The Brookings Cafeteria

Brookings President John R. Allen on Russia, Ukraine, China, and leading the Institution forward Mar 25, 2022

In this final episode of the Brookings Cafeteria podcast, John R. Allen, president of the Brookings Institution, offers his views on Russia's war on Ukraine—including the February 4 joint statement between Russia and China; on China's continued ambitions for global leadership; and on the role of the Brookings Institution at a time when, as Allen says, "truth is under direct assault." Show notes and transcript: Follow Brookings podcasts on Apple or Google podcasts, or on Spotify. Send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

More than ever, cities and metro areas matter for America's future Mar 18, 2022

Amy Liu, vice president and director of Brookings Metro, says that more than ever, cities and metro areas matter for America's future. They are at the forefront of demographic change, innovation, competitiveness, adaptation to climate change, and more. Show notes and transcript: Follow Brookings podcasts on Apple or Google podcasts, or on Spotify. Send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

Political polarization in America is worse than ever, and what we can do about it Mar 11, 2022

Darrell West, vice president and director of Governance Studies, says the forces that have fueled political polarization and extremism in the U.S. even since the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol are worsening. He offers insights about why, and what citizens and government can do about it. Show notes and transcript: Follow Brookings podcasts on Apple or Google podcasts, or on Spotify. Send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

Political polarization in America is worse than ever, and what we can do about it Mar 11, 2022

Darrell West, vice president and director of Governance Studies, says the forces that have fueled political polarization and extremism in the U.S. even since the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol are worsening. He offers insights about why, and what citizens and government can do about it. Show notes and transcript: Follow Brookings podcasts on Apple or Google podcasts, or on Spotify. Send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

Challenges in the post-COVID global economic recovery Mar 04, 2022

Brahima Sangafowa Coulibaly, vice president and director of the Global Economy and Development program at Brookings, addresses the divergent paths between wealthy countries and the developing world in the post-COVID-19 economic recovery. Show notes and transcript: Follow Brookings podcasts on Apple or Google podcasts, or on Spotify. Send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

The state of jobs and the US labor market Feb 25, 2022

Stephanie Aaronson, vice president and director of Economic Studies at Brookings, discusses the state of jobs and the U.S. labor market. Show notes and transcript: Follow Brookings podcasts on Apple or Google podcasts, or on Spotify. Send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

The state of jobs and the US labor market Feb 25, 2022

Stephanie Aaronson, vice president and director of Economic Studies at Brookings, discusses the state of jobs and the U.S. labor market. Show notes and transcript: Follow Brookings podcasts on Apple or Google podcasts, or on Spotify. Send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

Iran’s nuclear aspirations Feb 18, 2022

Suzanne Maloney, vice president and director of Foreign Policy at Brookings, discusses the state of negotiations aimed at reviving the Iran nuclear deal, U.S.-Iran relations, and prospects for Iranian moderation in the future. Show notes and transcript: Follow Brookings podcasts on Apple or Google podcasts, or on Spotify. Send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

How to fix America's broken housing systems Feb 11, 2022

On this episode of the Brookings Cafeteria, an expert on housing policy discusses her new book that addresses America's housing challenges and proposes practical changes to make more housing available and affordable for all Americans. Jenny Schuetz is a senior fellow in Brookings Metro and author of the new book, “Fixer-Upper: How to Repair America’s Broken Housing Systems,” publishing this month by Brookings Institution Press. You can find it on our website, Brookings.edu. She’s interviewed by Brookings Press Director Bill Finan. Show notes and transcript: Follow Brookings podcasts on Apple or Google podcasts, or on Spotify. Send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

Valuing Black assets in Black communities Feb 04, 2022

Andre Perry, a senior fellow in Brookings Metro and author of “Know Your Price: Valuing Black Lives and Property in America’s Black Cities,” published in 2020 by Brookings Institution Press, talks about a new partnership with the NAACP that focuses on the strengths and assets of Black majority cities that are worthy of increased investment. Show notes and transcript: Follow Brookings podcasts on Apple or Google podcasts, or on Spotify. Send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

Invest in brain health to combat America's crisis of despair Jan 28, 2022

Carol Graham, the Leo Pasvolsky Senior Fellow and director of research in Global Economy and Development, who is an expert on a range of issues related to happiness, the economics of well-being, and America's crisis of despair, talks about her new research on brain health and its connection to the economy and health, and a new proposal for a White House Brain Capital Council. Show notes and transcript: Follow Brookings podcasts on Apple or Google podcasts, or on Spotify. Send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

Russia, China, and beyond: Key U.S. foreign policy challenges Jan 21, 2022

Senior Fellow Michael O'Hanlon discusses some of the most challenging foreign policy issues facing the United States today, from Russia to China, from Afghanistan to the Middle East. Show notes and transcript: Follow Brookings podcasts on Apple or Google podcasts, or on Spotify. Send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

Is American democracy failing? Jan 14, 2022

Is America's democracy failing and putting the U.S. economic system at risk? That’s the question in the title of a new report from Governance Studies at Brookings and the States United Democracy Center, co-authored by Brookings senior fellows Bill Galston and Elaine Kamarck. To discuss the report’s findings, Kamarck, who is also founding director of the Center for Effective Public Management at Brookings, joins the Cafeteria on this episode. Show notes and transcript: Follow Brookings podcasts on Apple or Google podcasts, or on Spotify. Send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

The top economic issues in 2022 Jan 07, 2022

This is the Brookings Cafeteria podcast's seventh annual look at the top economic issues of the coming year. And discussing the state of the U.S. economy, inflation expectations, and more is David Wessel, senior fellow and director of the Hutchins Center on Fiscal and Monetary Policy at Brookings. Show notes and transcript: Follow Brookings podcasts on Apple or Google podcasts, or on Spotify. Send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

Best of the Brookings Cafeteria podcast in 2021 Dec 30, 2021

To celebrate the closing of another tumultuous year, this episode features our favorite clips from past 12 months. We hope you enjoy it, take the opportunity to download full episodes that interest you, and share the show with friends. Show notes and transcript: Follow Brookings podcasts on Apple, Google podcasts, or Spotify. Send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

Brookings Metro at 25: Building a more prosperous, just, and resilient future Dec 17, 2021

Last month, Brookings Metro, formerly the Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program, turned 25. Since Brookings Metro’s conception in 1996, America’s cities and urban communities have changed dramatically. On this episode of the Brookings Cafeteria podcast, you’ll hear from metropolitan experts on how America’s local communities have changed, where things stand at this crucial moment in time amid generational federal investment, and what it will take in the future for every community in America to be prosperous, just, and resilient. Show notes and transcript: Follow Brookings podcasts on Apple or Google podcasts, or on Spotify. Send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

Ten commitments to save democracy Dec 10, 2021

The two-day, virtual Summit for Democracy convened by President Biden and that wrapped up on December 10 aimed to rally nations around the world against growing authoritarianism. The podcast’s two guests in this episode have long been involved in the work of supporting democracy and thwarting democratic backsliding, both in the U.S. and abroad, and they are co-authors of a new report on how to advance democracy. Norm Eisen is a senior fellow in Governance Studies at Brookings, former U.S. ambassador to the Czech Republic, and former White House ethics czar; and Susan Corke is director of the Intelligence Project at the Southern Poverty Law Center, and formerly worked at Freedom House, U.S. Embassy Moscow, U.S. Embassy Prague, and the German Marshall Fund. They are co-authors of “Democracy Playbook 2021: 10 commitments for advancing democracy.” Also on this episode, Senior Fellow Sarah Binder offers her view on the challenges that are piling up in Congress as the first session comes to a close in a matter of week. Show notes and transcript: Follow Brookings podcasts on Apple or Google podcasts, or on Spotify. Send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

17 Rooms, a new podcast for the Sustainable Development Goals Dec 03, 2021

This is a rebroadcast of the first episode of a new show from the Brookings Podcast Network—”17 Rooms,” a podcast about actions, insights, and community for the Sustainable Development Goals (or SDGs) and the people driving them. In “17 Rooms,” co-hosts John McArthur—who directs the Center for Sustainable Development at Brookings, and Zia Khan—senior vice president for innovation at The Rockefeller Foundation, talk with thought leaders and practitioners who are pushing to make change across all 17 of the SDGs as part of the 17 Rooms initiative, where people from diverse backgrounds meet in their own “Rooms,” one for each of the SDGs, to identify concrete actions they can take over the next 12-18 months toward the Goals. In this episode, Khan and McArthur preview the show, discuss the 17 Rooms process, and introduce themselves, explaining why they are excited about this work. You can find ways to listen and subscribe to 17 Rooms on our website, brookings.edu/17RoomsPodcast. Show notes and transcript: Follow Brookings podcasts on Apple or Google podcasts, or on Spotify. Send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

When is a public policy racist? Nov 26, 2021

Jim Crow laws that prevented Black citizens from voting are clearly racist, as are redlining practices that excluded Black homebuyers from white neighborhoods. But what about laws and regulations that don’t rely on disparate treatment based on race? Can such policies still be racist? Bill Gale explores these questions in his new research, including in a paper titled “Public Finance and Racism.” He is the Arjay and Frances Fearing Miller Chair in Federal Economic Policy, a senior fellow in Economic Studies, and co-director of the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center. Also on this episode, Senior Fellow David Wessel, director of the Hutchins Center on Fiscal and Monetary Policy, addresses President Biden’s renomination of Jay Powell to be chair of the Federal Reserve, his nomination of Lael Brainard to be vice chair, and the big question confronting the Fed: inflation. Show notes and transcript: Follow Brookings podcasts on Apple or Google podcasts, or on Spotify. Send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

Computer science education builds skills for life Nov 19, 2021

Computer science education in K-12 schools matters, not because it’s about training the next generation of computer programmers, but because computer science education builds skills for life, say the guests on this episode. Emiliana Vegas, senior fellow and co-director of the Center for Universal Education at Brookings, and Michael Hansen, senior fellow in the Brown Center for Education Policy at Brookings, are co-authors, along with Brian Fowler, of a new report, “Building Skills for Life: How to expand and improve computer science education around the world,” and they join me on the Brookings Cafeteria today. Also on this episode, Adie Tomer, senior fellow in Brookings Metro, reflects on the enactment of the new federal infrastructure program, which he calls the largest single investment in the country’s built environment in at least half a century. Show notes and transcript: Follow Brookings podcasts on Apple or Google podcasts, or on Spotify. Send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

Putin, Trump, and the road to authoritarianism Nov 12, 2021

On this episode, a discussion with experts Fiona Hill and Angela Stent on Russia’s re-emergence as a great power after the Cold War ended, under the leadership of Vladimir Putin, and also more broadly on how economic change, deindustrialization, and other forces open doors for populist leaders to rise in places like Russia, and the United States and the United Kingdom as well, as we’ve seen in recent years. Stent is a nonresident senior fellow with the Center on the United States and Europe at Brookings and senior adviser to the Center for Eurasian, Russian and East European Studies and professor emerita of government and foreign service at Georgetown University. She is the author, most recently, of “Putin’s World: Russia Against the West and with the Rest.” Fiona Hill, the Robert Bosch Senior Fellow in the Center on the United States and Europe, served from 2017 to 2019 as deputy assistant to the president and senior director for European and Russian Affairs on the National Security Council. Her most recent book is “There Is Nothing for You Here; Finding Opportunity in the Twenty-First Century.” Hill and Stent also talk about how their careers in Soviet and Russian studies got started, the rise of Putin’s Russia, how social and economic decay can lead to the rise of populist leaders, and how to revive opportunity in America. Show notes and transcript: Follow Brookings podcasts on Apple or Google podcasts, or on Spotify. Send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

Cyberbullying and bystander intervention Nov 05, 2021

Seventy percent of people report that they have done something abusive to someone else online, and a majority report being cyberbullied themselves. Nearly 90 percent of teenagers report witnessing online bullying. In a new report published by Brookings, “Bystander intervention on social media: Examining cyberbullying and reactions to systemic racism,” researchers examine the cyberbullying phenomenon, especially its racial aspect, and the strategies onlookers use to intervene. On this episode, two report authors discuss their findings: Rashawn Ray, senior fellow in Governance Studies at Brookings and a professor of sociology and executive director of the Lab for Applied Social Science Research at the University of Maryland; and Melissa Brown, assistant professor in the Department of Communication at Santa Clara University. Also on this episode, Governance Studies Senior Fellow Molly Reynolds explains why Democratic leaders in Congress are using reconciliation to try to pass President Biden’s legislative priorities, and why that process can be so difficult to use to achieve policy goals. Show notes and transcript: Follow Brookings podcasts on Apple or Google podcasts, or on Spotify. Send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

What does success at the Glasgow climate conference (COP26) look like? Oct 29, 2021

Global leaders are gathering in Glasgow in the coming weeks as the United Kingdom hosts the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties, known as COP26. As global temperatures continue to rise, the calls for action on addressing the climate change threat rise as well. On this episode of the Brookings Cafeteria podcast, a leading expert on global climate policy and financing for climate action, Amar Bhattacharya, senior fellow in the Center for Sustainable Development at Brookings, shares his perspective on what will make COP26 successful, what sustainable and inclusive approaches to climate mitigation look like, and what gives him hope for the future. Also on this episode, John McArthur, senior fellow and director of the Center for Sustainable Development, reflects on the Center’s first anniversary, noting significant accomplishments of Center scholars and looking ahead to projects to come, including the “17 Rooms” podcast. Show notes and transcript: Follow Brookings podcasts on Apple or Google podcasts, or on Spotify. Send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

Ending the state and local taxes (SALT) deduction Oct 22, 2021

Millions of American taxpayers itemize their deductions, one of which is for state and local taxes, or the SALT deduction. Most of these filers are at the upper end of the income distribution and live in high-income urban areas. On this episode, Senior Fellow Richard Reeves, director of the Future of the Middle Class Initiative at Brookings, says the SALT deduction mostly benefits the wealthiest taxpayers, gives little or no benefit to the middle class, and should be eliminated entirely. He also talks about the unusual politics of the debate in Washington, where Democratic leaders are calling for repeal of the SALT deduction CAP put in place in the 2017 tax law, championed by congressional Republicans. Also on this episode, David Wessel, senior fellow and director of the Hutchins Center on Fiscal and Monetary Policy at Brookings, explains why inflation is back, why it's different this time, and what the Federal Reserve can do about it. Show notes and transcript: Follow Brookings podcasts on Apple or Google podcasts, or on Spotify. Send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

Politics and the pandemic in Latino and Native American communities Oct 15, 2021

This episode features an interview with an expert who calls immigration and the Latino vote a golden opportunity for Democrats in 2022. Gabriel Sanchez is a David M. Rubenstein Fellow in Governance Studies at Brookings and a professor of political science at the University of New Mexico. In the interview, he discusses a range of policy issues including why COVID-19 has had such a devastating impact on Latino families, why vaccination rates are so high in Native American communities, and why immigration policy remains so important headed into the midterm elections. Sanchez is also Founding Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Endowed Chair in Health Policy and director of the Center for Social Policy at the University of New Mexico. Also on this episode, Hanna Love, a research associate with the Bass Center for Transformative Placemaking in the Brookings Metropolitan Policy program, discusses three trends shaping the future of rural America that she says the dominant narratives aren't very good at capturing. Show notes and transcript: Follow Brookings podcasts on Apple or Google podcasts, or on Spotify. Send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

Unpacking Opportunity Zones tax havens Oct 08, 2021

David Wessel, a senior fellow and director of the Hutchins Center on Fiscal and Monetary Policy at Brookings, is author of the new book “Only the Rich Can Play: How Washington Works in the New Gilded Age,” published by Public Affairs, which tells the story of how a Silicon Valley entrepreneur developed an idea intended to help poor people that will save rich people money on their taxes. Wessel relates in his book how the tax break, passed into law in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, led to the creation of over eight thousand tax havens across the U.S. called Opportunity Zones. This episode of the Brookings Cafeteria presents part of a recent Brookings live event during which Wessel and other experts discussed the book and the Opportunity Zone experience on the ground. Here, Wessel is interviewed by New York Times White House correspondent Jim Tankersley about “Only the Rich Can Play.” Listen and watch the entire event on , or also subscribe to the . Show notes and transcript: Follow Brookings podcasts on Apple or Google podcasts, or on Spotify. Send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

White decline and increased diversity in America's aging population Oct 01, 2021

America’s white population is declining and aging, while the share of Latinos or Hispanics, Asians, and people who identify as two are more races is increasing. These are some of the findings in new analysis from Brookings Senior Fellow Bill Frey, who joins the Brookings Cafeteria to talk about America’s changing demographics and the implications. Also on this episode, Tony Pipa, a senior fellow in the Center for Sustainable Development, highlights the work of local elected leaders and private sector leaders in the U.S. who are prioritizing action on achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Show notes and transcript: Follow Brookings podcasts on Apple or Google podcasts, or on Spotify. Send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

