In the upcoming election, North Carolina voters will have a lot of sway.
Republican President Donald Trump and his Democratic challenger, former Vice-President Joe Biden, are locked in a tight race thus far. As a Southern state that often leans Republican in presidential elections, North Carolina could change the course of the entire national election if Biden can eke out a win here, three Duke experts said Thursday during a media briefing on the relevance of the Tar Heel state this election season.
Watch the briefing on… read more about How NC Votes Likely to Determine National Outcomes, Experts Say »
The signs of change were all around: Students walking around campus wearing face masks, talking to new friends in distanced circles. Socializing tents scattered around campus. Seminars in large rooms with seats spaced out.
But the first day of classes also had much that was familiar. Students… read more about The First Day of Classes Start With Masks, Distancing and Vigorous Classrooms »
This fall semester, Duke Kunshan University lecturer Ashton Merck will be communicating with her students more than usual.
She plans to check in with her students early and often through WeChat messages, email, and virtual office hours. Merck hopes that by staying in contact, students will feel… read more about How Duke Faculty Prepared for the Fall Semester »
New city, familiar community
Alanna Robinson was moving to Seattle in just ten days to start a full-time job as a software engineer at Zulily, but she still didn’t have a place to live, she confessed to Maddie Nelson and Robin Lorenzini, two fellow Duke alumnae, on a recent Zoom call.
Lorenzini… read more about The Duke Technology Scholars Community Is Broad, Strong, Resilient »
There’s an old fact-checking adage in journalism: If your mother says she loves you, check it out.
It’s good advice that, given the avalanche of political misinformation and outright falsehoods available on the internet, is absolutely critical now, several Duke experts in communication, policy and technology said Wednesday.
But being a savvy, clear-eyed news consumer these days isn’t easy, the scholars said during a briefing for reporters.
Watch the discussion on YouTube here.
Here are excerpts:
ON THE SCALE OF…read more about Navigating Fake News: How Americans Should Deal With Misinformation Online »
What cancelled summer plans—and new ones—say about the Duke student body.
One was supposed to be saying goodbye to her childhood home on the other side of the Atlantic. Another was meant to be working with refugees in Ireland. Two more had plans for research projects in Africa. None of it happened… read more about Purpose from Disruption »
Our faculty, graduate and undergraduate students work tirelessly to produce research on some of the most pressing issues facing the world. From college class papers to career capstone achievements, seeing the awards and recognition listed together reminds us that excellent work takes time, and that opportunities to excel are spread out across a lifetime.
John Aldrich and David Rohde win the 2019 APSA Barbara Sinclair Legacy Award.
Breanna Bradham, Robert Carlson, David Frisch, Lama Hantash, Maximilian Moser, Frencesca… read more about Year in Review: Awards and Recognition, 2019 - 2020 »
Three new members joined the Duke University Board of Trustees on July 1, the school announced Wednesday.
The new trustees are Mary T. Barra, chairman and chief executive officer of General Motors Company; Kelly C. Tang, a seventh-year Ph.D. candidate in Duke’s Department of Art, Art History, and… read more about Three Join Board of Trustees »
Olavi (Ole) Rudolf Holsti born August 7th, 1933 in Geneva, Switzerland died July 2nd, 2020 in his home in Salt Lake City, Utah after a long battle with lymphoma. Ole received his bachelors and PhD from Stanford University by 1962 and earned tenure at the University of British Columbia before making his way to Duke University to become the George V. Allen Professor in 1974. He served as the chair of the department from 1978 - 1983.
He received two undergraduate teaching awards and a lifetime achievement award from the… read more about Ole Holsti, beloved professor emeritus, passed away »
The American Political Science Association (APSA) has produced a statement on systemic racism, signed by APSA President and Duke professor of political science Paula McClain. Dr. McClain began teaching in the Duke Department of Political Science ten years ago, and has served in multiple leadership roles across the discipline culminating in her current service as the President of APSA.
The recent murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery have reignited protests and calls for justice in the United States… read more about Duke professor signs leading statement on systemic racism »
Congratulations to the following student award winners from Duke University units in 2020.
African & African American Studies
John Hope Franklin Award for Academic Excellence: Elizabeth DuBard Grantland
Karla FC Holloway Award for University Service: Beza Gebremariam
Mary McLeod Bethune Writing Award: Jenna Clayborn
Walter C. Burford Award for Community Service: Kayla Lynn Corredera-Wells
Art, Art History & Visual Studies
Mary Duke… read more about Student Honors and Laurels for 2020 »
Every year, the Director of Graduate Studies submits an annual report to the Duke Graduate School and this year reveals another productive round of innovative, multifaceted, other-oriented, and ambitious scholarship. Below is one snapshot to celebrate, a list of publications involving graduate students over the past year. However, this is only an incomplete snapshot of their work. Scholars should be defined by much more than countable metrics related to publications and citation counts. Scholarship is more than… read more about A snapshot of graduate student scholarship - our annual report »
The 2020 Senior Class of Political Science majors will occupy a unique place in the history of the Department, and the University. The Honors students whose achievements are celebrated on this page have overcome all of the usual difficulties involved in navigating a degree, finding classes, and finishing requirements, and managed on top of all that to do original research on some of the biggest questions and problems that face humanity. But this class of Honors celebrants have done something more: without the resources that… read more about Honors Program students »
A white student asks: Was the criticism leveled at rapper Eminem racist when he came on the scene in the 1990s because he’s white in a predominantly black genre?
No, says political scientist Ashley Jardina. That’s because society does not treat white people -- including Eminem -- with historic, widespread discrimination simply for his skin color.
Prejudice, yes. Racism? No.
