A new program for Duke sophomores – which launched earlier this year – will include a Political Science course this fall: “Liberalism and Its Critics” (POLSCI 247S). The course is part of the new “Transformative Ideas” program that is designed to promote open and civil cross-disciplinary dialogue on questions and big ideas that change lives, link cultures and shape societies around the world. “Liberalism and Its Critics” – taught by Alfredo Watkins of Political Science and Bruce Caldwell of Economics – focuses on the… read more about Political Science Course Among Fall “Transformative Ideas” Offerings »
DURHAM, N.C. -- Though he teased a military assault for weeks, Russian President Vladimir Putin still surprised many with his decision to invade Ukraine Thursday. And his behavior in the days leading up to the invasion suggested an erratic, unpredictable leader whose next moves won’t be entirely clear, two Duke scholars said Thursday. Speaking to media in a virtual media briefing, two scholars with vast expertise on Russia and the former Soviet Union discussed the nascent war, the role of sanctions, what the U.S. will do… read more about Putin’s Invasion Of Ukraine Reveals Leader ‘Disconnected In Many Senses From Reality,’ Expert Says »
Leann Mclaren Would Black Americans support a peaceful Black Lives Matter protest? What if the protesters began looting stores? What if they set fire to an empty building? These are some of the questions that Leann McLaren is exploring in one of her research projects. McLaren, a third-year Ph.D. candidate in political science, is researching behavior and identity, with a specific focus on race in American politics. “Much of my work concentrates on the connection between… read more about McLaren’s Research Explores Black Opinions on Black Lives Matter »
Civic spaces can serve as a barometer of political health. Policymakers and researchers need accurate analysis of the civic spaces around the globe in order to know what locations need help. Devlab@Duke has launched a new interactive online tool to address shrinking civic space and growing authoritarianism around the world. This tool will put incredibly fine-grained data and highly accurate forecasts of civic space events into the hands of policymakers, practitioners, and… read more about Machine Learning for Peace: website forecasts civic spaces »
Collectively, the several weeks before and after the January 6th insurrection attempt constituted the most serious test of American civil-military relations in the contemporary era. Our senior leaders passed the test because, first and foremost, they remembered and honored their professional oath to the Constitution, which superseded any partisan loyalty to a given politician. Second, senior leaders remembered the adage “process is your friend” --- civilian control, in the American context, was part of a system… read more about Peter Feaver: After January 6th civil-military relations passed a severe test »
Thursday marks the first anniversary of the violent Jan. 6 insurrection at the United States Capitol, when a mob stormed the building as Congressional members gathered to certify the 2020 presidential election. “If we don’t reckon with the deep historical roots of what happened this time last year, those events could be prologue to a far worse outcome in the future,” says Nancy MacLean, a Duke professor of history and public policy. MacLean points to the finding from the House select committee tasked with… read more about One Year Later, Scholars Examine Fallout From U.S. Capitol Riot »
December Serkant Adiguzel, Mateo Villamizar Chaparro, Donald Moratz, and Diego Romero team up with other researchers and projects leads, Jeremy Springman and Erik Wibbels, to launch the Machine Learning for Peace forecasting website, supported and funded by USAID Michael Munger authors an op ed analysis of inflation and the plan circulating to address it, in the Wall Street Journal November Peter Feaver hosts a conversation with General Mark Milley, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, reports… read more about In the News, 2021 »
December Jessica Edelson (T '22) is one of three Duke students who will join the new class of Schwarzman Scholars, reports Duke Today November Mark Dudley (Ph.D. '16) has accepted the position as Director of Merit Scholarship Programs at Duke OUSF Rachel Myrick and Jeremy Weinstein. 2021. "Making Sense of Human Rights Diplomacy: Evidence from a US Campaign to Free Political Prisoners." International Organization. October Terrence L. Chapman, Nathan M. Jensen, Edmund J. Malesky and… read more about Scholarship and Milestones, 2021 »
Jessica Edelson joins fellow Duke student Jessie Xu and Wanying He from Duke Kunshan University as recipients of the Schwarzman Scholarship. They are among 151 scholars that will begin the program in August of 2022. The scholars develop leadership skills through a funded one-year master’s degree in global affairs, designed to enable future leaders of the 21st century to engage with China. Students study at Tsinghua University in Beijing and live in Schwarzman College, a specially built state-of-the-… read more about Jessica Edelson will join the new class of Schwarzman Scholars »
Five years have passed since Colombia’s peace accords were signed. Three researchers who first met at Duke, Gabriella Levy, Juan Tellez, and Mateo Villamizar-Chaparro, explore what has gone well and what has gone not that well, in a new analysis for the Monkey Cage. On the one hand, Colombia is less violent in terms of intentional homicides, battle-related deaths and conflict displacement when compared to the 2000s. Moreover, the processes for documenting past violence by the Special Jurisdiction… read more about A retrospective on the five years after Colombia's peace deal »
Though the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is the nation’s highest-ranking military officer, he isn’t in the chain of command. “I don't make decisions,” Gen. Mark Milley, the 20th and current holder of that office, said at Duke Friday. “And you have to be very careful about that.” Instead, the chairman’s role is to provide “considered, rigorous, well thought-out” advice to the president, the secretary of defense and the National Security Council about the use of the U.S. military, Milley said. “We are not allowed… read more about Duke hosts Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff »