mostly focused on rhetoric instead of policy. In an effort to untangle such labor issues, professors Julian Zelizer and Sam Wang interview Christopher P. Lu ‘88, former U.S. Deputy Secretary of Labor. In this episode, Lu provides an inside look at the Department of Labor as well as the Trump transition.

The first 100 days of Trump’s presidency have been a whirlwind of victories and setbacks, leaving Americans with mixed opinions about President Trump and how the next four years could unfold. While his approval ratings are at historic lows and he has yet to enact any major legislation, his supporters have been pleased with the burst of executive actions and his defiant stand against the political establishment. How has President Trump done, and how does he compare to past presidents? Why is the first 100 days in office used as a barometer in the first place? Do these presidential beginnings predict the course of an entire term? In this episode of Politics & Polls, professors Julian Zelizer and Sam Wang interview political historian Meg Jacobs, a research scholar at Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. Jacobs explains the concept of evaluating a president’s first 100 days and how she thinks Trump’s faring from a historical perspective. Jacobs, who is married to

From Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election to the looming federal budget negotiations, the 115th U.S. Congress currently has a full plate. What other challenges might today’s Congress face in the months ahead?   In this episode of Politics & Polls, Professor Sam Wang interviews Congressman Leonard Lance (R-NJ) about what’s next for the Affordable Care Act and how Rep. Lance has been handling recent (and sometimes contentious) Town Hall meetings.  A key “moderate conservative” in the Republican caucus, Rep. Lance shared his views about maintaining key payments to keep health care insurers afloat. He also talked about what it would take for him to approve an independent investigative committee to look into Russia’s role in the 2016 election and Donald Trump's taxes.   Rep. Lance is a graduate alumnus of Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School. He was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in November 2008 and re-elected to a fifth term in November 2016 to represent New Jersey’s 7th Cong

Last week, a chemical weapons attack killed dozens of Syrians, prompting President Donald Trump to launch 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles on a Syrian airbase. Meanwhile, concern about North Korea’s nuclear arsenal builds, with satellite images hinting at another detonation test. Plus, there are ongoing national security issues: The scandal with Russian intervention in the 2016 election has loomed large over each decision the Trump administration makes in international relations, while President Trump’s Twitter habits and attacks on the intelligence community have generated tension in Washington. How will such emerging and continued threats endanger national security? Gen. David Petraeus (U.S. Army Ret.) joins Politics & Polls this week to discuss the national security challenges facing the Trump administration. Gen. Petraeus is chairman of the KKR Global Institute. Prior to joining KKR, Gen. Petraeus served for more than 37 years in the U.S. military, including command of coalition forces in Iraq, command of

As the investigation into Russia’s interference with the 2016 U.S. election continues, President Donald Trump continues to call the story “fake news,” “phony,” and “a total scam,” mostly by way of Twitter. He also continues to try to change the conversation by making groundless allegations, particularly his claim that President Barack Obama wiretapped Trump Tower. What do we know for certain about Trump’s connection to Russia? And what else might be revealed as the Senate and House intelligence committees continue their investigations? To better unravel this ongoing news story, Professors Julian Zelizer and Sam Wang interview Sarah Kendzior, a St. Louis, Mo.-based commentator who writes about politics, the economy and media. The crux of the conversation stems from Kendzior’s recent article, “At long last, a forum where Trump cannot escape the truth.” Kendzior is currently a columnist for the Globe and Mail, where she focuses on U.S. politics. She also is the U.S. correspondent for De Correspondent, a Dutch n

Shortly after the bill to replace the Affordable Care Act was pulled, President Trump called The Washington Post’s Robert Costa to discuss what happened. The President had a “defiant and even-tempered tone," says Costa. The defeat in the House introduced Trump to the realities of the legislative process and Congress' factions. How will Mitch McConnell fare in securing the Senate votes needed to confirm Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court? What can these events tell us about Trump’s evolving relationship with and influence over Congress? Professors Julian Zelizer and Sam Wang interview Robert Costa for the latest episode of Politics & Polls. Costa is a national political reporter at The Washington Post and a political analyst for NBC News and MSNBC.