Jordan and America's decades-long friendship Sep 24, 2021

For over 70 years, Jordan has been an important ally in the Middle East for the United States, a connection built largely on the relationships between two Jordanian monarchs of the Hashemite family—King Hussein and King Abdullah—and American presidents from Eisenhower to Biden. In his new book published by the Brookings Institution Press, “Jordan and America: An Enduring Friendship,” Brookings Senior Fellow Bruce Riedel tells the story of this critical relationship. On this episode, Riedel is interviewed by Brookings Press Director Bill Finan about the book, one in a series Riedel has authored about important people and events in the Middle East. Also on this episode, Joseph Kane, a fellow in the Metropolitan Policy Program, explains how, with a $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill pending in Congress, regional leaders and institutions can prepare future infrastructure workers now. Show notes and transcript: Follow Brookings podcasts on Apple or Google podcasts, or on Spotify. Send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

Rule the waves, rule the world Sep 17, 2021

Oceans are at the center of global competition, climate, and trade. In his new book, “To Rule the Waves: How Control of the World’s Oceans Shapes the fate of the Superpowers,” published by Scribner, Brookings Senior Fellow Bruce Jones takes readers on a fascinating voyage through this water world via the great ports, ships, geographies, and history of our ocean planet. And on this episode of the Brookings Cafeteria, Jones shares some highlights from the book, including his visits to one of the largest cargo ships in the world and a naval base in Norway over a hundred miles north of the Arctic Circle. Also on this episode, Senior Fellow David Wessel explains one unnoticed provision of the 2017 Trump tax bill, the Opportunity Zone, which was intended to encourage development in poor neighborhoods around the country but instead unleashed a tax break gold rush for economic and political elites. Show notes and transcript: Follow Brookings podcasts on Apple or Google podcasts, or on Spotify. Send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

How 9/11 changed the policy world Sep 10, 2021

Twenty years after the 9/11 attacks, six Brookings scholars reflect on their personal experiences of that terrible day, and offer expert insights into how 9/11 changed policy and what the anniversary suggests for policy moving forward. Show notes and transcript: Follow Brookings podcasts on Apple or Google podcasts, or on Spotify. Send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

Challenges to early childhood education in the wake of COVID-19 Sep 03, 2021

As students return to schools across the country, this episode of the Brookings Cafeteria features a rebroadcast of a recent online event from the Brown Center on Education Policy at Brookings on the present and future of early childhood education in the U.S. in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Brookings scholar Jon Valant, director of the Brown Center, moderated a panel discussion with Miriam Calderon, deputy assistant secretary for policy and early learning at the U.S. Department of Education; Jenna Conway, the deputy superintendent of early childhood education in the Virginia Department of Education, and Christina Weiland, associate professor in the School of Education at the University of Michigan. Show notes and transcript: Follow Brookings podcasts on Apple or Google podcasts, or on Spotify. Send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

Why high unemployment persists for Black workers Aug 27, 2021

Disparities between Black workers and white workers in employment and labor force participation existed long before the coronavirus pandemic, and the economic recovery following easing of COVID-19 restrictions has been felt unevenly, especially for Black teens. On this episode, expert Kristen Broady discusses her research on this problem and shares policy ideas for a more equitable economic recovery. Broady is a fellow in the Metropolitan Policy Program at Brookings and a professor of financial economics, on leave, at Dillard University in New Orleans. Show notes and transcript: Follow Brookings podcasts on Apple or Google podcasts, or on Spotify. Send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

The Taliban takes Afghanistan Aug 20, 2021

On this episode, in the wake of the Taliban's rapid takeover of Afghanistan, a discussion of the forces and issues that have shaped Afghanistan over the last two decades and will continue to do so with Vanda Felbab-Brown, a senior fellow in Foreign Policy and the Center for Security, Strategy, and Technology at Brookings,. Her insights on what has happened in Afghanistan help make sense of an incredibly complex situation and offer some ideas of what to expect moving forward. This conversation took place on Monday, August 16, just the day after Taliban forces entered Kabul. Also, Governance Studies Senior Fellow Molly Reynolds explains what’s happening in Congress in the context of the dramatic and dynamic situation in Afghanistan, including attention to an increased effort to resettle refugees from there. Show notes and transcript: Follow Brookings podcasts on Apple or Google podcasts, or on Spotify. Send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

Why it's harder for American workers to get ahead, and what we can do about it Aug 13, 2021

On this 400th episode of the Brookings Cafeteria podcast, Marcela Escobari, a senior fellow in Global Economy and Development at Brookings, talks about her new report on how to tackle the worker mobility crisis in the U.S. economy. In the face of rising inequality, stagnating wages, a shrinking middle class, and now a global pandemic, many American workers are finding it difficult getting ahead. And today, millions of low-wage workers lack job security and benefits and face the threat of dislocation due to automation and other factors. Also, in a new Sustainable Development Spotlight, Senior Fellow George Ingram shares his insights on why we need better data quality reporting to track donor funding that advances gender equality. Too often, Ingram says, women and girls are left out of the development process, leading to inequitable societies and less productive economies. Show notes and transcript: Follow Brookings podcasts on Apple or Google podcasts, or on Spotify. Send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

How to make retirement income more accessible for all Americans Aug 06, 2021

Millions of households have built financial security through pensions and retirement saving plans, but millions more remain unable to access these wealth accumulation vehicles. In a new book from the Brookings Institution Press, “Wealth After Work: Innovative Reforms to Expand Retirement Security,” editors William Gale, Mark Iwry, and David John present proposals that show how policymakers can help all Americans gain access to retirement saving accounts, obtain better information about their saving choices, and better manage their wealth in retirement. On this episode of the Brookings Cafeteria, Brookings Press Director Bill Finan interviews Mark Iwry, a nonresident senior fellow in Economic Studies, and David John, deputy director of the Retirement Security Project at Brookings and a senior policy advisor with AARP’s Public Policy Institute, about the book. Also on this episode, Robert Maxim, a senior research associate in the Metropolitan Policy Program, offers a new Metro Lens segment on how federal investment in regional public universities can support distressed communities. Show notes and transcript: Follow Brookings podcasts on Apple or Google podcasts, or on Spotify. Send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

After the COVID-19 lockdowns, how to fix benefit delivery tech for workers Jul 30, 2021

The COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020 caused a tidal wave of displaced workers who applied for unemployment insurance, or UI. But states, hampered by limited staff and outdated systems, struggled to get relief to these workers quickly and to implement expanded UI programs under the CARES Act. On this episode, a discussion with Annelies Goger, co-author of a new report that focuses on a holistic redesign of the labor and education digital ecosystems to improve user experience and equity in access. Goger, a David M. Rubenstein Fellow in the Metropolitan Policy Program, is co-author with Janie McDermott of “Digital transformation in labor and education systems: Improving the government response to the next unemployment crisis.” Also on this episode, Senior Fellow Sarah Binder asks and answers four questions about the politics of the House Select Committee's investigation into the attacks on the U.S. Capitol on January 6. Show notes and transcript: Follow Brookings podcasts on Apple or Google podcasts, or on Spotify. Send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

A plan for marijuana policy reform Jul 23, 2021

An interview with Brookings Senior Fellow John Hudak about his new paper, "Reversing the War on Drugs: A five-point plan," in which he lays out a series of policy actions the Biden administration could take short of full federal legalization to promote justice and equity and to help reverse some of what he calls the disastrous consequences of the War on Drugs. Also on this episode, Senior Fellow David Wessel, director of the Hutchins Center on Fiscal and Monetary Policy, explains how the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic exposed vulnerabilities in our financial markets--especially in the "shadow banking system," such as bond mutual funds. Show notes and transcript: Follow Brookings podcasts on Apple or Google podcasts, or on Spotify. Send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

The Trump Organization tax fraud charges Jul 16, 2021

Just days before tax fraud, larceny, and other charges against the Trump Organization and one of its top executives were filed in New York, Brookings published a report by four leading experts titled “New York State’s Trump Investigation: An analysis of the reported facts and applicable law.” On this episode, one of the report’s co-authors—Ambassador Norm Eisen, a senior fellow in Governance Studies at Brookings, discusses the report's findings. This conversation occurred after the initial charges were filed, but before any other legal developments occurred. Also on this episode, Tony Pipa, senior fellow in the Center for Sustainable Development at Brookings, focuses on opportunities for development in rural America in the Biden administration's American Rescue Plan. Show notes and transcript: Follow Brookings podcasts on Apple or Google podcasts, or on Spotify. Send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

Global China's growing role in the world Jul 09, 2021

China is no longer just a rising power; it is now a truly global actor, economically and militarily. In a new book from the Brookings Institution Press, a collection of experts provides a broad assessment of the implications of China’s role as a world power. The book, “Global China: Assessing China’s Growing Role in the World,” is edited by Tarun Chhabra, Rush Doshi, Ryan Hass, and Emilie Kimball. On this episode of the Brookings Cafeteria, Brookings Press Director Bill Finan interviews Hass and Kimball about the book. Also on this episode, Metropolitan Policy Program Fellow Joseph Parilla offers a metro lens on how the 1.9 trillion dollar American Rescue Plan provides significant and flexible funding to local and state governments to help catalyze economic recovery through small business relief, creation, and expansion. Show notes and transcript: Follow Brookings podcasts on Apple or Google podcasts, or on Spotify. Send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

Dirty money in offshore banks Jul 02, 2021

Billions of dollars and other currencies are in tax havens outside the owner’s country of origin, allowing individuals and corporations to evade taxation by their home governments. Since many of these offshore accounts are secret, it’s difficult to trace what’s legal and what is not. In new research, Brookings expert Matthew Collin, a David M. Rubenstein Fellow in Global Economy and Development, examines a leaked dataset from a bank in the Isle of Man to find some interesting discoveries about who owns these accounts. In this conversation, Collin discusses his findings and some policy ideas to address the problem of dirty money. Also on this episode, Governance Studies Senior Fellow Sarah Binder talks about what’s happening in Congress, with a look at five things you need to know about the road ahead for President Biden’s infrastructure plans in Congress. Show notes and transcript: Follow Brookings podcasts on Apple or Google podcasts, or on Spotify. Send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

Defending truth from the war on facts Jun 25, 2021

Truth is contested ground. Facts are under attack. From disinformation to conspiracy theories, from social media pile-ons to campus intolerance, Americans are facing an epistemic crisis in their ability to distinguish fact from fiction and truth from falsehood. This episode features the author of a pathbreaking book on this crisis and how we get out of it. Jonathan Rauch, senior fellow in Governance Studies at Brookings, is the author of The Constitution of Knowledge: A Defense of Truth, just published by the Brookings Institution Press. Rauch is interviewed by Brookings Press Director Bill Finan. Also on this episode, Senior Fellow David Wessel asks six questions about how the U.S. economy and workers will look in a couple of years, after the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Show notes and transcript: Follow Brookings podcasts on Apple or Google podcasts, or on Spotify. Send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

A public reckoning on racial injustice and inequality Jun 18, 2021

As the nation observes Juneteenth, we are still grappling with serious issues around civil rights, economic and political inequality, and unfairness in the criminal justice system. Now, a year after widespread protests in the wake of the murder of George Floyd by a police officer once again brought these issues to the top of the national conversation, Makada Henry-Nickie, a fellow in Governance Studies at Brookings and an expert on policies that advance inclusive economic opportunities for disadvantaged families and low-income communities, joins the podcast. In the discussion, she talks about where we've made progress on these issues, but also how much remains to be done. Also on this episode, in a new Sustainable Development Spotlight, Homi Kharas and Amar Bhattacharya from Global Economy and Development at Brookings share their thoughts on the needed reawakening of international cooperation to tackle development and sustainability challenges around the world, especially in emerging markets so badly hurt by the coronavirus pandemic. Show notes and transcript: Follow Brookings podcasts on Apple or Google podcasts, or on Spotify. Send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

The race gap in multigenerational poverty; Census 2020 findings Jun 11, 2021

On this two-part episode, Senior Fellow William Frey from the Metropolitan Policy Program answers a few questions about recent and upcoming 2020 Census data. Also, Brookings scholar Richard Reeves and AEI scholar Scott Winship discuss the new AEI-Brookings report, "Long shadows: The Black-white gap in multigenerational poverty." 01:30 = Discussion on the Census with William Frey 16:00 = Interview with Richard Reeves and Scott Winship. Show notes and transcript: Follow Brookings podcasts on Apple or Google podcasts, or on Spotify. Send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

The art of war in an age of peace Jun 04, 2021

The world is in an age of peace, relatively speaking. Great powers are not fighting each other and haven’t for a long time. But, the expert guest on this episode says, the United States must stay good at the art of war. Senior Fellow Michael O’Hanlon talks about his new book, “The Art of War in an Age of Peace: U.S. Grand Strategy and Resolute Restraint,” published in May by Yale University Press. In it, O’Hanlon presents a national security policy that contends with current challenges like Russia, China, North Korea, and Middle East turmoil, but also calls for attention to new dangers, including biological, nuclear, digital, climatic, and domestic cohesion. In this era, O’Hanlon argues for continued American engagement, military deterrence, and working with allies. Also on this episode, Senior Fellow Molly Reynolds offers her thoughts on what’s happening in Congress, especially how the filibuster has shaped recent events in the Senate—including failure to establish a bipartisan commission to investigate the January 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol—and also how the filibuster will play out in upcoming debates on election reform, lobbying rules, and more. Show notes and transcript: Follow Brookings podcasts on Apple or Google podcasts, or on Spotify. Send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

Regulating markets most efficiently May 28, 2021

On this episode, an interview with Sanjay Patnaik, director of the Center on Regulation and Markets at Brookings and the Bernard L. Schwartz Chair in Economic Policy Development. He discusses the mission of the center, and also talks about his own research on topics like climate resilience and carbon pricing. Also on this episode, David Wessel, director of the Hutchins Center on Fiscal and Monetary Policy, offers his views on why inflation expectations are extremely important. Show notes and transcript: Follow Brookings podcasts on Apple or Google podcasts, or on Spotify. Send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

China’s middle class in dynamic Shanghai May 21, 2021

In his new book, “Middle Class Shanghai: Reshaping U.S.-China Engagement,” Brookings expert Cheng Li, who directs the John L. Thornton China Center at Brookings, argues that American policymakers should not overlook the dynamism and diversity in present-day China, exemplified by the city of Shanghai and its expansive and cosmopolitan middle-class culture. Moreover, Li argues, Washington should neither underestimate the role or the strength of the Chinese middle class, nor alienate this force with policies that push it toward nationalism to the detriment of both countries and the global community. On this episode, Brookings Institution Press director Bill Finan talks with Li about his book, a conversation in which Li takes us from his growing up in Shanghai during the Red Terror of the Cultural Revolution; to a Chinese middle class today that enjoys the markers of a middle-class lifestyle; and even to the avant-garde art scene in that city. Also on this episode, Senior Fellow John McArthur, director of the Center for Sustainable Development, explains the “17 Rooms” initiative, an experiment launched by Brookings and The Rockefeller Foundation to stimulate new forms of discussion and action for the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Show notes and transcript: Follow Brookings podcasts on Apple or Google podcasts, or on Spotify. Send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

Bipartisan criminal justice reform May 14, 2021

A discussion on criminal justice reform with Rashawn Ray, a David M. Rubenstein Fellow in Governance Studies at Brookings, and Brent Orrell, a resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, who led the Brookings-AEI Working Group on Criminal Justice Reform. The working group issued the report “A better path forward for criminal justice,” featuring essays by more than a dozen experts offering a range of research-grounded policy analysis and ideas to move the criminal justice system toward a more humane and effective footing. Also, Mark Muro, senior fellow in the Metropolitan Policy Program, offers his perspective on why the American Rescue Plan’s funding for state and local governments supports both innovative recovery solutions but also local discretion, as the case of Indiana demonstrates. Show notes and transcript: Follow Brookings podcasts on Apple or Google podcasts, or on Spotify. Send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

How mothers spend their time May 07, 2021

More than one in ten mothers of young children left their jobs due to child-care responsibilities at some point in 2020. That’s one of ten facts in a new report from The Hamilton Project at Brookings titled, “Ten economic facts on how mothers spend their time,” which is the theme of this Mother’s Day weekend episode of the Brookings Cafeteria. Lauren Bauer, a fellow in Economic Studies and The Hamilton Project, and one of the report’s authors, discusses some of the ways that work, time use, and caregiving have changed for mothers with young children over the last year. Also on this episode, Senior Fellow Sarah Binder discusses what’s happening in Congress as President Biden looks ahead to his next 100 days in office. While the first 100 days were largely a legislative and political success for the president and congressional Democrats, Binder says the next 100 days look murkier. Show notes and transcript: Follow Brookings podcasts on Apple or Google podcasts, or on Spotify. Send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

