On May 12-14, Tim Büthe, associate professor of political science and public policy, attended the lead authors' meeting in Geneva for "Varieties of Global Governance," chapter 12 of "Rethinking Society for the 21st Century", the report of the International Panel on Social Progress (IPSP). The IPSP is tasked to harness insights from across the social sciences to develop "research-based, multi-disciplinary, non-partisan, action-driven solutions to the most pressing challenges of… read more about International Panel on Social Progress: Chapter 12 Meets in Geneva, Tim Büthe attends »
Yes, they are, though political scientists have argued for years whether credibility really matters in foreign policy. There is an older body of scholarship that suggests concerns over credibility are overstated (for a sympathetic review of that literature, see here). According to this view, leaders could make idle threats and not pay a price, because in each new contest, the actors discounted heavily whatever had been done or not done, said or not said, in earlier stages. However, more recent scholarship has debunked… read more about Voices Carry: How Careless Campaign Bombast Can Undo Administrations - alumna Danielle Luption and Peter Feaver coauthor »
Duke Today is highlighting twenty-three seniors, seven of which are political science majors or minors. Here are those seven, and four more unforgettable Duke stories. Jay Ruckelshaus and Laura Roberts were awarded Rhodes Scholarships. In this video, they share the thrill of winning, their research goals, and their optimism. Kari Barclay was a Humanity in Action Fellow who reports back from Denmark in this video. He is using the arts in clever ways to promote political activism… read more about Graduation Stories: 11 seniors and their Duke legacies »
From Duke Today: This week, this third-generation Dukie graduates with a double major in political science and Asian & Middle Eastern studies with a minor in history. In August, Campbell-Mohn will head to Tsinghua University in Beijing for an accelerated, one-year master’s program as a member of the first class of Schwarzman Scholars. There she’ll study international relations. She will then consider whether to pursue a Ph.D. or seek a job in international relations with the U.S. government or a think tank. “I’m… read more about Graduation Stories: Emma Campbell-Mohn »
Congratulations to Melanie Manion who has been named the Vor Broker Family Professor of Political Science and Erik Wibbels who has been inducted into the Bass Society of Fellows as the Robert O. Keohane Professor of Political Science. Duke University has awarded distinguished professorships to 21 members of its faculty. Another four were inducted into the Bass Society of Fellows for Excellence in Teaching and Research. The professors were recognized at a May 4 dinner at the American Tobacco Campus in Durham.… read more about Melanie Manion and Erik Wibbels awarded distinguished professorships »
Watch David Morris, political science senior, address a Blue Devil Days audience about Duke University opportunities. read more about Graduation Stories: David Morris »
Cindy Jebb, who received her Ph.D. in political science from Duke University in 1997, was nominated by President Obama to become the first female dean of West Point. She has served as the head of the social science department at West Point since 2013. Peter Feaver, former National Security Council Staff Special Advisor and current Professor of Political Science congratulates Dr. Jebb writing: Dr. Jebb was one of the very first military fellows I had the… read more about Cindy Jebb, Duke Alumna, nominated to historic appointment »
Look, today’s students are grossly overscheduled, with commitments to clubs, activities, work, and athletic team practices and travel. Most of them have a computer, even if it is in their phones. That gives them access to a world of high-quality specialized, educational, entertaining, and informative digital content. It takes the form of videos, podcasts, recorded lectures, and animated features that explain or illustrate fundamental points about a wide variety of subjects. Doing more with less is not very rewarding. But if… read more about The Beauty of the Virtual Discussion Section - Michael Munger writes for The Chronicle of Higher Education »
Jack Knight is the Frederic Cleaveland Professor of Law and Political Science and chair of the political science department. He joins 213 new members to be induced at a ceremony in Cambridge, Massachusetts on October 8, 2016. Knight is a political scientist and legal theorist whose scholarly work focuses on modern social and political theory, law and legal theory, and political economy. He holds a joint appointment with Duke Law School and Duke’s Trinity College of Arts & Sciences. In addition to… read more about Jack Knight elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences »
The presidency with its national electorate and electoral rules that favor two-party competition establishes two national major parties, which frames the opportunity structure that influences party affiliation decisions of ambitious politicians running for lower offices. Control over the policy agenda helps reinforce the continuation of a particular two-party system in equilibrium by blocking third parties through divergence on the main issue dimension and the suppression of latent issue dimensions that could benefit… read more about Why Two Parties? Ambition, Policy, and the Presidency - John Aldrich publishes with Daniel Lee »