President Trump’s budget blueprint proposes deep cuts to research at the National Institutes of Health and the Environmental Protection Agency. What lies ahead for scientific expertise and evidence-based policymaking? Are facts, evidence and truth under siege by the new administration? In this episode of Politics & Polls, professors Julian Zelizer and Sam Wang interview Rush D. Holt about the current state of science in the U.S., from public opinion to its role in government decision-making. Holt, Ph.D., is chief executive officer of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the world’s largest multidisciplinary scientific society, and executive publisher of the Science family of journals. As a physicist and a former long-time member of the U.S. House of Representatives for New Jersey’s 12th Congressional District, Holt draws on his experiences to help researchers bridge the gap between science and politics.

The election of President Donald Trump has challenged the political machine of conservativism. Now, many on the right are grappling with how to make sense of “Trumpism” and whether it fits into the conservative movement that’s been developing over the past few decades. A new policy and political journal, “American Affairs,” aims to intellectualize the Trumpism movement as it unfolds. The publication is led by Julius Krein, a 2008 Harvard University graduate, who joins professors Julian Zelizer and Sam Wang on this episode of Politics & Polls. Krein is an American political writer and the founding editor of American Affairs. He first went into a career in finance, working for several firms, including Bank of America and the Blackstone Group, before leaving finance to found and edit American Affairs.

The start of Donald Trump’s presidency has been anything but predictable. So far, his first 100 days in office have been filled with a lot of heat, noise — and executive orders. But is this that abnormal? Or is it par for the course? Where do we draw the line between what is unprecedented, and what we’ve seen before? Professors Julian Zelizer and Sam Wang discuss these questions — which are based on a recent article in The Upshot, a column for The New York Times— in this episode.

President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to withdraw from the negotiating process of the Trans-Pacific Partnership and has vowed to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement. Both moves signal to foreign nations that the United States may have a very different outlook on international trade under President Trump. In this episode of Politics & Polls, professors Julian Zelizer and Sam Wang interview (Ret.) Amb. Michael B.G. Froman ’85 about his outlook for international trade in a ‘Trumpian World.’ Amb. Froman served in President Obama’s cabinet as the U.S. Trade Representative from June 2013 to January 2017. There, he worked to open global markets for U.S. goods and services, enforce America’s rights in the global trading system and foster development through trade.

Almost every U.S. president has struggled to broker peace agreements in the Middle East, especially among Israel and Palestine. For many, the possibility of a peace agreement seems dire, with a two-state solution that seems to be fleeting. But what can we expect to see from President Donald Trump? To unravel these complex issues, Amb. Daniel Kurtzer joins this episode of Politics & Polls with co-hosts Julian Zelizer and Sam Wang. Kurtzer is the S. Daniel Abraham Visiting Professor in Middle Eastern Policy Studies at Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. Following a 29-year career in the U.S. Foreign Service, Kurtzer retired in 2005 with the rank of career-minister. From 2001 to 2005, he served as the U.S. ambassador to Israel and, from 1997 to 2001, he served as U.S. ambassador to Egypt.

Donald Trump’s presidency has evoked strong emotional and psychological responses from both the public and the president himself, raising issues not often brought forth in public policy and governance. Many, including members of the media, are trying to make sense of this complicated web of anger, passion, rationality and irrationality. Among those reporters is Jesse Singal of New York Magazine, who is bringing the social sciences into the news amid an often-heated environment. In this episode of Politics & Polls, professors Julian Zelizer and Sam Wang interview Singal and discuss, among other topics, his recent articles on fear among conservatives and how the “contact hypothesis” — when members from different groups interact — can diminish prejudice and hatred. Jesse Singal is a writer-at-large at New York Magazine, where, among other things, he covers social science, politics and weird internet subcultures. He’s an alumnus of Princeton’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs.

A federal appeals court has blocked President Donald Trump’s executive order issuing an immigration ban barring people from seven predominantly Muslim countries from entering the United States. Trump also has made moves toward building a border wall with Mexico, which recent figures suggest may cost an estimated $21 billion. If implemented, what would an immigration ban and a border wall accomplish? In this episode, professors Julian Zelizer and Sam Wang take a deep dive into immigration and border control with Doug Massey, one of the country’s leading experts in this field. Throughout the discussion, Massey busts many myths, including the question of whether the effect of a border wall is to keep people out of the United States - or cage them inside. Massey is the Henry G. Bryant Professor of Sociology and Public Affairs at Princeton University and the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. He studies international migration, race and housing, discrimination, education, urban poverty and