Girls' education is key to climate change solutions Apr 30, 2021

Three people involved in addressing climate change through girls’ and gender-equal education share their insights and policy ideas about how a green learning agenda can help address the climate crisis through education. Christina Kwauk is a nonresident fellow in the Center for Universal Education at Brookings; Lucia Fry is director of research and policy at Malala Fund; and Raju Narzary is a Malala Fund Education Champion and executive director of North East Research and Social Work Networking in India’s Assam State. Show notes and transcript: Follow Brookings podcasts on Apple or Google podcasts, or on Spotify. Send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

Can Taiwan have security AND the good life? Apr 23, 2021

Richard Bush, whose experience with Taiwan spans decades, discusses his new book, “Difficult Choices: Taiwan’s quest for security and the good life,” just published by the Brookings Institution Press. Also, David Wessel offers his thoughts on the Federal Reserve's approach to inflation, calling it a "big deal." Show notes and transcript: Follow Brookings podcasts on Apple or Google podcasts, or on Spotify. Send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

Betting on the future with infrastructure Apr 16, 2021

Infrastructure is front and center in the Washington DC policy debate, and with President Biden’s 2.3 trillion dollar proposal on the table, this won't be another so-called infrastructure week that comes and goes with a chuckle but no action. On this episode of the Brookings Cafeteria, Adie Tomer, the co-author of a deeply important report on how to address America’s infrastructure challenges and opportunities, talks about what it means to not just rebuild infrastructure, but to REIMAGINE it. Adie Tomer is a fellow in the Metropolitan Policy Program and, along with Joseph Kane and Caroline George a co-author of “Rebuild with purpose: An affirmative vision for 21st century American infrastructure.” Also on this episode, Global Economy and Development Senior Fellow Homi Kharas presents a new Sustainable Development Spotlight, in which he discusses the problem of debt crises in developing countries. Show notes and transcript: Follow Brookings podcasts on Apple or Google podcasts, or on Spotify. Send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

What online forum discussions reveal about segregation in DC public schools about segregation in DC public schools Apr 09, 2021

How does an online community, dominated by privileged parents, discuss its local school system? In a new report titled “We all want what’s best for our kids: Discussions of D.C. public school options in an online forum,” Brookings researchers examined thousands of messages on the D.C. Urban Moms school discussion forum to find out what they were talking about and how their conversations reflect continued racial segregation in the public schools of the nation’s capital. The report is co-authored by Vanessa Williamson, Jackson Gode, and Hao Sun. Williamson, a senior fellow in Governance Studies at Brookings, joins the Cafeteria to discuss the report. Show notes and transcript: Follow Brookings podcasts on Apple or Google podcasts, or on Spotify. Send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

Why teacher diversity benefits students of color Apr 02, 2021

Teacher diversity is teacher quality, and students of color especially benefit by having teachers who look like them, says Michael Hansen, co-author with Seth Gershenson and Constance A. Lindsay of "Teacher Diversity and Student Success: Why Racial Representation Matters in the Classroom," published in March by Harvard Education Press. Hansen, who is the Herman and George R. Brown Chair and director of the Brown Center on Education Policy at Brookings, and also a senior fellow in Governance Studies, explains why promoting racial diversity among the teacher workforce disproportionately benefits students of color and helps narrow longstanding achievement gaps. Also on this episode, Senior Fellow Molly Reynolds explains what’s happening in Congress, specifically the challenge to the Democratic majority in the Senate to make changes to the filibuster to advance their agenda, and also how House Democrats are dealing with obstruction tactics from Republicans in the minority. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts here or on iTunes, send feedback email to BCP@Brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

An American journalist in Cold War Moscow Mar 26, 2021

In "Assignment Russia: Becoming a Foreign Correspondent in the Crucible of the Cold War," award winning journalist Marvin Kalb tells the story of how as a young reporter and student of Russia he was present not only at the creation of a new way of bringing news immediately to the public, but also doing so in the midst of Cold War tensions between Eisenhower’s America and Khrushchev’s Soviet Union. In this episode, Brookings Institution Press Director Bill Finan interviews Kalb about his new book, the second volume of his memoirs published by Brookings. Also on this episode, David Wessel, senior fellow and director of the Hutchins Center on Fiscal and Monetary Policy at Brookings, discusses what a post-pandemic economic recovery could look like in terms of GDP growth and job gains. “This is not going to be another jobless recovery,” he says.

Policy priorities for women, by women Mar 19, 2021

March is typically a time to celebrate women’s contributions in history, but the past year of COVID-19 has had a disproportionate impact on women – especially women of color. On this episode, in honor of Women’s History Month, we asked women at the Brookings Institution to share their thoughts on what top policy considerations they have for the Biden administration to help address the needs of women – both in the US and around the world. Also on this episode, Marcela Escobari offers another edition of our of Sustainable Development Spotlight series, with a focus on her new policy brief on how federal infrastructure investment can put America to work. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts here or on iTunes, send feedback email to BCP@Brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

Proposals for US climate leadership and managing built environment risks and costs Mar 12, 2021

On this sixth and final episode from the Blueprints for American Renewal and Prosperity project, two Brookings experts discuss their blueprints for climate and resilience. Nathan Hultman is a nonresident senior fellow in Global Economy and Development at Brookings and also the director of the Center for Global Sustainability and associate professor at the University of Maryland School of Public Policy. He is the co-author with Samantha Gross of “How the United States can return to credible climate leadership.” Joseph Kane is a senior research associate and associate fellow in the Metropolitan Policy Program at Brookings, and is co-author with Jenny Schuetz, Shalini Vajjhala, and Adie Tomer of “How a federal Climate Planning Unit can manage built environment risks and costs.” Also on this episode, Alan Berube, senior fellow and deputy director of the Metropolitan Policy Program, shares some insights from the new Metro Monitor, an annual assessment of growth, prosperity, and inclusion in nearly 200 metro areas around the country. In this Metro Lens segment, Berube highlights the progress some places have made in shrinking significant racial economic gaps over the last decade, but also says that despite some progress, the path to racial equity in America will long and complicated. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts here or on iTunes, send feedback email to BCP@Brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

Lessons from the Fukushima nuclear meltdown, 10 years on Mar 05, 2021

March 2021 marks ten years since an earthquake off Japan’s Pacific Coast and the tsunami it caused led to reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant to melt down, releasing radiation and forcing the government to evacuate over 100,000 residents in surrounding areas. As the author of a new book from the Brookings Institution Press writes, failures at all levels of Japan’s government and private sector worsened the human and economic impact of the disaster and ensured that its consequences would endure for years to come. On this episode of the Brookings Cafeteria, Brookings Press Director Bill Finan interviews Yoichi Funabashi, author of “Meltdown: Inside the Fukushima Nuclear Crisis.” Funabashi, an award-winning Japanese journalist, columnist, and author, and now chairman of Asia Pacific Initiative, interviewed more than 300 government officials, power plant operators, and military personnel to provide a meticulous recounting and analysis of the struggle at all levels to contain the disaster. Also on this episode, Senior Fellow Sarah Binder explains what’s been happening in Congress in the eight weeks since the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. She examines how Congress is working so fast, what unified party control means for Democrats, and asks, will it last? Subscribe to Brookings podcasts here or on iTunes, send feedback email to BCP@Brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

Proposals to meet global challenges in artificial intelligence and technology regulation Feb 26, 2021

On this fifth episode from the Blueprints for American Renewal and Prosperity project, two Brookings experts discuss their blueprints for strengthening governance to meet key international challenges in the technology arena. Senior Fellow Landry Signé is co-author with Stephan Almond of "A blueprint for technology governance in the post-pandemic world," and Senior Fellow Joshua Meltzer is co-author with Cameron Kerry of "Strengthening international cooperation on artificial intelligence." Also on this episode, Senior Fellow David Wessel, director of the Hutchins Center on Fiscal and Monetary Policy at Brookings, looks at the politics and the economics around raising the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour. Listen to this segment on Soundcloud. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts here or on iTunes, send feedback email to BCP@Brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

Proposals to streamline and improve US government performance Feb 19, 2021

On this fourth episode from the Blueprints for American Renewal and Prosperity project, Senior Fellow Molly Reynolds talks about how to make Congress a better place to work, and Senior Fellow Elaine Kamarck discusses how to build an agile government for an era of megachange. Also on this episode, Amar Bhattacharya, senior fellow in Global Economy and Development and the Center for Sustainable Development at Brookings, says this is a decisive decade for the planet as we face the two crises of COVID-19 and climate change. In this Sustainable Development Spotlight, Bhattacharya calls for strong and coordinated action across the world on four interrelated priorities. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts here or on iTunes, send feedback email to BCP@Brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

How social networks impact economic mobility Feb 12, 2021

Who do you turn to for support and access to opportunities? Who can help you with information about a new job, or educational choices, or health care and housing? This is your social network, your social capital, and it matters for your economic mobility in this society. On this episode, a discussion with a scholar who, along with teams of researchers, has analyzed how social networks in four American cities impact social mobility, and what that research says in particular about social networks by race, gender, and income. Camille Busette is a senior fellow and director of the Race, Prosperity, and Inclusion Initiative at Brookings. Also on this episode, Joseph Parilla, a fellow in the Metropolitan Policy Program, on what he calls America’s wage problem. The prevalence of low wage work, he says, puts families under financial strain. Listen to find out what can be done to lift struggling families into self sufficiency. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts here or on iTunes, send feedback email to BCP@Brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

The US-China strategic rivalry in Southeast Asia Feb 09, 2021

In this episode, a discussion about a new book from the Brookings Institution Press titled "Rivalry and Response: Assessing Great Power Dynamics in Southeast Asia." In this timely volume, leading experts from Southeast Asia, Australia and the United States assess great power dynamics between the U.S. and China in the region by examining the strategic landscape, domestic governance trends and economic challenges in Southeast Asia. The book's editor is Jonathan Stromseth, who hosted the Lee Kuan Yew Chair in Southeast Asian Studies and is a senior fellow in Foreign Policy, the Center for East Asia Policy Studies and the John L. Thornton China Center. Joining him on the show is one of the book's contributors, senior fellow David Dollar, who also hosts the podcast Dollar & Sense: The Brookings Trade podcast. Bill Finan, director of the Brookings Institution Press, conducts the interview. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts here or on iTunes, send feedback email to BCP@Brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

How Africa can emerge stronger after COVID-19 Feb 06, 2021

Earlier this year, the Africa Growth Initiative (AGI) at Brookings released the latest edition of the annual Foresight Africa report. AGI Director Aloysius Uche Ordu, also a senior fellow in Global Economy and Development, discusses the themes in the report. Also on this episode, Senior Fellow Molly Reynolds explains how the budget reconciliation process in Congress works, especially the Senate parliamentarian’s critical role, and why Democrats may use it to pass President Biden’s COVID-19 relief measures with a simple majority vote in the House and Senate, thus avoiding a Senate filibuster. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts on iTunes, send feedback email to BCP@Brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

Proposals for the Biden administration on the Middle East and countering extremism Jan 29, 2021

Brookings scholars Tamara Wittes and Madiha Afzal discuss their policy proposals for international security, part of the new Blueprints for American Renewal & Prosperity project at Brookings. Wittes focuses on what *not* to do in the Middle East; Afzal on countering extremism through education. Also David Wessel, focuses on the proposed child tax credit in President Biden's COVID-19 relief package, which Wessel says would substantially reduce the number of children living in poverty. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts here or on iTunes, send feedback email to BCP@Brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

Biden's inauguration, Trump's impeachment, and the politics ahead Jan 22, 2021

Elaine Kamarck, senior fellow in Governance Studies at Brookings and founding director of the Center for Effective Public Management, reflects on inauguration day, on the difficult presidential transition and the violence of January 6th, and the outlook for impeachment of the former president and President Biden’s agenda. Also on this episode, George Ingram, senior fellow in Global Economy and Development, delivers a new Sustainable Development Spotlight on how the new Biden-Harris administration can reengage the U.S. in global leadership in a world where the idea of American exceptionalism has been seriously eroded. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts here or on iTunes, send feedback email to BCP@Brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

After the insurrection, ideas to tackle polarization in America Jan 15, 2021

After the assault on the U.S. Capitol, the nation is divided and on edge. Where do we go now? What kinds of political, social, and economic reforms could help us move forward as a more united nation? Darrell West, vice president and director of Governance Studies at Brookings, came on the podcast to offer some answers. The interview happened on Monday the 11th, so before the impeachment vote in the House of Representatives. But his analysis and policy prescriptions will remain relevant long after the passions of these weeks have cooled. Also on this episode, Molly Kinder, a David M. Rubenstein Fellow in the Metropolitan Policy Program, discusses the enormous gap between corporate retail profits and pay for frontline workers that has grown during the course of the pandemic. While some retail giants like Best Buy and Costco have raised worker pay, others, notably Amazon and Walmart, have been far less generous. Listen to this audio on Soundcloud, too. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts here or on iTunes, send feedback email to BCP@Brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

The top economic issues in 2021 Jan 08, 2021

Stephanie Aaronson, vice president and director of Economic Studies at Brookings, and Wendy Edelberg, senior fellow and director of the Hamilton Project, share their views on the state of the U.S. economy and the top economic issues facing the country in the upcoming year. Also, Sarah Binder, senior fellow in Governance Studies, offers her take on what happened in Congress this week, with a focus on the violent assault on the U.S. Capitol by supporters of President Trump, and her views on why the electoral vote count rules didn’t break under pressure. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts here or on iTunes, send feedback email to BCP@Brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

Best of the Brookings Cafeteria podcast in 2020 Dec 30, 2020

To celebrate the closing of the year, this episode features our favorite clips from past 12 months. We hope you enjoy it and perhaps take the opportunity to download full episodes that interest you, share the show with friends, and rate the podcast on Apple Podcasts. Visit the episode's show notes to get links to all of the episodes. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts here or on iTunes, send feedback email to BCP@Brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

Organizing the presidency, from Roosevelt to Biden Dec 23, 2020

When Franklin D. Roosevelt was inaugurated as president in 1933, the White House staff numbered fewer than fifty people, and most federal departments were lightly staffed as well. As the United States became a world power, the staff of the Executive Office increased twentyfold, and the staffing of federal agencies blossomed comparably. On this episode airing in the midst of the transition of President Elect Joe Biden, Brookings Press Director Bill Finan interviews experts Stephen Hess and James Pfiffner, the authors of the Brookings Press title, "Organizing the Presidency." In this fourth edition of the landmark volume, first published in 1976, Hess and Pfiffner argue that the successes and failures of presidents from Roosevelt through Trump have resulted in large part from how the president deployed and used White House staffers and other top officials responsible for carrying out Oval Office policy. Hess and Pfiffner reflect on earlier transitions, but also have a lot to say about President Trump’s transition in 2016, and what is happening now. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts on iTunes, send feedback email to BCP@Brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

Proposals for U.S. economic growth and dynamism Dec 18, 2020

Brookings scholars William Gale and Richard Reeves discuss their policy proposals for economic growth and dynamism, part of the new Blueprints for American Renewal & Prosperity project. Gale focuses on more economic relief and stimulus now; Reeves on middle class tax cuts and some free college for national service. Also, David Wessel explains why low interest rates means a President Biden and the next Congress should not worry so much about the federal debt, and instead pass more COVID-related relief. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts on iTunes, send feedback email to BCP@Brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

Proposals for racial justice and worker mobility Dec 11, 2020

Brookings scholars Annelies Goger and Martha Ross discuss their policy proposals for racial justice and worker mobility, part of the new Blueprints for American Renewal & Prosperity project. Also, Tony Pipa introduces the new segment Spotlight on Sustainable Development, in which he discusses his proposal to reimagine rural policy in the U.S. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts on iTunes, send feedback email to BCP@Brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

Playful learning: A new path to education reform Dec 04, 2020

“The American education system is not preparing all children to thrive,” say the guests on this episode, adding that many schools continue to operate according to an early 20th century “factory model” that aimed to mold students for the industrial economy. Kathy Hirsh-Pasek and Helen Hadani are co-authors of a new Big Ideas paper in the Brookings Policy 2020 series titled, “A new path to education reform: Playful learning promotes 21st-century skills in schools and beyond” In this interview, Hirsh-Pasek and Hadani explain what playful learning is and what it isn’t, what 21st-century skills are and why they are essential for our times, and how educators and school administrators can bring the playful learning approach to classrooms. Kathy Hirsh-Pasek is a senior fellow in Global Economy and Development at Brookings and in the Center for Universal Education; and also Stanley and Debra Lefkowitz Faculty Fellow in the Department of Psychology at Temple University. Helen Hadani is a fellow also in Global Economy and Development and the Center for Universal Education; as well as a fellow in the Metropolitan Policy Program's Anne T. and Robert M. Bass Center for Transformative Placemaking. Also on this episode, Amy Liu, vice president and director of the Metropolitan Policy Program at Brookings, introduces the new Blueprints for American Renewal & Prosperity project that features fact-based federal policy solutions to counter the unprecedented impacts and disparities laid bare throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and bring long-needed prosperity to Americans of all walks of life. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts on iTunes, send feedback email to BCP@Brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