Local politicians and bureaucrats in low- and middle-income countries play a crucial role in the distribution of aid dollars, acting as gatekeepers in determining which constituents receive aid, and to what degree that assistance is effective. In Ghana for example, district governments spend about 80 percent of their budgets on development projects, including schools, health clinics, etc. There are many theories about why politicians choose to distribute aid in the ways they do, but little evidence to support one theory… read more about Erik Wibbels helps answer: "How are development projects allocated to different communities?" »
The English “common law,” on which much of our jurisprudence is based, shows the way. A venerable common law doctrine is the implied contract associated with being “open for business.” If I advertise prices, goods and services for sale, I must honor that offer. So a pizza restaurant can’t double its prices for Jews, or African-Americans, or refuse service to Muslims. If I refuse to do business on the advertised terms (“We don’t serve your kind!”) I have committed fraud. In these situations, no law… read more about Is freedom of association discriminatory? - Michael Munger writes column for North State Journal »
Tim Büthe coordinated his seminar course, "The Law and Politics of Market Competition in a Global Economy" through a field trip to Washington, D.C. on March 28 and 29, with the generous support of the Program on American Grand Strategy. This focused itinerary (click here for event photographs) included visits with federal government officials in the two antitrust enforcement and competition policy agencies (the Department of Justice's Antitrust Division and the Federal Trade Commission), one of the… read more about Tim Büthe leads seminar field trip to Washington, D.C. »
Peter Feaver and Bruce Jentleson debate contemporary issues of national security and foreign policy. The entire series of Foreign Exchange Debates is available on YouTube. read more about History in Cuba; Terror in Brussels - Another episode of Foreign Exchange Debate »
In Geneva, Switzerland, Prof. Tim Büthe opened the 2nd workshop of the project on Rethinking Stakeholder Participation in Global Governance, which he co-directs with Swiss colleagues Joost Pauwelyn, Martino Maggetti, Ayelet Berman and Theresa Carpenter. It is part of an ongoing collaboration of Duke University with the Graduate Institute, Geneva, and the University of Lausanne, funded by the Swiss Network for International Studies (SNIS) and led on Duke's behalf by the Department of Political Science. … read more about Tim Büthe co-chairs conference on Rethinking Stakeholder Participation in Global Governance »
Peter D. Feaver, a political science professor at Duke University, signed a letter from top Republican national security leaders objecting to Mr. Trump earlier this month and said he was confounded by the advisers that the candidate ultimately came up with. “I think that normally, the front-runner for a Republican presidential campaign, by March of the campaign year, has assembled a team that is more distinguished than this,” said Dr. Feaver, who was a national security adviser in the George W. Bush and Bill Clinton… read more about Top Experts Confounded by Advisers to Donald Trump - Peter Feaver interviewed for The New York Times »
Whatever the outcome of the race for the White House, the entire American establishment, including career politicians, the super-rich, academia, the press, the high professions, big business, and major civil society organizations, now has fair warning that the stability of the American system of governance requires addressing the problems of groups that have not shared in the fruits of globalization. To dismiss the cries of Trumpists (or of Bernie-fans) merely as expressions of bigotry or prejudice is to be in denial.… read more about You Can’t Keep a Lid on Discontent Forever - Timur Kuran writes for Cato Unbound »
“Before, the National Assembly wasn’t so much part of the national consciousness,” but this year’s crop of independents draws from a far wider cross-section of society, said Edmund J. Malesky, a Vietnam specialist and a professor of political economy at Duke University. Continue reading the main stor Professor Malesky said that the independents were younger than ever and that many were discussing their platforms with a degree of openness that is rare in the one-party state. Debates in the National Assembly had become… read more about In One-Party Vietnam, Independents vie for Assembly Seats - Edmund Malesky interviewed in The New York Times »
But if Trump fails to win a majority of delegates, the logic is equally clear: securing a plurality of the vote (or delegates) does not provide Trump with any special claim to legitimacy, nor does it give him the mantle of “the people’s choice.” In this case, a brokered convention that denies him the nomination is not a coup in which the party’s establishment thumbs its nose at the electorate. On the contrary, such an outcome can represent the preferences of many voters, and have an equally powerful claim to be “democratic… read more about Think a ‘brokered’ convention is undemocratic? Think again. - Georg Vanberg writes for The Washington Post »
The authenticity deficit in American politics is very real. But it is not a product of politicians alone. It is a social ill whose perpetrators are also its victims, and vice versa. People astonished at why Sanders and Trump have resonated with huge blocs should look in the mirror and ask when they themselves last sat down with someone who holds an uncomfortable contrary opinion, for an honest dialogue on finding a middle ground. Continue reading here read more about The Authenticity Deficit in Modern Politics - Timur Kuran writes for Cato Unbound »
The Democrats’ reaction was priceless. In effect, they said, “Wait! We didn’t mean to ignore race completely!” David Lewis (R, NCGA-53), co-chair of the redistricting committee appointed by the Republicans, rather gleefully responded: “The only way to make sure race is not predominant is to make sure it is not a factor.” What did the Democrats think was going to happen? Continue reading here (column on page A8) read more about Race to the Bottom - Michael Munger writes column for North State Journal »
In his terrific book, Private Truths, Public Lies:The Social Consequences of Preference Falsification, Timur Kuran writes about the phenomenon he calls “preference falsification”: People tend to hide unpopular views to avoid ostracism or punishment; they stop hiding them when they feel safe. This can produce rapid change: In totalitarian societies like the old Soviet Union, the police and propaganda organizations do their best to enforce preference falsification. Such regimes have… read more about A Trump wave is on the way? Journalist cites Timur Kuran's research »
“One of the things that is so striking is we have turnout rates in these states that’s absolutely tiny,” says political scientist Sunshine Hillygus. “This is where the establishment recognizes that just because Donald Trump wins a percentage of the primary voters in a given state does not at all mean that it’s going to translate in a general election.” Continue reading here read more about Who is going to win Super Tuesday? Sunshine Hillygus interviewed »
Peter Feaver and Bruce Jentleson meet again for another episode of Foreign Exchange a national security and foreign policy debate series. This time, they try to determine and predict Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump's foreign policy positions. Peter Feaver is a professor of political science and public policy. From 2005-07, he was special advisor for Strategic Planning and Institutional Reform in the Bush White House. Bruce Jentleson is a professor of public policy and political science. He was a senior… read more about Foreign Exchange Debate: a new episode available »
The ultimate goal is this balance of power in the Madisonian sense, but we need to account also for a much larger, expansive concept of what counts as power in a more Foucauldian sense....In terms of reasonable accommodations...if we replace the limited frameworks that we tend to use when we think through these issues, like rights and freedom, with this more comprehensive framework, we're necessarily going to have to take into account, a wider range of concerns. And this is going to yield better debates on the issue, where… read more about Madison meets Foucault: Samuel Bagg outlines his dissertation »
“Justice Scalia has anchored the conservative side of the court. Now, with him gone, you have a much divided court, so the stakes are very high for both parties to get that fifth vote,” said Duke professor Kerry Haynie. Watch the WRAL footage here “That Justice Scalia has died before a decision on the appeal has been announced very likely means the General Assembly will be required to redraw new congressional districts and have them approved by the federal court before any election for Congress can take place in… read more about Kerry Haynie interviewed by WRAL and Charlotte Observer about the upcoming Supreme Court nomination battle »
Original source: Duke Today Perhaps the most fundamental action political parties take is to choose their nominees for political office. These nominations are, of course, often hotly contested, and the way the parties choose their nominees is almost as often hotly contested. In fact, contesting the rules of nomination have been a fact of life for American political parties virtually since the Founding. The Democratic-Republican Party (the early form of today’s Democratic Party) and the Federalist Party,… read more about John Aldrich traces the history of the presidential nomination process »
Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE) began as an interdisciplinary degree program at Oxford in 1924, and ninety years later it has spread to well over a hundred universities around the world as either a major or minor area of study. The original idea was, in part, to provide future civil servants in the United Kingdom with an opportunity to become generalists by exploring public policy through the different lenses of complementary disciplines. Over the past few decades, as PPE made its way to the United… read more about Why PPE? »
Tearful refugees landing on European shores. Terror in Paris, San Bernardino, Beirut, Istanbul and Jakarta. Gruesome calls to action and videos of beheadings in Iraq and Syria. From its financing and recruitment to the catastrophic human rights consequences of its reign of terror, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has commanded global media attention since the “caliphate” was established in June 2014. But according to four experts who spoke at Duke Wednesday about the growing security and refugee crisis, the… read more about Scholars Discuss the Origins, Consequences and Responses to ISIS »