The digital revolution is generating massive amounts of information. And while this big data certainly benefits researchers and consumers, it also poses significant privacy concerns. In this WooCast episode, Tim Lee of Vox interviews Princeton professors Prateek Mittal and Matt Salganik about the benefits, risks and concerns related to big data. This episode is part of a series featuring moderators and panelists who will participate in the Princeton-Fung Global Forum: “Society 3.0+: Can Liberty Survive the Digital Age?” The conference, to be held March 20-21 in Berlin, is being organized by the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. Timothy B. Lee is a senior correspondent at Vox.com, where he covers technology and economics. He previously covered technology policy for The Washington Post and Ars Technica. He holds a master's degree in computer science from Princeton. Follow him on Twitter: @binarybits Prateek Mittal is an assistant professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering at

It seems as if America is watching two shows in parallel. On one hand, we’re seeing the political process unfold with cabinet nominees being appointed and executive orders being signed. On the other hand, the country has front-row seats to The Donald Trump Show, a gripping drama filled with unexpected twists and turns. Are we seeing the birth cries of an authoritarian regime? Or is it the gang that couldn't shoot straight? Professors Julian Zelizer and Sam Wang debate this and more in episode #29.

Hailed as one of the largest protests in American history, the Women’s March on Washington gathered hundreds of thousands of people both the district and millions in sister marches across the world. Held just a day after President Donald Trump’s inauguration, the protest was an opportunity for Americans to bring gender and reproductive rights to the forefront, an issue many feel is under threat by a Trump administration. In this episode of Politics & Polls, professors Julian Zelizer and Sam Wang discuss the march and reproductive rights with Katha Pollitt, a columnist for The Nation. Pollitt’s column, “Subject to Debate” has been cited as “the best place to go for original thinking on the left.” Pollitt is an American feminist poet, essayist and critic. In 2007 Random House published her collection of personal essays, “Learning to Drive and Other Life Stories.” Her most recent book is “Pro: Reclaiming Abortion Rights,” which The New York Times listed as a Notable Book of 2014. Pollitt has also written es

Can liberty survive the digital age? In this episode, Princeton University professors Jennifer Rexford and Janet Vertesi discuss internet infrastructure and its effect on how people use the web as a vehicle for communication and information.   This episode is part of a series featuring panelists who will participate in the Princeton-Fung Global Forum: “Society 3.0+: Can Liberty Survive the Digital Age?” The conference, to be held March 20-21 in Berlin, is being organized by the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. Jennifer Rexford is the Gordon Y.S. Wu Professor of Engineering, professor of computer science and chair of the Department of Computer Science at Princeton University. Before joining Princeton in 2005, she worked for eight years at AT&T Labs—Research. Jennifer received her bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Princeton University in 1991 and her Ph.D. degree in electrical engineering and computer science from the University of Michigan in 1996. She is co-author

The Democratic Party may be in a “crisis,” many argue, and not only because of a Donald Trump presidency but also due to continued Republican control of Congress. Given these challenges, will the Democrats be able to rebuild their strength? In episode #27 of Politics & Polls, professsors Julian Zelizer and Sam Wang interview leading political scientist Theda Skocpol about her recent article in Vox: “A Guide to Rebuilding the Democratic Party from the Ground Up.” In the piece, Skocpol outlines how the Democratic Party can be rebuilt from the ground up, beginning at the state and local levels. Skocpol’s work covers an unusually broad spectrum of topics including comparative politics and American politics. In particular, her research focuses on U.S. social policy and civic engagement in American democracy, including changes since the 1960s. She has recently launched new projects on the transformations of U.S. federal policies in the Obama era. Her books and articles have been widely cited in political scien

Since the election, Democrats have struggled with how to respond to a Donald Trump presidency. But one group is starting to get some traction - the authors of an online guide that is going viral: “Indivisible: A Practical Guide for Resisting the Trump Agenda.” Originally posted as a Google document, the guide was co-written by former Congressional staffers Ezra Levin and Angel Padilla, who both received their Master in Public Affairs from Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School, Leah Greenberg, and others. At the heart of the publication are two ideas: presidential power is not unlimited, and Congress responds to pressure when applied the right way. Levin and Padilla use their real-world experience with the Tea Party as a model for how citizens can keep the pressure on Congress and get results. In episode #26 of Politics & Polls, Professors Julian Zelizer and Sam Wang discuss the Indivisible guide in depth with Levin and Padilla. Levin is D.C.-based domestic poverty policy wonk. He's served as assoc