Trump, Biden, and the future of the liberal world order Nov 27, 2020

The world is at a turning point as major institutions and alliances are being tested as never before in the post-Cold War period. On this episode, Brookings Institution Press Director Bill Finan speaks with Ambassador Wolfgang Ischinger—once Germany’s representative in Washington and London and also former German deputy foreign minister—about his new book, "World in Danger: Germany and Europe in an Uncertain Time," just published by Brookings. In the conversation, Ambassador Ischinger explains four challenges to the global order, describes what impact the presidency of Donald Trump has had on the rules based international system, and cautions against too much euphoria about the election of Joe Biden to be the next president. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts on iTunes, send feedback email to BCP@Brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

Future trends for Israel and the Middle East Nov 20, 2020

A number of major trends—including changes in climate, demographics, geopolitics, and technology—will shape the Middle East over the next two decades. In this special episode of the Brookings Cafeteria Podcast, a team of scholars examines the possible trendlines and what they presage for Israel and its neighbors in the region. Natan Sachs, a Brookings fellow and director of the Center for Middle East Policy, leads a discussion on these issues with Samantha Gross, Kevin Huggard, Shibley Telhami, and Tamara Cofman Wittes. Learn more in the new report, “Israel in the Middle East: The next two decades,” at brookings.edu. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts on iTunes, send feedback email to BCP@Brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

Pursuing sustainable development amidst global challenges Nov 13, 2020

A conversation with John McArthur, director of the new Center for Sustainable Development at Brookings, whose mission is to pursue research and insights to advance global sustainable development and to implement the Sustainable Development Goals across all countries. McArthur talks about the goals of the new center, why sustainable development remains so critical in these times, and why he’s passionate about the work. Also, Molly Reynolds on the Democrats' uphill battle to legislate in the 117th Congress. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts on iTunes, send feedback email to BCP@Brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

Election 2020: Where does it stand, what's next, what happens in a transition? Nov 05, 2020

It’s three o’clock PM on the East Coast of the United States, two days after the end of voting in the 2020 presidential election. The country is anxiously watching as ballots are counted in Nevada, New Mexico, Georgia, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania to see whether Donald Trump is re-elected, or Joe Biden becomes the president elect. By the time you hear this episode, the situation may have changed dramatically, but we still wanted to talk to one of our leading experts on politics and campaigns about what happened in the election, and what happens next. So, Elaine Kamarck, senior fellow in Governance Studies at Brookings and founding director of the Center for Effective Public Management, joins the program to talk about what surprised her on Tuesday, what the next steps in the process are, and what happens in a presidential transition. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts on iTunes, send feedback email to BCP@Brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

Race and social justice in the 2020 presidential election Oct 30, 2020

In this final episode before the end of the 2020 election on November 3, a conversation with Rashawn Ray, a David M. Rubenstein Fellow in Governance Studies at Brookings, about race and social justice in the presidential election. Ray, also a professor of sociology at the University of Maryland, talks about voter suppression, the policing reform movement sparked by the murder of George Floyd, the unequal impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Black and Hispanic communities, and what policies America needs to finally get past racism. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts on iTunes, send feedback email to BCP@Brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

State and local issues in the 2020 election Oct 23, 2020

The big contest in the 2020 election is the presidency, but Americans across the country are voting and will vote for governors, state lawmakers and other state officials, local officials, and for ballot measures of all kinds. On this episode , vice president and director of the Metropolitan Policy Program at Brookings, talks about the election from a state and local perspective. In the conversation, she addresses these elections, the important relationships between the federal government and state leaders—especially during the coronavirus pandemic, and the longer-term work the Metropolitan Policy Program and Brookings are doing on post-COVID-19 recovery. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts on iTunes, send feedback email to BCP@Brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

Economic issues in the 2020 election, and beyond Oct 16, 2020

David Wessel, senior fellow and director of the Hutchins Center on Fiscal & Monetary Policy at Brookings, discusses the key economic issues during the lead up to the 2020 election, and looks ahead to how the economy can recover after the COVID-19 pandemic. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts on iTunes, send feedback email to BCP@Brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

Global China is contesting the US-led order Oct 13, 2020

In this final special episode in the Global China series, host Lindsey Ford speaks with Ryan Hass and Rush Doshi about what they learned from the Global China paper series about China's ambitions, and what the U.S.-China relationship might look like under either a second Trump administration or a new Biden administration. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts on iTunes, send feedback email to BCP@Brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

Foreign policy's role in the 2020 presidential election Oct 09, 2020

From Russia, China, and the Middle East, to trade wars, climate change, and terrorism, global affairs have rarely seemed as complex and dangerous as it they have been over the last few years. But, does foreign policy matter in the 2020 presidential election? To address this question, Thomas Wright, a senior fellow in Foreign Policy at Brookings and the director of the Center on the United States and Europe, joins the program to address this question. In the conversation, Wright takes on the age-old issue of whether foreign policy issues matter to voters in presidential campaigns, and also discusses what America’s relations with the world could look like under a second Trump administration, or under a new Biden administration. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts on iTunes, send feedback email to BCP@Brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

The 2020 election in blue metros and red states Oct 06, 2020

In this special edition of the podcast, Bill Finan—director of the Brookings Institution Press—talks with two of the authors of a new Brookings press book that explores America’s current political division from demographic and geographic perspectives. David Damore, Robert Lang, and Karen Danielsen, all professors at the University of Nevada Las Vegas, are co-authors of Blue Metros, Red States: The Shifting Urban-Rural Divide in America’s Swing States. Damore and Lang join Finan for this episode in which they address some of the factors that tend to make large metropolitan areas lean Democratic while existing in a sea of rural areas that are largely Republican. And, how do states like Pennsylvania, Georgia, and Texas—with both large urban areas and widespread rural areas—express this red-blue divide between rural and metropolitan areas? Listen also to find out which two counties in America could indicate which way the election is going on November 3. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts on iTunes, send feedback email to BCP@Brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

Will the 2020 presidential election be safe and secure? Oct 02, 2020

Will the 2020 election be compromised by foreign interference? Is voting by mail secure? Can American voters have faith in the integrity our electoral system? To answer these and related questions, I’m rebroadcasting a conversation that first aired in a series being produced by our colleagues in Governance Studies at Brookings. In it, Darrell West, vice president and director of Governance Studies, interviews Senior Fellow Elaine Kamarck and Fellow Chris Meserole to get their perspectives on these critical questions. Also on today’s show, Senior Fellow Sarah Binder discusses the coming confirmation battle over the nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to replace Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the Supreme Court. What procedural tools do Senate Democrats have to slow or stop the process, and what powers can the Republican majority use to confirm her before the election? Subscribe to Brookings podcasts on iTunes, send feedback email to BCP@Brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

Environmental racism and the struggle for climate justice Sep 29, 2020

Climate change threatens all people, creatures, places, and systems on the planet, but not all impacts are distributed equally. Climate justice considers that climate change has unequal social, economic, health, and other effects on underprivileged populations. As well, in the U.S., the coronavirus' uneven impact on Black and Hispanic Americans and the recent reckoning with racial justice issues expose how the climate crisis disproportionately impacts these U.S. populations. Christina Kwauk, a fellow in the Global Economy and Development program at Brookings, interviews two people to unpack the issues on climate justice in the U.S. and around the world. Justin Worland is a D.C.-based correspondent for Time magazine covering issues on energy and the environment. Marinel Ubaldo is a climate activist from the Philippines and a founder of Youth Leaders for Environmental Action Federation. She also organized the Philippines' first youth climate strike in 2019. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts on iTunes, send feedback email to BCP@Brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

Our Nation of Immigrants: Solving the immigration challenge Sep 25, 2020

This is the fifth, and final, episode of a special five-part series on the Brookings Cafeteria podcast—Our Nation of Immigrants—in which John Hudak, a senior fellow in Governance Studies, explores the facts and tackles the myths that underpin the current immigration policy debate. America’s immigration system is badly in need of reform and so in this episode, Hudak explores the real opportunity for bipartisan solutions to the immigration challenges. Guests include: Rep. Judy Chu (D-Calif.) and Sarah Gardiner, policy director, Freedom for Immigrants. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts on iTunes, send feedback email to BCP@Brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

Our Nation of Immigrants: The search for belonging Sep 24, 2020

This is the fourth episode of a special five-part series on the Brookings Cafeteria podcast—Our Nation of Immigrants—in which John Hudak, a senior fellow in Governance Studies, explores the facts and tackles the myths that underpin the current immigration policy debate. In this episode, Hudak takes a deeper dive into the immigrant experience and the idea of belonging: what it means to uproot your life from one country and to try to build a home in the United States. Guests include Carlos Guevara and Clarissa Martinez de Castro of UNIDOS US; Martine Kalaw, an author, speaker, and immigrant; and university students Santiago and Saha. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts on iTunes, send feedback email to BCP@Brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

Our Nation of Immigrants: The economics of immigration Sep 23, 2020

This is the third episode of a special five-part series on the Brookings Cafeteria podcast—Our Nation of Immigrants—in which John Hudak, a senior fellow in Governance Studies, explores the facts and tackles the myths that underpin the current immigration policy debate. In this episode, Hudak and guests discuss the economics of immigration, including the important role immigrants play in both developing and sustaining the American economy. Guests include: Hugh Anderson, government affairs chair, Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce; Dany Bahar, senior fellow, the Brookings Institution; and Governor Gary Herbert (R-Utah). Subscribe to Brookings podcasts on iTunes, send feedback email to BCP@Brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

Our Nation of Immigrants: On the border Sep 22, 2020

This is episode 2 of a special five-part series on the Brookings Cafeteria podcast in which John Hudak, a senior fellow in Governance Studies, explores the facts and tackles the myths that underpin the current immigration policy debate. In episode 2, Hudak explores the connections—social and economic—that span communities along the US-Mexico border, and gets a better understanding of issues from and rhetoric about border towns, such as crime and jobs. Guests include: - Michael Chertoff, former secretary, Department of Homeland Security - Mayor Donald “Dee” Margo, El Paso, Texas - Mayor Kevin Faulconer, San Diego, California Subscribe to Brookings podcasts on iTunes, send feedback email to BCP@Brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the Brookings Podcast Network

Our nation of immigrants Sep 21, 2020

This is the first episode of a special five-part series on the Brookings Cafeteria podcast in which John Hudak, a senior fellow in Governance Studies, explores the facts and tackles the myths that underpin the current immigration policy debate. In episode one, Hudak explores who are the immigrants that we hear so much about— Where are they coming from, why are they coming to the United States, and where are they going once they arrive? Guests include Brookings Senior Fellow William Frey, and a university student whose parents were, until recently, undocumented. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts on iTunes, send feedback email to BCP@Brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

Global China's energy and climate policies Sep 18, 2020

In this special edition of the Brookings Cafeteria Podcast, Lindsey Ford, a David M. Rubenstein Fellow in Foreign Policy, interviews two experts and authors of some of the latest papers in the Global China series: Samantha Gross is director of the Energy Security and Climate Initiative at Brookings, and a fellow in Foreign Policy. Jeffrey Ball is a scholar-in-residence at Stanford University and a nonresident senior fellow in Foreign Policy. Also on this episode, Annelies Goger, a Rubenstein Fellow in the Metropolitan Policy Program, explains how the wreckage of the COVID-19 pandemic exposes the opportunity gap in the labor market. But employers, she says, are too focused on the skills gap narrative. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts on iTunes, send feedback email to BCP@Brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

How education technology can improve learning for all students Sep 11, 2020

New research from the Center for Universal Education (CUE) at Brookings finds that technology’s impact on learning and teaching has been limited, especially in low- and middle-income countries, largely because tech has been used to replace analog tools. On this episode, two of the authors of a new report, titled, “Realizing the Promise: How can education technology improve learning for all?,” discuss their findings. Alejandro Ganimian is an assistant professor of applied technology and economics at New York University, and a CUE nonresident fellow. Emiliana Vegas is co-director of the center and a senior fellow in the Global Economy and Development program at Brookings. Also on this episode, Governance Studies Senior Fellow Molly Reynolds on what’s happening in Congress, including whether another government shutdown due to funding disagreements is possible, and a look at a new COVID-19 relief package proposed by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, why it failed, and the politics behind it. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts on iTunes, send feedback email to BCP@Brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

Time for a new contract with the middle class Sep 04, 2020

Brookings scholars Isabel Sawhill and Richard Reeves discuss their new book--publishing this fall--that lays out their case for a new contract with the middle class in America. In this short book of policy solutions to improve the well-being of middle class Americans, they focus on five key areas that build a foundation for a good quality of life. Also, David Wessel, senior fellow and director of the Hutchins Center on Fiscal and Monetary Policy, explains the Federal Reserve’s recent statement in which it revised its long-term goals, including a revision to its approach to inflation. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts on iTunes, send feedback email to BCP@Brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

Why Democratic communities flipped for Trump (and might do so again) Aug 28, 2020

Why did so many traditionally "blue" communities vote for Donald Trump in 2016, and why might they do so again in 2020? In this episode, Bill Finan, director of the Brookings Institution Press, interviews two authors of a new Brookings book that explores these and related questions. Stephanie Muravchik, a historian and an associate fellow at the Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture at the University of Virginia, and Jon Shields, an associate professor of government at Claremont McKenna College, are the authors of Trump's Democrats. Also in this episode, a look at hospitality industry workers during the coronavirus pandemic: how they are impacted and what can be done, with Tracy Hadden Loh, a fellow with the Anne T. and Robert M. Bass Center for Transformative Placemaking at the Brookings Institution. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts on iTunes, send feedback email to BCP@Brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

Reflections on gender equality and the 19th Amendment at 100 Aug 21, 2020

We asked women at the Brookings Institution to share their thoughts on the 19th Amendment. One hundred years after American women gained the right to vote (on paper), what is the current state of gender equality in America? Subscribe to Brookings podcasts on iTunes, send feedback email to BCP@Brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

The evolution of the US vice president Aug 14, 2020

Brookings Senior Fellow Elaine Kamarck discusses the historical and contemporary role of the vice president, and offers thoughts on Joe Biden's selection of Kamala Harris as his running mate in the 2020 election. Also, Senior Fellow Sarah Binder on what's happening (or not happening) in Congress. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts on iTunes, send feedback email to BCP@Brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

Scaling impact in education to reach the world's most vulnerable children Aug 07, 2020

Patrick Hannahan and Jenny Perlman Robinson from the Center for Universal Education at Brookings discuss how real-time scaling labs inform efforts to bring impact in education to children around the world. Hannahan is project director of the Millions Learning Project; Perlman Robinson is a senior fellow in CUE and Global Economy and Development at Brookings. In the episode, Hannahan also speaks with six education leaders in Real-time Scaling Labs around the world. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts on iTunes, send feedback email to BCP@Brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

Will artificial intelligence lead to utopia or dystopia? Jul 31, 2020

This episode is a re-broadcast of a recent episode of the Lawfare Podcast in which Brookings Senior Fellow Benjamin Wittes interviewed Brookings President John R. Allen and Brookings Vice President Darrell West about their new book, “Turning Point: Policymaking in the era of Artificial Intelligence.” In their book, just published by the Brookings Institution Press, Allen and West discuss both the opportunities and risks posed by artificial intelligence—and how near-term policy decisions could determine whether the technology leads to utopia or dystopia. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts on iTunes, send feedback email to BCP@Brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

Global China in the Middle East Jul 28, 2020

In this special edition of the Brookings Cafeteria Podcast, Lindsey Ford, a David M. Rubenstein Fellow in Foreign Policy, interviews two experts and authors of some of the latest papers in the Global China series. Bruce Riedel is a senior fellow in Foreign Policy and director of the Intelligence Project. Natan Sachs is a fellow in Foreign Policy and director of the Center for Middle East Policy. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts on iTunes, send feedback email to BCP@Brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

How cultural factors shape children's social and economic outcomes Jul 24, 2020

On this episode, Ron Haskins and Melissa Kearney, co-editors of the Future of Children Journal, discuss the journal’s new edition that focuses how cultural factors—including religion, parenting styles, role models, mentors and the media—shape economic outcomes. Haskins is a senior fellow emeritus in Economic Studies at Brookings and Kearney is the Neil Moskowitz Professor of Economics at the University of Maryland, as well as a Brookings nonresident senior fellow. Also on this episode, David Wessel, senior fellow and director of the Hutchins Center on Fiscal and Monetary Policy, has another economic update in which he shares his concerns about the nation’s economic outlook. You can follow the Brookings Podcast Network on twitter @policypodcasts to get information about and links to all our shows including Dollar and Sense: The Brookings Trade Podcast, The Current, and our events podcast. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