Such is the goal of the spring political science course, “Racial Attitudes and Prejudice,” which delves into work from sociology, social psychology and… read more about Race in Politics: Undergraduates Learn the History, Implications »
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread, the question of where to turn for solid information has never been more important. Many Duke experts are being approached now for their expertise and insight. But where do they turn for guidance and the latest information? Duke Today asked several Duke experts to share their preferred sources. We’ll share their insights over the coming weeks.
Peter Feaver, a professor of political science at the Sanford School of Public Policy and director of the Duke Program in American Grand… read more about Peter Feaver: Who Are Your Trusted Sources on COVID-19? »
Duke University has awarded distinguished professorships to 29 faculty members from eight Duke colleges and schools. While the annual University Distinguished Professors dinner will be postponed until social gathering restrictions are lifted, Provost Sally Kornbluth is ready to congratulate this year’s recipients now.
“I am thrilled to honor this wonderful cohort of scholars, teachers, and members of the Duke community,” Kornbluth said. “Becoming a distinguished professor at Duke is a great achievement, and one that is… read more about Duke Awards 29 University Distinguished Professorships »
Voter turnout among young Americans has been dismal since 18-year-olds earned the right to vote with the passage of the 26th amendment in 1971.
While 18–29 year-olds account for nearly 22% of the voting age population, they made up just 13% of the voting electorate in 2018 – and that’s an improvement over previous years.
By not voting, younger Americans miss out on representation, policies and civic benefits that come with the practice, researchers say.
But it’s not that younger Americans are apathetic about politics and… read more about Making Young Voters - new book from Sunshine Hillygus »
"I've been on guard for some mischief," Kyle Beardsley said, expecting a joke when he received the announcing email on April Fools Day, but he was surprised with delight to hear that he received the 2020 Inclusive Faculty Award from the Duke Graduate & Professional Student Council.
For the past three years, Dr. Beardsley has served as the department's Director of Graduate Studies (DGS), a job that includes carrying on important academic traditions like the End of Year Conference, also… read more about Kyle Beardsley honored with Inclusive Faculty Award from GPSC »
"At first blush," Ismail White writes, "black voters appear to be an almost monolithically Democratic bloc." But in his newest co-authored book, Steadfast Democrats, offers innovative explanations for black political behavior. Dr. White, and his co-author Chryl Laird, draw close ties between the historical experience of slavery and segregation, and contemporary political socialization. "Black voters are uniquely influenced by the social expectations of other black Americans to prioritize the group’s ongoing… read more about Steadfast Democrats? New research on black voter loyalty and the process of racialized social constraint »
During a public discussion on Feb. 20, the Hon. Philippe Étienne, Ambassador of France to the United States, spoke candidly about the challenges facing European nations.
“We must never forget we are democracies,” Ambassador Étienne said. “And we must speak about our values.”
The ambassador was… read more about At Duke, French Ambassador Contemplates Europe’s Future »
In the end, John Bolton didn’t reveal any explosive new details from his anticipated book about his time in the Trump administration.
But it wasn’t because political science professor Peter Feaver, who interviewed Bolton for an hour Monday night before a packed Page Auditorium, didn’t give him the opportunity.
Asked if he thought President Trump’s call to the Ukrainian president was “perfect,” as Trump claims, Bolton replied: “You’ll love chapter 14.”
Compared with other subjects he deals with in the book, which is due… read more about John Bolton at Duke Makes First Public Remarks Since Impeachment »
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Voter turnout among young Americans has been dismal since 18-year-olds earned the right to vote with the passage of the 26th amendment in 1971.
While 18–29 year-olds account for nearly 22% of the voting age population, they made up just 13% of the voting electorate in 2018 – and that’s an improvement over previous years.
By not voting, younger Americans miss out on representation, policies and civic benefits that come with the practice, researchers say.
But it’s not that younger Americans are apathetic about… read more about Why Young People Don’t Vote – And How to Fix That »
Last week’s killing of top Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani has raised a number of legal and strategic questions for which there seem to be no consensus, including among Duke faculty.
Charles J. Dunlap Jr., a professor of the practice of law and executive director of the law school’s Center on Law, Ethics and National Security, said President Donald Trump’s directive to kill Soleimani was “lawful self-defense” as authorized by the United Nations Charter, not an unlawful assassination.
“Because Soleimani was engaged in… read more about Killing of Iranian Commander Raises Legal, Strategic Questions »
After two tight elections and three years of no national consensus on Brexit, a resounding electoral victory for Boris Johnson and the Conservative Party now makes clear the way forward for the United Kingdom to leave the European Union.
Professor Georg Vanberg, chair of political science and a leading scholar of international comparative political systems, says there is relief across Britain and even Europe that the Brexit drama appears to be over. But in an interview with Duke Today, he also sees some nuances that suggest… read more about Brexit Is Put to Bed: A Look at What Follows the UK Election »
What does it mean to get China right? On December 6-7, more than 50 professors of Chinese politics from nearly 40 institutions convened at Duke University to consider this question.
As China has grown in power and stature as the second largest economy in the world, a dominant trading partner, and a world power, its interests have also grown global. Many issues of Chinese domestic politics are now also truly issues of global politics. In today’s politically charged atmosphere, the need for rigorous, objective, and… read more about Getting China Right: a global conference at Duke »
No administration has been consistent on human rights issues, “but you need one that’s way more consistent than this one,” President Barack Obama’s ambassador to the United Nations (UN) told a packed Penn Pavilion Tuesday night.
“You can’t just show up and talk about human rights in one country while you excuse a government that murders one of its dissidents in a consulate in another part of the world,” said Samantha Power, referring to President Trump’s foreign policy.
“Or when you’re saying Kim Jong-un is a wonderful man… read more about Former Obama UN Ambassador Reflects on Syria, Trump Policy »
Political Science