Why we still use fossil fuels Jul 17, 2020

We know that humanity’s use of fossil fuels is damaging the planet’s climate, yet coal, oil, and natural gas generate most of the electricity we use to power our lives. We know how to use alternative sources of energy that generate less carbon—such as water, wind, and nuclear—yet replacing fossil fuels with other sources has proven difficult. Why? That's the central question asked by the guest on this episode in her new Foreign Policy essay, "Why are fossil fuels so hard to quit?" Samantha Gross is a fellow in Foreign Policy at Brookings and director of the Energy Security and Climate Initiative. Her essay is a rich exploration of the history, science, and politics of fossil fuels and offers a way toward cleaner energy. Also on this episode, Alan Berube, senior fellow in the Metropolitan Policy Program, introduces the new Metro Recovery Index that tracks the impact of COVID-19 on and progress on recovery for the economies of the 200 largest metro areas in the United States. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts on iTunes, send feedback email to BCP@Brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

Opioids in America Jul 10, 2020

To provide policy options and recommendations for addressing multiple dimensions of this epidemic, the Brookings Institution has brought together some of the United States’ leading experts on drug policy in a project called The Opioid Crisis in America. For over a year, Brookings and external experts undertook a multidisciplinary collaboration to develop new insights and best practices for policy stakeholders at the local, state, and federal levels, as well as for members of the public who are on the front lines of the opioid crisis. On this special episode of the Brookings Cafeteria podcast, you will hear from six of these experts, who will discuss findings and recommendations from their fields of specialty. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts on iTunes, send feedback email to BCP@Brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

A new social contract for Big Tech Jul 03, 2020

In this world of endless technology that permeates all our lives, how can individuals, institutions, and governments harness its positive contributions while protecting each of us, no matter who or where we are? That’s a central question addressed by the guest expert on this episode in his new book from the Brookings Institution Press, titled, "Terms of Disservice: How Silicon Valley is Destructive by Design." Author Dipayan Ghosh is Pozen Fellow at the Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School. A computer scientist by training, he has served as a technology and economic policy adviser in the Obama White House and as a Privacy and Public Policy Adviser at Facebook. He’s interviewed here by Robert Wicks of the Brookings Institution Press. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts on iTunes, send feedback email to BCP@Brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

Can impact bonds help solve the global education crisis? Jun 26, 2020

Ten years remain for the world to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, including inclusive and equitable quality education for all. But the global learning crisis, made worse by the coronavirus pandemic, demands solutions at-scale for governments around the world. How to achieve the financing required to deliver quality education? One solution links payment to achievement of outcomes through social and development impact bonds. On this episode, two experts discuss the global crisis in education, and also the opportunities and challenges of impact bonds for education. Emily Gustafsson-Wright is a fellow with the Center for Universal Education at Brookings. Jaime Saavedra leads the Education Global Practice at the World Bank Group and is a former minister of education in Peru. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts on iTunes, send feedback email to BCP@Brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

Race and gender gaps in COVID-19 deaths Jun 19, 2020

Senior Fellow Richard Reeves discusses his analysis of data on COVID-19 deaths and why a disproportionate number of men, and Black people, are dying. Also, Molly Reynolds explains what actions Congress is taking in response to the protests against police misconduct, and why it matters that many of these proposals are being sponsored by Black members of Congress. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts on iTunes, send feedback email to BCP@Brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

Global China's ambitions in the Indian Ocean region Jun 16, 2020

In this special edition of the Brookings Cafeteria Podcast, Lindsey Ford, a David M. Rubenstein Fellow in Foreign Policy, interviews two scholars on two important aspects of China's increasing global presence, including in the Horn of Africa and Chinese military activities in the Indian Ocean region as a whole. Joshua White is a nonresident fellow in the Foreign Policy program at Brookings and an associate professor at The Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies. Zach Vertin, also a nonresident fellow in Foreign Policy at Brookings, is a lecturer of public and international affairs at Princeton University. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts on iTunes, send feedback email to BCP@Brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

Tracking COVID-19's spread into less urban, whiter, and more Trump-friendly places Jun 12, 2020

Senior Fellow William Frey from the Metropolitan Policy Program at the Brookings Institution has been tracking COVID-19's spread from mostly urban areas that have a large number of African American residents, and tended to vote more for Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election, to other parts of the country that are less urban, are whiter, and more strongly supported President Trump. On this episode, Frey talks about his analysis and what it means for our understanding of the spread of COVID-19 nationwide. Also on this episode, Senior Fellow David Wessel asks what shape the economic recovery could take in the months and years to come. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts on iTunes, send feedback email to BCP@Brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

How digital privacy law asymmetries can hurt criminal defendants Jun 05, 2020

A defendant in a criminal trial is accused of threatening someone over a social media app. The prosecution can subpoena digital records from the social media company to build its case against the defendant. However, evidence that would prove the defendant’s innocence is also held by that company, and yet defense investigators are unable to obtain it due to the way data privacy laws are currently written. In this scenario, a privacy asymmetry exists between prosecution and defense that could keep an innocent person in jail. Rebecca Wexler, a law professor at the University of California Berkeley School of Law and a nonresident fellow at Brookings's Center for Technology Innovation, has identified and studied this emerging problem and has suggested how legislators can fix data privacy laws to address it. On this episode of the Brookings Cafeteria, Wexler is interviewed by John Villasenor, a Brookings nonresident senior fellow, about her research on this issue. Also on this episode, in a new Coffee Break segment, meet Alex Engler, a David M. Rubenstein Fellow in Governance studies who examines the implications of artificial intelligence and emerging data technologies on society and governance. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts on iTunes, send feedback email to BCP@Brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

A roadmap for reopening America Jun 03, 2020

The Brookings Institution hosted a virtual event to complement the launch of a new publication on how to reopen America. The event opened with keynote remarks from Dr. Jennifer Nuzzo of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. An expert panel of Brookings experts discussed the roadmap for reopening America. Brookings President John R. Allen moderated the discussion. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts on iTunes, send feedback email to BCP@Brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

Immigrants and the coronavirus pandemic: A conversation with Rep. Judy Chu May 29, 2020

In this episode, Governance Studies Senior Fellow John Hudak interviews Representative Judy Chu (D-Calif.), who represents California's 27th Congressional District, about immigrants and immigration in the context of the coronavirus pandemic. Rep. Chu talks about legislation intended to help immigrants—especially frontline workers—get the assistance they need, and addresses whether she thinks immigration reform is possible at some point in the future. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts on iTunes, send feedback email to BCP@Brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

A new paradigm for valuing Black communities May 22, 2020

In his new book, "Know Your Price: Valuing Black Lives and Property in America’s Black Cities," just published by Brookings Institution press, Andre Perry takes readers on a tour through six-majority Black cities whose assets and strengths are undervalued, and offers a new paradigm to determine the value of Black communities. On this episode, Robert Wicks interviews Perry, a fellow in the Metropolitan Policy Program, about his book. Also on this episode, Senior Fellow Sarah Binder walks you through three developments on Capitol Hill in Washington that deserve a closer look. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts on iTunes, send feedback email to BCP@Brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

Gender equality, unpaid work, and women's suffrage May 15, 2020

Senior Fellow Isabel Sawhill leads a conversation with Stephanie Aaronson, the vice president and director of Economic Studies at Brookings, and Molly Kinder, a David M. Rubenstein Fellow in the Metropolitan Policy Program, about some of the key issues in women’s participation in the workforce and society, with attention to the gender impact of the coronavirus pandemic. This episode marks the launch of "19A," the new gender equality series at the Brookings Institution. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts on iTunes, send feedback email to BCP@Brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

The case for reparations for Black Americans May 12, 2020

Is it time to pay reparations to the descendants of enslaved Black Americans? That’s the topic of a new Big Ideas paper from the Brookings Policy 2020 initiative, and the authors--Rashawn Ray and Andre Perry--are on the show to discuss it. Ray is a David M. Rubenstein Fellow in Governance Studies at Brookings and also an associate professor of sociology at the University of Maryland, where he serves as executive director of the Lab for Applied Social Science Research. Perry is a fellow in the Metropolitan Policy Program at Brookings and a scholar in residence at American University. He is also author of the just released book from Brookings Institution Press titled, Know Your Price: Valuing Black Lives and Property in America’s Black Cities. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts on iTunes, send feedback email to BCP@Brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

Addressing COVID-19 in resource-poor and fragile countries May 09, 2020

Responding to coronavirus as individuals, society, and governments is challenging enough in the United States and other developed countries with modern infrastructure and stable systems, but what happens when a pandemic strikes resource-poor and fragile countries that have few hospitals, lack reliable electricity, water, and food supplies, don’t have refrigeration, and suffer from social and political violence? To explore these scenarios and talk about policy solutions during the coronavirus pandemic, Vanda Felbab-Brown, a senior fellow in Foreign Policy at Brookings, talks with Paul Wise, a medical doctor and a senior fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies at Stanford University, where he is also a professor of pediatrics at Stanford Hospital. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts on iTunes, send feedback email to BCP@Brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

Techstream: Where technology and policy intersect May 08, 2020

On this episode, a discussion about a new Brookings resource called Techstream, a publication site on brookings.edu that puts technologists and policymakers in conversation. Chris Meserole, a fellow in Foreign Policy and deputy director of the Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technology Initiative, explains what Techstream is and some of the issues it covers. Also on the episode, Darrell West, the vice president and director of Governance Studies at Brookings, answers a listener’s question about how the coronavirus might affect the U.S. presidential election. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts on iTunes, send feedback email to BCP@Brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

Technology competition between the US and a Global China May 05, 2020

In this special edition of the Brookings Cafeteria Podcast, Lindsey Ford, a David M. Rubenstein Fellow in Foreign Policy, interviews two scholars on some of the key issues in the U.S.-China technology competition, which is the topic of the most recent release of papers in the Global China series. Tom Stefanick is a visiting fellow in Foreign Policy at Brookings, and Chris Meserole is a fellow and deputy director of the Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technology Initiative. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts on iTunes, send feedback email to BCP@Brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

Kim Jong Un’s ascent to power in North Korea May 01, 2020

In her new book, "Becoming Kim Jong Un: A Former CIA Officer's Insights into North Korea's Enigmatic Young Dictator," Brookings Senior Fellow Jung Pak describes the rise of North Korea's ruler. In this episode, she is interviewed by Senior Fellow Michael O’Hanlon. Also on this episode, Senior Fellow Sarah Binder offers four lessons about how Congress has responded to the coronavirus pandemic, and what may follow. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts on iTunes, send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

Global China's advanced technology ambitions Apr 28, 2020

In this special edition of the Brookings Cafeteria Podcast, Lindsey Ford, a David M. Rubenstein Fellow in Foreign Policy, interviews two authors of the most recent release of papers in the Global China series focused on China's aspiration to be a global technology leader. Saif Khan and Remco Zwetsloot are both research fellows at the Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET) at Georgetown University, which collaborated with Foreign Policy at Brookings to release this new tranche of papers. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts on iTunes, send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

How the US embassy in Prague aided Czechoslovakia's Velvet Revolution Apr 24, 2020

In late 1989, popular protests against the communist government in Czechoslovakia brought an end to one-party rule in that country and heralded the coming of democracy. The Velvet Revolution was not met with violent suppression as had happened in Prague in 1968. A new book from the Brookings Institution Press documents the behind the scenes role that the US Embassy in Prague, led by Ambassador Shirley Temple Black, played in meeting with students and dissidents, and helping to prevent a violent crackdown by the regime. Norm Eisen, a senior fellow in Governance Studies at Brookings and a former US Ambassador to the Czech Republic, is the editor of this new book, titled "Democracy’s Defenders: U.S. Embassy Prague, the Fall of Communism in Czechoslovakia, and Its Aftermath," which is told through the lens of diplomatic cables between the embassy and Washington. He is interviewed on this episode by Brookings Press Director Bill Finan. Also on this episode, Senior Fellow David Wessel explains the Paycheck Protection Program that was part of the multi-trillion dollar stimulus bill passed recently by Congress, and what lessons we can derive from its passage and implementation. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts on iTunes, send feedback email to BCP@Brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

How US military services are responding to the coronavirus and the pandemic's impact on military readiness Apr 21, 2020

On this special edition of the podcast, four U.S. military officers who are participating in the 2019-2020 class of Federal Executive Fellows at Brookings share their expert insights about the effects that the coronavirus pandemic is having on the readiness of their respective services, and how their services are responding to the crisis. Brookings Senior Fellow Michael O'Hanlon moderated the conversation with: Colonel Thomas Burke, a U.S. Army aviator Lieutenant Colonel Chesley Dycus, a mobility pilot with the U.S. Air Force Colonel Eric Reid, a career infantry officer in the United States Marine Corps, and Commander Jessica Worst, a U.S. Coast Guard officer. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at . The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

Why Boko Haram in Nigeria fights western education Apr 17, 2020

The terrorist group Boko Haram has killed tens of thousands of people in Nigeria, displaced millions, and infamously kidnapped nearly 300 schoolgirls in 2014, many of whom remain missing. The phrase “boko haram” translates literally as “Western education is forbidden.” In this episode, the author of a new paper on Boko Haram talks about her research and findings on this dangerous militant group. Madiha Afzal, a David M. Rubenstein Fellow in Foreign Policy at Brookings, is the author of “From ‘Western Education is Forbidden’ to the world’s deadliest terrorist group: Education and Boko Haram in Nigeria.” She’s interviewed by Michael O’Hanlon, a senior fellow and director of research in Foreign Policy at Brookings. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts on iTunes, send feedback email to BCP@Brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

What Americans think about President Trump's response to the coronavirus pandemic Apr 15, 2020

In this special edition of the podcast, with Brookings Senior Fellows Bill Galston and Elaine Kamarck discuss President Trump’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic, his administration's response, and public opinion on that response. Also, what effect will the crisis and response to it have on the election in November? Galston is the Ezra K. Zilkha Chair in Governance Studies and Kamarck is the founding director of the Center for Effective Public Management at Brookings. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

What coronavirus teaches us about addressing climate change Apr 10, 2020

On this episode, Andrea Risotto, the associate vice president of communications at Brookings, interviews William Burke-White and Todd Stern about the connection between the global coronavirus pandemic and the international response to climate change. Burke-White is the Richard Perry Professor at the University of Pennsylvania Law School and a visiting fellow in foreign policy at Brookings. Stern is a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and is part of the Cross-Brookings Initiative on Energy and Climate. He served from January 2009 until April 2016 as the special envoy for climate change at the Department of State. Also on this episode, a presidential election is still coming in the fall, and a variety of policy issues remain at the forefront. Earlier this year we asked students to send us questions about issues in the campaign, and have been including them here as part of the Policy 2020 initiative at Brookings. In this episode, Senior Fellow Michael Hanson, director of the Brown Center on Education Policy, answers a student’s question about paying for higher education and dealing with student loan debt. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

How cities and states are responding to COVID-19 Apr 03, 2020

As Congress passes multi-trillion dollar economic support packages in response to the economic and physical shocks of the coronavirus pandemic, what are state and local governments doing to respond? What kinds of economic and other assistance do they need? What will be the enduring impact of this crisis on workers and certain industries? On this episode, two Brookings experts address these and related issues. Amy Liu is vice president and director of the Metropolitan Policy Program and Mark Muro is a senior fellow and policy director of the program. Also on this episode, Senior Fellow Sarah Binder offers three lessons on we can learn from Congress’s efforts to address the crisis and what lies ahead. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

Brookings experts on the $2 trillion coronavirus response package Mar 28, 2020

The U.S. Congress has passed a $2 trillion economic support package in response to coronavirus. To analyze what’s in the measure, a group of scholars from the Economic Studies program at Brookings linked up in a conference call. This episode is a replay of that conversation, which was moderated by Senior Fellow David Wessel, director of the Hutchins Center on Fiscal and Monetary policy. Also on the episode: Jay Shambaugh, senior fellow and director of the Hamilton Project at Brookings Ryan Nunn, policy director of the Hamilton project and a fellow in Economic Studies Nellie Liang, the Miriam K. Carliner Senior Fellow in Economic Studies and who is affiliated with the Hutchins Center Josh Gotbaum, a guest scholar in Economic Studies and served as director of the U.S. Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. and as Assistant Secretary of Treasury for Economic Policy Louise Sheiner, the Robert S. Kerr Senior Fellow in Economic Studies and policy director of the Hutchins Center. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

The 1979 Iranian Revolution's enduring impact on the world Mar 27, 2020

In a new book from the Brookings Institution Press, titled "The Iranian Revolution at Forty," more than two dozen experts look back on the rise of the Islamic Republic and explore what the startling events of 1979 continue to mean for the volatile Middle East as well as the rest of the world. On this episode, the editor of this volume, Suzanne Maloney, joins Brookings Press Director Bill Finan to discuss the Iranian Revolution’s continued relevance today. Maloney is the interim vice president and director of Foreign Policy at Brookings. Also on this episode, Chris Meserole answers a student’s question about the risks of data mining and the ways personal Facebook data is use. This is part of our ongoing Policy 2020 Ask an Expert feature. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

Fiona Hill on the role of expertise and public servants in a time of crisis Mar 20, 2020

On this episode, Brookings President John R. Allen interviews Brookings Senior Fellow Fiona Hill about the role that public servants and expertise have during a time of crisis. Also on the show, Senior Fellow David Wessel offers six points on economic stimulus in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

The Affordable Care Act at 10 years Mar 13, 2020

On March 23, 2010, President Barack Obama signed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, perhaps the most significant change in health care policy since the passage of Medicare and Medicaid in 1965. But opposition to the law has been unrelenting since before its enactment, and efforts to repeal it in the courts are ongoing. In this episode, Christen Linke Young, a fellow with the USC-Brookings Schaeffer Initiative for Health Policy, discusses where we are a decade after the law’s enactment. Her extensive experience in health policy includes working as a senior policy advisor for health reform in the White House. Also on this episode, Sarah Binder, Senior Fellow in Governance Studies, discusses what’s happening in Congress. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

America’s housing crisis and the gatekeeping of opportunity Mar 06, 2020

Jenny Schuetz, a fellow in the Metropolitan Policy Program and an expert on housing issues, interviews Conor Dougherty, an economics reporter at the New York Times and author of the new book Golden Gates: Fighting for Housing in America. In his book, Dougherty reports on the housing crisis as seen in the San Francisco Bay area and what it may mean for the nation’s future. Also on this episode, Senior Fellow Jonathan Rauch answers a student’s question about how to combat extreme polarization in our politics. This is part of our ongoing Policy 2020 Ask an Expert feature. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts on iTunes, send feedback email to BCP@Brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

How racism hurts businesses in Black communities Feb 28, 2020

Andre Perry, a fellow in the Metropolitan Policy Program at Brookings is the co-author of a new report that shows that highly rated businesses in Black-majority neighborhoods experience annual losses in business revenue of up to nearly four billion dollars when compared to highly-rated businesses in other neighborhoods. On this episode, he talks about the report’s findings. The report is titled "Five-star reviews, one-star profits: The devaluation of businesses in Black communities," co-authored by David Harshbarger—who is a research analysist at Brookings—and Gallup principle economist Jonathan Rothwell Also on this episode, Senior Fellow Elaine Kamarck answers a student’s question about the role of sexism in America’s politics and whether we’ll ever have a woman president. This is part of the ongoing Policy 2020 Ask an Expert feature. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

Global China’s relationship with Europe Feb 25, 2020

In this special edition of the Brookings Cafeteria, , a David M. Rubenstein Fellow in Foreign Policy, interviews Brookings Senior Fellow , director of the Center on the United States and Europe, about China’s relationship with Europe. The discussion comes as the Global China project at Brookings releases that explore China’s ties with the great powers as well as the implications of those relationships for the U.S. and international order. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

How China shapes U.S.-India relations Feb 21, 2020

In the new book "," published this month by the Brookings Institution Press, author shows how U.S.-India relations have been shaped in the past and present by China. On this episode, Madan a senior fellow in Foreign policy and director of the India Project, is interviewed by Brookings Press Director Bill Finan about the book. Also on the program, in his Economic Update, Senior Fellow asks whether the global economy could drag down the strong U.S. economy. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

The rise of populism in US and European politics Feb 14, 2020

Giovanna DeMaio and Célia Belin, two Brookings visiting scholars from Europe, were recently in New Hampshire and Iowa to observe American politics up close. They offer fascinating insights on what they saw, and share some comparisons between American and European politics in terms of populism, nationalism, and the use of social media. Also, Sarah Binder on what's happening in Congress after the end of the impeachment trial. And Gary Burtless, in a new Policy 2020 Ask an Expert, answers a student's question about the wealth tax proposal heard on the campaign trail. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

24 hours in New Hampshire Feb 07, 2020

In this special episode, join us for a trip to New Hampshire in the lead up to the first-in-the-nation primary. Brookings podcast producer Chris McKenna joined Senior Fellow Elaine Kamarck for a visit to the Granite State in January, where they spoke to some of the people involved in the event. These include Ray Buckley, chair of the state Democratic Party, Larry Drake, chair of the Rockingham County Democratic Party, and Bill Weld, former Massachusetts governor and candidate for the GOP nomination. Kamarck is author of the book "," published by the Brookings Institution Press. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

Larry Summers on progressive tax reform Jan 31, 2020

On this episode: the Iowa caucuses, tax reform, and meet a scholar who studies global poverty reduction. First up, a Brookings expert answers a student’s question about why the Iowa caucuses are so important. This is part of the Policy 2020 Initiative at Brookings. If you have a question for an expert, send a audio file to Second, Hamilton Project Director Jay Shambaugh interviews former treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers, now a professor at Harvard University, about reforming the tax code to raise more revenue in a progressive manner. A transcript of this portion of the episode is available. And finally, meet Matt Collin, one of the new class of David M. Rubenstein Fellows at Brookings. Learn how he came to be a scholar, what he’s focused on now, and his book recommendation. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

Challenges and opportunities for Africa’s next decade Jan 24, 2020

This episode features an interview with Dr. Brahima Sangafowa Coulibaly, senior fellow and director of the Africa Growth Initiative at Brookings, about the initiative’s new report, "Foresight Africa: Top priorities for the continent 2020-2030." In the conversation, he addresses some of the report’s key findings, including progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals, job creation on the continent, new strategies to address the impacts of climate change, and the effect of the fourth industrial revolution on African Countries. Also on this episode, Jenny Schuetz, a fellow in the Metropolitan Policy Program, addresses rising housing costs across the U.S. and how to make housing more affordable. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

How will automation impact middle-class jobs? Jan 17, 2020

This is an episode in three parts. First, Marcus Casey interviews James Bessen, executive director of the Technology and Policy Research Initiative at Boston University’s School of Law, on how automation and artificial intelligence are affecting middle-class jobs. Then, in David Wessel’s Economic Update, Wessel talks about how government policy might respond to the next recession. Finally, we launch Ask an Expert, student questions for Brookings scholars about issues students care about in the 2020 election. In this episode, Molly Reynolds answers a question about the Senate filibuster. If you are a student and have a question for one of our experts, email an audio file to . Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

What America’s slow-growing population means for immigration, the Electoral College, and more Jan 10, 2020

Bill Frey, a senior fellow in the Metropolitan Policy Program at Brookings and one of the nation’s leading experts on U.S. population demographics, talks about his new analysis of Census Bureau data on America’s population dynamics and their meaning for immigration, the Electoral College in future presidential elections, and the nation’s future generally. Also on today’s show, Senior Fellow Molly Reynolds discusses what's happening in Congress, including impeachment, the trade deal, and U.S. conflict with Iran. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

The top economic issues in 2020 Jan 03, 2020

, vice president and director of Economic Studies at Brookings, and , the Robert S. Kerr Senior Fellow and policy director of the Hutchins Center on Fiscal and Monetary Policy, share their views on the state of the U.S. economy and the top economic issues facing the country in the upcoming year. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

Best of the Brookings Cafeteria podcast in 2019 Dec 27, 2019

To celebrate the closing of the year, this episode features our favorite clips from past 12 months. We hope you enjoy it and perhaps take the opportunity to download full episodes that interest you, share the show with friends, and . Visit the episode's show notes to get links to all of the episodes. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

AI will affect better-paid workers, but will it displace them? Dec 20, 2019

How will artificial intelligence (AI) affect work? While it seems likely that automation and robotics will impact, or even displace, jobs on the lower-end of the income and education spectrum, AI may have impacts on better-paid and more educated workers, according to from , Robert Maxim, and Jacob Whiton. On this episode, Muro discusses the findings. Also, meet , a post-doctoral fellow in Foreign Policy. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

Burma at a crossroads Dec 13, 2019

Senior Fellow , the Lee Kuan Yew Chair in Southeast Asian Studies at Brookings, interviews , a Burmese historian, writer, and former government advisor. Thant is the author of the new book, . Also on this episode, Senior Fellow talks about the most significant economic developments of the last decade, including interest rates, life expectancy, inequality, and health care. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

Interview with Colombia’s top official for the Venezuelan refugee crisis Dec 10, 2019

Dany Bahar, fellow in Global Economy and Development at Brookings, shares his interview with Felipe Muñoz, advisor to the President of Colombia for the Colombian-Venezuelan Border. Mr. Muñoz is the Colombian government official in charge of managing his government’s response to the humanitarian crisis of Venezuelan refugees. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

Who are the Inspectors General and what do they do? Dec 06, 2019

In a new book from the Brookings Institution Press titled “U.S. Inspectors General: Truth Tellers in Turbulent Times,” authors Charles Johnson and Kathryn Newcomer explore the strategic environment in which IGs operate and explain how these public servants do their work. On this episode, Brookings Press Director Bill Finan interviews the authors. Also on the program, Senior Fellow Molly Reynolds tells us what’s happening in Congress. No surprise that it’s impeachment, but she explains what could happen in the Senate should impeachment of the president be affirmed in the House. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

Global China’s ambitions across East Asia Dec 03, 2019

In this special edition of the Brookings Cafeteria, Lindsey Ford interviews a trio of Brookings experts on new papers from the Global China Project that focus on China's engagements with neighbors in East Asia, and how it secures its periphery. The guest experts are Richard Bush, Jonathan Stromseth, and Lynn Kuok. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

How universities can help tackle global challenges Nov 29, 2019

The world faces a range of challenges, including increasing numbers of refugees, income inequality, loss of fertile land leading to rising hunger, and climate change. Governments and global institutions are addressing these problems using a variety of tools. On today's show, Maysa Jalbout explains the role that universities can play in addressing these challenges. She is a nonresident fellow in Global Economy and Development at Brookings, and is a visiting scholar and special adviser on the UN Sustainable Development Goals at both Arizona State University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

What it means to impeach a president Nov 22, 2019

Senior Fellow Elaine Kamarck helps make sense of the impeachment inquiry around President Donald Trump's actions regarding Ukraine in the context of impeachment’s history—from its inclusion in the US Constitution, to how impeachment was used in the cases of presidents Andrew Johnson, Richard Nixon, and Bill Clinton. Kamarck also answers the question of whether Congress should even be considering impeachment when President Trump faces re-election in less than a year. Also on the episode, Martha Ross, a fellow in the Metropolitan Policy Program, shares her new research on the low-wage workforce—including its size, how much workers earn, and who holds low-wage jobs. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

The biggest health care issues of the 2020 election Nov 15, 2019

Polls show that health care is one of the top issues American voters care about, but ideas about controlling costs and expanding coverage are divided along partisan lines. This episode features a deep dive into health care policy and what Democratic presidential candidates and Republican Party leaders are offering as their solutions. Guests are two of Brookings’s top health policy experts: is a fellow in the USC-Brookings Schaeffer Initiative for Health policy and, among her many roles in public service, served in the White House as a senior policy advisor for health. is also a fellow with the Schaeffer Initiative and was previously chief economist of the Council of Economic Advisers in the White House, where he oversaw the council’s work on health care policy. Both Young and Fiedler have contributed a few explainer pieces on health policy as part of the here at Brookings. Also, meet , a new David M. Rubenstein Fellow in the Metropolitan Policy program at Brookings. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

Fall of the Berlin Wall, 30 years later Nov 08, 2019

On November 9, 1989, the government of East Germany announced that all of its citizens could visit West Germany and West Berlin. Crowds of Germans from east and west climbed onto the heavily fortified wall surrounding West Berlin and began chipping away at the concrete with hammers and other tools in a celebratory atmosphere. East German guards stood down. Thus began the fall of the Berlin Wall that had divided the city since 1961. The beginning of the end of the Cold War was at hand. On this episode, Constanze Stelzenmüller, a senior fellow at Brookings and the Kissinger Chair at the Library of Congress, discusses her new Foreign Policy Essay, “German Lessons: Thirty Years after the End of History, elements of an education,” and the lessons that were in store for her, her fellow Germans, Europe, and the world. Also, Senior Fellow David Wessel, director of the Hutchins Center on Fiscal and Monetary Policy, talks about his takeaways after watching people play the Fiscal Ship Game, an interactive game about balancing the federal budget developed by the Hutchins Center. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

Beirut 1958: America's first Middle East intervention Nov 01, 2019

In July 1958, U.S. Marines stormed the beaches of Beirut, Lebanon, ready for combat in the midst of an escalating sectarian crisis in the country. But they were greeted by sunbathers and vendors selling shawarma. The rest of their mission went mostly peacefully, but future American interventions did not go so well. In his new book published by the Brookings Institution Press, "," Senior Fellow tells the story of the first U.S. combat operation in the Middle East and the lessons it continues to hold for today’s policymakers. In this interview with Brookings Press Director Bill Finan, Riedel brings a personal perspective to the story as his father was a United Nations official stationed in the region when the Marines arrived. Also, Senior Fellow explains what's happening in Congress, with a focus on the new impeachment resolution in the House of Representatives. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

Brexit and the new plan for Northern Ireland Oct 25, 2019

Brexit—the departure of the United Kingdom from the European Union, has been scheduled to occur on October 31. But will it still happen? As events continue to evolve in Britain and in the European Union--including Prime Minister Boris Johnson's likely failed attempt to hold new elections in December--where do things stand? , the Robert Bosch Senior Fellow in the Center on the United States and Europe at Brookings, explains what’s been going on, and what to expect next in Brexit. Also on this episode, , fellow in the Metropolitan Policy Program, speaks to the issue of talent development as a component of city and regional economic development. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

Policy 2020, your guide to the presidential election Oct 18, 2019

Senior Fellow interviews Senior Fellows and about the new project and resource at Brookings. Policy 2020 empowers voters with fact-based, data-driven, non-partisan information to better understand the policy matters discussed by candidates running for office in 2020. Plus, in a new Coffee Break segment, meet , the vice president and director of Economic Studies at Brookings. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

Learning across a girl’s lifetime Oct 11, 2019

How can girls, especially in developing countries, get the education that will prepare them with skills needed for lifelong success? On this episode, , fellow in the Global Economy and Development program, interviews three educators in the program. They are from India, Nepal, and Bangladesh. Learn more about their backgrounds, who inspired them, and the important work they are doing in girls' education. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

Global China’s plan for overseas military bases Oct 04, 2019

This is the fifth of five special episodes in a takeover of the Brookings Cafeteria podcast by the at Brookings, a multi-year endeavor drawing on expertise from across the Institution. In this series, , a David M. Rubenstein Fellow in Foreign Policy, speaks with experts about a range of issues related to Global China. In this episode, she speaks with Leah Dreyfuss and Mara Karlin, co-authors of the paper, "All that Xi wants: China attempts to ace bases overseas," in which they explore how China expands its interests abroad through infrastructure projects as well as military bases. Dreyfuss is associate director of Security and Strategy at Brookings; Karlin is a nonresident senior fellow in Security and Strategy. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

Deterring military conflict with a global China Oct 03, 2019

This is the fourth of five special episodes in a takeover of the Brookings Cafeteria podcast by the at Brookings, a multi-year endeavor drawing on expertise from across the Institution. In this series, , a David M. Rubenstein Fellow in Foreign Policy, speaks with experts about a range of issues related to Global China. In this episode, she speaks with Senior Fellow Michael O'Hanlon and Nonresident Senior Fellow Caitlin Talmadge--who is also an associate professor of security studies at Georgetown University--about both the intensifying nuclear competition between the U.S. and China, and what approach Washington should take in response to limited aggression by Chinese forces. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

Domestic politics in the rise of global China Oct 02, 2019

This is the third of five special episodes in a takeover of the Brookings Cafeteria podcast by the at Brookings, a multi-year endeavor drawing on expertise from across the Institution. In this series, , a David M. Rubenstein Fellow in Foreign Policy, speaks with experts about a range of issues related to Global China. In this episode, she speaks with Senior Fellow , director of the John L. Thornton China Center, about how President Xi Jinping’s domestic political standing and policy priorities drive prospects for a global China. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

How might a global China use economic sanctions? Oct 01, 2019

This is the second of five special episodes in a takeover of the Brookings Cafeteria podcast by the at Brookings, a multi-year endeavor drawing on expertise across the organization. In this series, , a David M. Rubenstein Fellow in Foreign Policy, speaks with experts about a rang of issues related to Global China. In this episode, Ford talks with about his paper on how a global China, itself long subject to economic sanctions, might use sanctions of its own. Nephew is a nonresident senior fellow in Foreign Policy, affiliated with the Arms Control and Non-Proliferation Initiative. He is also a senior research scholar and program director at the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

What does a global China mean for the US and the world? Sep 30, 2019

This is the first of five special episodes in a takeover of the Brookings Cafeteria podcast by the at Brookings, a multi-year endeavor drawing on expertise across Brookings. The project aims to understand China’s regional and global ambitions, and to look not just at how China has changed on the world stage, but also where the US-China relationship is headed. In this series, , a David M. Rubenstein Fellow in Foreign Policy, speaks with experts about a range of issues related to Global China. In this episode, Ford talks with and , fellows in Foreign Policy and two of the leaders of the project. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

And now the hard part: Resetting the US Relationship with Saudi Arabia Sep 27, 2019

This week, the first episode in a special podcast produced jointly by Foreign Policy and the Brookings Institution. On each episode of “,” host Johnathan Tepperman, FP’s editor in chief, and a Brookings expert discuss one of the world’s most vexing problems and trace its origins. And then the hard part: Tepperman asks the Brookings expert to focus on plausible, actionable ways forward. In this first episode in the series, Brookings Senior Fellow shares his insights on challenges in the U.S. relationship with Saudi Arabia, America’s oldest alliance in the Middle East. Upcoming guests in the weekly, eight-part series include North Korea specialist Jung Pak; Europe and Russia expert Alina Polyakova; and Brookings President John R. Allen. Subscribe to “And How the Hard Part” on or . Learn more at Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

A global response to the climate crisis Sep 20, 2019

The United Nations Climate Action Summit takes place during the UN General Assembly meetings in New York this month. Two guests are on this episode to discuss the event and the global response to the climate crisis: , senior fellow in Global Economy and Development at Brookings and co-lead with Professor Nicholas Stern of the Sustainable Growth and Finance Initiative of the New Climate Economy; and , fellow in Foreign Policy and the Energy Security and Climate Initiative at Brookings. Also on today’s show meet , a new David M Rubenstein Fellow in the Foreign Policy program. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

Addressing the global learning crisis Sep 13, 2019

According to data released in 2018, only 12 percent of children tested in 7 low- or middle-income countries met minimum proficiency for math, and 23 percent for reading. This compares to 77 percent and 80 percent, respectively, in wealthier OECD countries. To discuss how the global education system can bring about transformational change, Jenny Perlman Robinson, a senior fellow with the Center for Universal Education at Brookings, joins the show to talk about her research on scaling—or growing—education programs around the world. She also shares her discussions with three education leaders she interviewed at a global meeting in Switzerland this summer. These experienced leaders possess deep insights on the role that public, private, and civil society actors can play in scaling and sustaining education programs, and they bring fresh perspectives on the topic from around the globe. Also on this episode, Senior Fellow Molly Reynolds breaks down what’s happening in Congress as it returns to work after a summer recess. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

US-China competition in global development Sep 06, 2019

This is the second in a two-part series of episodes from the Brookings-Blum Roundtable, an annual forum for global leaders, entrepreneurs, and policy practitioners to discuss innovative ideas and to pursue initiatives to alleviate global poverty. In this episode, Merrell Tuck-Primdahl, director of communications for the Global Economy and Development program at Brookings, speaks with four experts about China's remarkable economic rise, its role in development projects in the region and around the world, and the U.S.-China trade war. Guests featured in this episode are: , interim VP and director of Global Economy and Development at Brookings , a professor at Claremont McKenna College , group chairman and CEO, Pacific Alliance Group , chair of the board, Center for Inclusive Growth, Mastercard, and former U.S. trade representative Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

Will foreign aid matter in the 2020 election? Aug 30, 2019

Will foreign assistance and foreign policy matter to voters in the 2020 elections? At the 16th Annual Brookings-Blum Roundtable, Merrell Tuck-Primdahl--communications director of Global Economy and Development at Brookings--leads a discussion with Brookings Senior Fellow E.J. Dionne, Jr.; Liz Schrayer, the president and CEO of U.S. Global Leadership Coalition; and Charlie Dent, former U.S. representative and senior policy advisor, DLA Piper. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

Colombia’s search for peace and justice Aug 23, 2019

In June 2016, the government of Colombia signed a historic peace agreement with the armed rebel group known as FARC-EP to end a conflict that over five decades had taken the lives of at least 260,000 Colombians and displaced over 7 million. Three years later, the peace accord—a complex effort to not only stop the fighting but also address the underlying causes of the conflict, and to seek truth, justice, and reconciliation for victims—remains not fully implemented as new political disputes and leaders have hampered its progress. On this episode, experts Ted Piccone and Vanda Felbab-Brown explain the situation and how to move forward. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

Don’t be fooled by deepfakes Aug 16, 2019

Deepfakes are videos that make a person appear to say or do something they did not say or do, and they are coming to an election near you. With the 2020 election contests coming up, how can we guard ourselves against deep fakes and prevent them from changing the outcome of an election? To address this problem, this episode features a conversation with , a nonresident senior fellow in Governance Studies and the Center for Technology Innovation at Brookings. He is also a professor of electrical engineering, public policy, law, and management at UCLA. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

On racism and white supremacy Aug 09, 2019

The language of racism and white supremacy is all around us; people are getting hurt, and also killed. But racism also pervades our public policies. To address these issues and how to move forward, this episode features a discussion with two Brookings experts: , David M. Rubenstein Fellow in the Metropolitan Policy Program, and , senior fellow in the Governance Studies Program and also in the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

Protecting American elections from foreign interference Aug 02, 2019

In June, FBI Director Christopher Wray testified to the Senate Judiciary Committee that “the Russians are absolutely intent on trying to interfere with our elections,” and just recently the Senate Intelligence Committee issued a bipartisan report finding that governments at all levels are unprepared to combat a Russian attack on U.S. election infrastructure. Meanwhile, Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell has refused to allow a vote on House-passed election security measures, calling such efforts partisan and pointing to steps the Trump administration has taken to bolster election security. On this episode, , the vice president and director of Governance Studies and Founding Director of the at Brookings, addresses these issues. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

What really drives voters to the polls? Jul 26, 2019

Brookings Press Director Bill Finan sits down with Donald P. Green, the J.W. Burgess Professor of Political Science at Columbia University. Doctor Green is co-author, with Alan S. Gerber, of "," now in its fourth edition from the Brookings Press. In "Get out the Vote," Green and Gerber take a scientific approach to the challenge of voter mobilization, and examine new data on the efficiency of various campaign tactics, including door-to-door canvassing, email, direct mail, and telephone calls. Also on the program, Senior Fellow David Wessel discusses whether the crisis in state and local pensions we so often hear about is really a crisis at all. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

What can we do to reduce unplanned pregnancies? Jul 19, 2019

Nearly half of the pregnancies in the United States each year are unplanned, and such unwanted or mistimed pregnancies can create negative outcomes for women, children, and families. Greater access to birth control, especially long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARCS) empower women to only have children if, and when, and with whom they want. As restrictions on abortion become more widespread, how can states and organizations increase the availability of family planning information and access to contraceptive methods like LARCS? In this episode, Brookings Senior Fellow leads a conversation with former Delaware Governor and , the co-founder and co-CEO of Upstream USA, a non-profit working to expand opportunity by reducing unplanned pregnancy in the US. Also on the program, in a new Metro Lens segment, Senior Fellow , director of the Anne T. and Robert M. Bass Center for Transformative Placemaking, describes how the digital revolution is shifting where jobs are concentrating and why this job density matters to cities and regions. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

The US in Southeast Asia, and the China challenge Jul 12, 2019

Jonathan Stromseth, a senior fellow and Lee Kuan Yew Chair in Southeast Asian Studies at Brookings, interviews Brookings President John R. Allen about the strategic significance of Southeast Asia, US relations with countries in the region, and the China challenge. President Allen recently returned from an extended trip to East Asia, where in June he opened and participated in a Brookings conference in Taipei on “The Risks of the Asian Peace: Avoiding Paths to Great Power War.” That conference is part of a broader Brookings project focused on Sustaining the Long Peace in East Asia. Subsequently, President Allen traveled to Singapore where Stromseth had an opportunity to join him for a series of dialogues with senior officials and regional policy experts. In this episode, President Allen reflects on his trip and considers the possible implications of his discussions and observations for U.S. Asia policy. Also on the program, what’s happening in Congress, with Senior Fellow Molly Reynolds on divisions in the House Democratic caucus and why inter-party polarization is the more serious issue in Congress. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

Americans fear the wrong threats Jul 05, 2019

The authors of a new book argue that national security “fearmongering” is causing U.S. leaders to focus more on the threats that Americans perceive—like terrorism and nuclear war—than the ones that exist at home, like gun violence and the opioid crisis. In Clear and Present Safety: The World Has Never Been Better and Why That Matters to Americans (Yale University Press), Michael Cohen and Micah Zenko argue that “The American public is being fed, by politicians and pundits alike, a steady diet of threat inflation that has made them deeply fearful of the world outside their borders.“ In this episode, Thomas Wright, director of the Center on the United States and Europe and senior fellow in the Project on International Order and Strategy at Brookings, speaks with Zenko, a columnist at Foreign Policy, about the premise of the book, the geopolitical risks that do exist, and what role foreign policy might play in the 2020 presidential election. Zenko explains why the mid-1990s were the most dangerous time to be alive, the wide array of domestically driven risks, and why these factors matter more to American security than distant threats. Also, meet Christen Linke Young, a fellow in our USC-Brookings Schaeffer Initiative for Health Policy. Find out what she’s working on and why she recommends reading both Dreamland, by Sam Quinones, about the rise of the opioid epidemic, and Infinite Jest, by David Foster Wallace. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

Advancing opportunity in California’s Inland Empire Jun 28, 2019

After three years of intensive collaboration with Brookings, public, private, and civic leaders in California’s Inland Empire have launched an ambitious strategy to expand opportunity and grow middle-class jobs in the region. In this episode, several of those leaders and Brookings experts discuss why this work is so important, how the Inland Empire reflects broader economic challenges and opportunities, and what other city-regions can learn to develop smarter approaches to building inclusive economic growth. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

Where does nationalism come from? Jun 21, 2019

Liah Greenfeld, professor of sociology, political science, and anthropology at Boston University, talks with Brookings Institution Press Director Bill Finan about her new book, "." She explains her broad definition of nationalism, Shakespeare's role in shaping the language of democracy and modernity, and how modern notions of "white nationalism" may not be nationalism at all. Also on the program, Senior Fellow looks at why the Federal Reserve may cut interest rates and allow inflation to rise. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

Rebroadcast: Former USTR Charlene Barshefsky on the obstacles to a US-China trade deal Jun 19, 2019

This is a rebroadcast of a "Dollar & Sense: The Brookings Trade Podcast" episode. On it, former United States Trade Representative Charlene Barshefsky joined host to discuss the history of the United States’ economic engagement with China. Their conversation covered China’s entry and membership in the World Trade Organization, how domestic Chinese politics have affected the country’s trade policies, and the lasting impact of the global financial crisis on U.S.-China relations. Finally, Barshefsky outlined the prospect of the two countries reaching a trade deal in the near future. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria and Dollar & Sense are part of the .

How to fix capitalism for America’s workers Jun 14, 2019

From slow wage growth, to increasing numbers of men out of the labor market, to rising inequality and rising compensation for CEOs, today’s capitalism may not be working for workers. In May, the Guardian newspaper published a series of solutions to these and related problems, titled . On this episode, two of the authors in the series—Isabel Sawhill and Steven Pearlstein—join Richard Reeves to discuss their ideas for helping workers in today’s economy. During the conversation, Reeves calls four outside experts to ask them for their solution, and then the trio of experts in the studio discuss the idea. Richard Reeves is the John C. and Nancy D. Whitehead Chair, a senior fellow in Economic studies, director of the Future of the Middle Class Initiative, and co-director of the Center on Children and Families at Brookings. He is the author of “,” published by the Brookings Institution Press. Isabel Sawhill is a senior fellow in Economic Studies at Brookings and author, most recently, of “.” Steven Pearlstein, business and economics columnist for the Washington Post and Robinson professor of public affairs at George Mason university. His recent book is titled, “” Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

The power of parents in accelerating global education progress Jun 07, 2019

Senior Fellow , director of the at Brookings, says that global organizations project that by 2030 half of the world's young people will not have the 21st-century skills and academic competencies they will need to thrive. The pace of change is too slow, and it could take a century for the poorest children to catch up. What's needed, she said, is a way to rapidly accelerate progress by leapfrogging education. And parents have a crucial role to play in this transformation. In this episode, Winthrop talks with four education leaders, whom she met at the , about the role of parents and the power of innovative approaches like playful learning in pursuing education transformation. The four episode guests are: Ziauddin Yousafzai, co-founder and board member, Brijpal Patel, director of global program development, Jen Lexmond, founder and CEO, Eszter Salamon, director general of and president, Also, about the book, "" Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

China’s epic push for cleaner energy May 31, 2019

In its dominance of low-carbon industries that range from solar and wind power, to electric vehicles, to more-efficient coal combustion, China is emerging as a clean-energy juggernaut. That’s according to , the author of a new paper from the titled “” Ball, argues that the West, instead of seeing this development as a threat, should see it as an opportunity both for business and for the planet. In this episode, Ball is interviewed by , the co-chair of the energy and climate initiative here at Brookings. Victor is also a professor of international relations at UC San Diego and director of its Laboratory on International Law and Regulation. In addition to his Brookings affiliation as a nonresident senior fellow, Jeffrey Ball is also a scholar in residence at Stanford University’s Steyer-Taylor Center for Energy Policy and Finance, and a lecturer at Stanford Law School. Also on today’s show, a look at how housing and transportation trends in the Washington capital region impact commuting, the climate, and the economy with , a David M. Rubenstein Fellow in the Metropolitan Policy Program. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

Preparing for the next recession May 24, 2019

When the next recession comes, and it certainly will, how will policymakers respond? In a from the and the , a group of experts propose new and updated antirecession solutions to boost the economy and save jobs. These ideas center on the concept of automatic stabilizers, which are simply policy responses that trigger when a crisis is starting, and when policymakers may be too overwhelmed by the crisis to respond. On this episode, —a senior fellow at Brookings and director of the Hamilton Project—and —executive director and chief economist of the Washington Center for Equitable Growth—address these policy proposals. Also on today’s show, Senior Fellow discusses what steps the House of Representatives would have to take in any impeachment process, and also other business that Congress is pursuing, including a budget deal. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

The power of private investment for the developing world May 17, 2019

Foreign aid money from governments is getting scarcer, and in the U.S., private philanthropy exceeds US government funds in the foreign assistance realm. But, what about the role of business and private capital in development, reducing poverty, and alleviating hunger? So called "impact investing" is now one of the most important trends in addressing some of the world’s most pressing problems. In this episode, , the interim vice president and director of the Global Economy and Development Program, speaks with , the CEO of the International Finance Corporation, about the IFC’s . Also, Senior Fellow asks, and answers, three key questions about tariffs and U.S.-China trade issues. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

How to avoid a great power war over small stakes May 10, 2019

In the East China sea, in waters bounded by Japan, China, and Taiwan, lies a small archipelago of uninhabited islands known in Japan as the Senkaku Islands, and in China as Diaoyu Islands. Both countries claim them, but they are covered by the US-Japan security treaty. What would be the U.S. response if China landed military forces on them? Similarly, what would happen if “little green men” from Russia occupied a Russian-speaking village in Estonia, a NATO member country? In his new book, "," Brookings Senior Fellow explores these and similar scenarios in which a local crisis could erupt into a major war between the United States and China or Russia. In this episode, Brookings Fellow talks with O’Hanlon about his book and his argument for a better range of options to deal with these risks. Also on the program, , a fellow in the Metropolitan Policy Program, shares her recent research on unemployed youth. While the current national unemployment rate is below four percent, joblessness among American workers aged 18 to 24 in mid to large cities is much higher at about 17 percent. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

Congressional oversight in the Trump era May 03, 2019

In our constitutional system, congressional oversight of the executive branch is an important tool. As a co-equal branch of government, and the one that passes legislation and appropriates funds to carry out public policy, Congress has an obligation to the Constitution, and to citizens, to hold the executive branch accountable. In this episode, Senior Fellow introduces the new , explains why oversight is so important, and shares her views on recent news about some of the Trump administration’s responses to oversight requests. Also on today’s episode, meet new scholar , who joined the Metropolitan Policy Program after serving in the White House as the nation’s first special assistant to the president for infrastructure. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

Offensive cyber operations in US national security Apr 26, 2019

A discussion about a new volume from the Brookings Institution Press on the increasing role of offensive cyber operations in U.S. national security. Herbert Lin and Amy Zegart are co-editors of “.” Lin and Zegart are scholars at the Hoover Institution and co-directors of the Stanford Cyber Policy Program. Bill Finan, director of the Brookings Press, conducts the interview. Also, Brookings Senior Fellow Molly Reynolds examines congressional oversight of the Trump administration, from subpoenas to impeachment Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

Is the Israeli-Palestinian peace process dead? Apr 19, 2019

, senior fellow in the at Brookings, interviews , author of the new book from the Brookings Institution Press, “.” Elgindy is a nonresident fellow in the Center for Middle East Policy and previously served as an advisor to the Palestinian Leadership in Ramallah on permanent status negotiations with Israel from 2004 to 2009, and was a key participant in the Annapolis negotiations throughout 2008. Also, Wessel’s Economic Update in which Senior Fellow David Wessel offers three reasons why we don’t necessarily have to address the rising U.S. budget deficit through increased taxes and cutting spending right now. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

A primer on India’s general elections Apr 12, 2019

India has started its multi-phase, weeks long general elections that will determine the composition of the Lok Sabha, India’s lower house of parliament, and also the next prime minister. Results will be announced May 23. To make sense of the world’s largest exercise of democracy, today’s episode features a discussion led by Brookings Fellow , director of the , with three scholars, one each from the American Enterprise Institute, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and Brookings India. The participants in the conversation are: , resident fellow, American Enterprise Institute , director and senior fellow, South Asia Program, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace , fellow, Brookings India Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

Israel’s election result and what comes next Apr 10, 2019

A conversation about what happened in Israel's election, between Natan Sachs--director of the Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution--and Ilana Dayan, an investigative journalist with the Program "Uvda" on Israel's Channel 12. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

How to cure America’s debt addiction (and invest in the future) Apr 05, 2019

Under current policies the federal debt will rise from 78% to almost 180% of U.S. GDP in three decades. In his new book, "," Brookings Senior Fellow explores policies to raise revenue, control spending, and increase public investments, and solve our debt problem. In this episode, Senior Fellow interviews Gale about his new book and policy ideas. Also, , a fellow with the USC-Brookings Schaeffer Initiative for Health Policy, answers a listener's question about why health care costs so much in the United States. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

NATO at 70 is more than a military alliance Mar 29, 2019

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization turns 70 in April. To discuss challenges to and opportunities for the alliance as it enters its eighth decade, this episode features a discussion among a group of leading Brookings experts: , president of the Brookings Institution; , the Robert Bosch Senior Fellow in the Center on the United States and Europe at Brookings; and , a senior fellow and director of research in the Foreign Policy Program at Brookings. Also in this episode, , fellow in the Foreign Policy program’s Energy Security and Climate Initiative, and , deputy director of Foreign Policy and senior fellow in the Center for Middle East Policy, discuss top geopolitical issues, including Russia’s role in Syria, the broader Middle East, and how Iran might use oil prices to respond to continued pressure from the Trump administration. Gross and Maloney had this conversation while they were at CERA Week in Houston, Texas. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

Fixing bail, fines, and fees in the criminal justice system Mar 22, 2019

The share of felony defendants in the criminal justice system who are required to post bail to avoid pre-trail detention is increasing, while the share released without bail is dropping. Simultaneously the amount of time from arrest to adjudication has also increased. These and related factors have significant negative economic impacts on the individuals involved, and are linked to increased recidivism. In this episode, , the director of the and a senior fellow in Economic Studies, talks about new research on monetary sanctions in the criminal justice system. Also, John Ratliff, in a new Metro Lens, talks about how America's governors are pursuing digital innovation policies. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

India’s role as a democracy in the liberal international order Mar 19, 2019

Since its independence from Britain in 1947, India has evolved into a strong electoral democracy—the largest in the world—and one that has proven resilient in the face of the populist tide pressuring many western democracies. India has also emerged as a powerful nation in the Indo-Pacific region, contributing to global democratic institutions and norms in ways not always noticed in the West. In this fourth and final episode of the Democracy and Disorder Project podcast series, host talks with , a fellow in Foreign Policy at Brookings India in New Delhi, about India’s evolving role in the liberal international order. Taussig is a nonresident fellow with the Center on the United States and Europe at Brookings and a Robert Bosch Foundation Fellow based in Berlin. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

Indonesia, an unlikely democracy Mar 15, 2019

Indonesia, a presidential democracy, is the largest Muslim-majority nation in the world and the fourth most populated on earth. It is also the largest nation in Southeast Asia—Indonesia’s archipelago of over 18,000 islands stretches the distance from Seattle to Boston. In this episode, Senior Fellow interviews , a professor at Cornell University and nonresident senior fellow at Brookings, about democracy in Indonesia. The two discuss the history of Indonesia’s transition to democracy, the upcoming (in April) presidential election, the roles of Islam and the military, and relations between Indonesia and the United States. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

The next democracy debate in the Middle East Mar 12, 2019

The Arab Spring movements that started in 2010 and 2011 across North Africa and the Middle East sparked a new debate on the future of democracy in the region. Yet in the years since, the region has seen a return to civil war and proxy warfare, most violently in Syria. The Arab world is still searching for a new democratic narrative as it navigates economic downturns, crackdowns, and the occasional possible bright spots, including a nascent democracy in Tunisia. What will the be the next debate on democracy in the region? And what are opportunities for improving good governance? In this third episode of a four-part podcast series from the Democracy and Disorder Project at Brookings, host talks with —former prime minister of the Palestinian Authority (2007-13) and a distinguished fellow at Brookings—and , a post-doctoral fellow in the Center for Middle East Policy at Brookings, about these and related issues. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

Alice Rivlin: A career spent making better public policy Mar 08, 2019

"I was always interested in doing good policy analysis, and improving the policy process," says in this interview about her career in public policy and contributions to making the policy process better. She is a senior fellow in Economic Studies and the Center for Health Policy at Brookings, and one of the nation's, and this Institution's, most important public policy leaders. Among Rivlin's many important roles, she served as director of the Office Management and Budget (OMB) in the first Clinton Administration and as vice chair of the Federal Reserve Board. She was the founding director of the Congressional Budget Office starting in 1975 and served as chair of the District of Columbia Financial Management and Assistance Authority. Rivlin first came to the Brookings Institution as a research fellow in 1957. Also in this episode, Senior Fellow examines the impacts of an aging population on the U.S. economy, and how immigration contributes to economic vitality. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

The challenges to democracy in East Asia Mar 04, 2019

East Asia is home to diverse political regimes, economies, and religions, and is central to global economic trade and growth. But it is also a region increasingly defined by U.S.-China competition. Moving forward, what role Japan will play in upholding a rules-based order, and how will China's rise influence domestic political trends, particularly in Southeast Asia? In this podcast, the second episode a four-part podcast series from the at the Brookings Institution, host talks with Senior Fellows and about challenges to democracy in East Asia. Taussig is a a nonresident fellow with the Center on the United States and Europe at Brookings and a Robert Bosch Foundation Fellow based in Berlin. Stromseth is the Lee Kuan Yew Chair in Southeast Asian Studies and Solís is the Philip Knight Chair in Japan Studies, as well as director of the Center for East Asia Policy Studies at Brookings. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

Why nonworking men are unhappiest in America Mar 01, 2019

In new research, Carol Graham and Sergio Pinto assesses the troublesome levels of ill-being among out-of-work men, and the challenges this poses to the future of work and the future of the middle class more generally. , the Leo Pasvolsky Senior Fellow and research director in the Global Economy and Development Program at Brookings, came on to the show to discuss this new research, titled “.” Also on today’s episode, meet , a new fellow in Governance Studies at Brookings and senior editor and counsel at . Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

The India-Pakistan crisis Feb 28, 2019

A new crisis has been unfolding over the past weeks between India and Pakistan. To help you understand what's been going on, what's new, and the road ahead, two Brookings experts discussed the crisis. , director of the at Brookings and a fellow in the Foreign Policy program, talked with , nonresident fellow in Foreign Policy and a professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

The challenges to democracy in Europe Feb 26, 2019

This episode is the first of a four-part podcast series from the at the Brookings Institution, and is hosted by —a nonresident fellow with the Center on the United States and Europe at Brookings and a Robert Bosch Foundation Fellow based in Berlin. In the interview, Taussig speaks with experts and about a range of challenges to democracy in Europe, including the rise of populism on the left and right, plus new challenges to democratic institutions including migration and the rise of illiberal governments within the EU and NATO. The discussion also highlights renewed skepticism about European institutions coming from some populist parties leading into the upcoming elections for the European Parliament. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

How we connect: Network revolutions from Gutenberg to Google Feb 22, 2019

“How we connect defines who we are,” says Brookings visiting fellow and former FCC chair on today’s episode. He is the author of the new book published by the Brookings Institution Press titled, “,” in which he brings to life the great network revolutions of our past to help us understand and deal with what is to come. Bill Finan, director of the Brookings Institution Press, interviews Wheeler on today’s program. Also on today’s episode, Metropolitan Policy Program Fellow shares his thoughts on Amazon’s decision to discontinue plans to open a new headquarters in New York City and what this means for economic development incentives. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

Stacey Abrams on how to overcome voter suppression Feb 15, 2019

In 2018 Stacey Abrams ran in Georgia to become the nation’s first African-American female governor. Despite a narrow defeat in the race, Abrams and her campaign launched a new national conversation about the importance of voting rights by shining a light on voter suppression efforts in Georgia and nationwide. As part of the Brookings Institution’s celebration of Black History Month, Abrams visited Brookings to discuss how her organization, Fair Fight Georgia, is addressing the problem of voter suppression as the African-American electorate and candidates claim more political space. She was joined on the Brookings stage by The New Yorker’s Jelani Cobb, who is also a professor of journalism at Columbia University. In today’s episode of the Brookings Cafeteria, you’ll hear the conversation between Abrams and Cobb that took place at Brookings. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

How automation and AI are redefining work Feb 08, 2019

How will automation change the way we live and work? Will robots take your job? These and related questions have been asked about labor and the economy for decades, and with more urgency as artificial intelligence continues to become more pervasive in our lives. In this episode, Mark Muro, a senior fellow in the Metropolitan Policy Program, discusses his new report, coauthored with Robert Maxim and Jacob Whiton, that addresses these questions. In “,” Muro and his coauthors write that “while the robots are coming they will bring neither an apocalypse nor utopia, but instead both benefits and stress alike.” Plus, in her review of what’s happening in Congress, Senior Fellow Molly Reynolds looks beyond the government shutdown drama to explain House and Senate hearings on a wide range of issues. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

Black History Month: Creating environments of belonging Feb 01, 2019

, senior fellow and director of the at Brookings, illuminates Brookings scholars' research during Black History Month, with a focus on building more inclusive economies, addressing structural inequities, and understanding issues surrounding race and civic engagement. Also in this episode, in his Economic Update, Senior Fellow examines the question, should we be concerned about rising federal deficits? Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

Iran’s 1979 revolution and its legacies today Jan 25, 2019

In a special episode of the Brookings Cafeteria podcast, five Brookings experts—, , , , and —describe how the consequences of Iran’s 1979 revolution affected Iran and the region and continue to shape a range of international dynamics today. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

How America’s presidential primaries work and what to expect in 2020 Jan 18, 2019

, senior fellow and founding director of the at the Brookings Institution, talks with Brookings Institution Press Director Bill Finan about the third edition of her book, “.” She explains how the modern primary system differs from that of an earlier age, how the old system would have never resulted in a Trump primary victory, how Clinton and Trump actually won their races, and what to expect in 2020. Also in this episode, meet Alina Polyakova, a David M. Rubenstein Fellow in the Center on the United States and Europe at Brookings. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

How Saudi Arabia and Iran use Islam in foreign policy Jan 10, 2019

and , both experts in the at Brookings, discuss their new paper, “.” Their research focuses largely on how both Saudi Arabia and Iran employ Islam as a soft power tool in the conduct of their foreign policy, and also touches on case studies including Morocco, Jordan, Turkey, and Indonesia. Also in this episode, demographer , a Metropolitan Policy Program senior fellow, discusses new U.S. Census Bureau data on the declining U.S. population growth rate. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

The top economic issues in 2019 Jan 03, 2019

, senior fellow and director of the , discusses the top economic issues facing the United States in the upcoming year. Also in this episode, , fellow in Governance Studies, offers her analysis of issues facing the newly-sworn in 116th Congress. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

Best of the Brookings Cafeteria podcast in 2018 Dec 27, 2018

To celebrate the closing of the year, today’s show features our favorite clips from past 12 months. We hope you enjoy it and perhaps take the opportunity to download full episodes that interest you, share the show with friends, and . Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the .

An update on Brexit Dec 20, 2018

, Robert M. Bosch Senior Fellow in the at the Brookings Institution, explains recent news about Brexit, and what could happen in the weeks leading up to March 29, the date on which the United Kingdom formally leaves the European Union. Key issues include whether Prime Minister Theresa May will get her Brexit deal—negotiated already with EU leaders—passed through Parliament; the so-called “Irish backstop”; what happens on March 29 if there is no deal; and what trade deals Britain will be able to forge with the United States, Europe, and Commonwealth nations. Also, in a new Coffee Break segment, meet , a David M. Rubenstein Fellow in the Global Economy and Development program, and . Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the .

AI, cybersecurity, and the future of geopolitics Dec 13, 2018

Artificial intelligence is now in every domain of our lives, from commerce to politics, medicine to entertainment, and global trade to geopolitics. In this episode, expert discusses the important intersection of AI, cybersecurity, and geopolitics. Villasenor is a nonresident senior fellow in the Center for Technology Innovation at Brookings and a professor of electrical engineering, public policy, and management, and also a visiting professor of law, at the University of California, Los Angeles. Also in this episode, Senior Fellow of the Metropolitan Policy Program introduces the new . Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the .

Four leaders in girls’ education share their stories and policy ideas Dec 07, 2018

, a fellow with the at Brookings, talks with four women who are leaders in girls’ education in their home countries, and are part of the current cohort of . Sumbal Naveed (Pakistan), Jin Chi (China), Eliana Villar Marquez (Peru), and Hawah Nabbuye (Uganda), share stories of their own childhood educations, reflect on role models, and discuss their research and policy recommendations. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the .

Stories from a life with presidents and ideas Nov 29, 2018

Brookings Senior Fellow emeritus Stephen Hess talks about his new memoir, "Bit Player: A Life with Presidents and Ideas." Plus, What's Happening in Congress, with Molly Reynolds, in which she talks about Nancy Pelosi's chances of becoming the next Speaker of the House. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the .

9 good policy ideas on Thanksgiving Nov 21, 2018

In this special episode of the Brookings Cafeteria podcast, we reflect on some of the forward-thinking policy ideas and good news stories that were discussed in podcasts from the Brookings Institution in 2018. Plus, hear the trailer for the new Brookings trade podcast, Dollar & Sense. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the .

Legislation or gridlock in Congress after the 2018 midterms? Nov 16, 2018

, a senior fellow in Governance Studies at Brookings, and , a fellow also in Governance Studies, discuss politics and policy in the House and Senate following the 2018 midterm elections. What will change? What will stay the same? What are the prospects for bi-partisan legislating? Will Democrats use their new House majority for pursuing a legislative agenda, investigating the Trump administration, or both? Also in this episode, Senior Fellow ’s economic update. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the .

2018 midterms: What happened, what’s next Nov 09, 2018

Brookings Institution Senior Fellows and discuss the results of the 2018 midterm elections, with focus on Democratic House gains, Republican Senate gains, and whether these changes presage working with President Trump on policy matters. They also address the record number of women elected to Congress, issues of racism, voter suppression, gerrymandering, and more. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the .

2018 midterms: Will tax cuts help Republicans? Nov 02, 2018

, a fellow in Governance Studies at the Brookings Institution, talks about whether the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, passed by a GOP-controlled Congress and signed by President Trump in December 2017, will have any effect on voters in the 2018 midterm elections. Also, meet , a David M. Rubenstein Fellow, in another edition of our Coffee Break segment. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the .

2018 midterms: Why raising incomes can boost youth voting rates Oct 30, 2018

, a David M. Rubenstein Fellow in the Economic Studies program at Brookings, discusses new research on the relationship between household incomes and voting in the U.S. He and his co-researchers discovered that an increase in a child’s family income increases the likelihood that he or she becomes an active voter as an adult. Akee also discusses the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision upholding North Dakota's requirement that voters have a street address, which may disenfranchise thousands of Native Americans who live on reservations. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the .

2018 midterms: What forgotten Americans want from politics and policy Oct 26, 2018

Isabel Sawhill, a senior fellow in Economic Studies at Brookings, addresses the economic, cultural, and political divisions in America today, and describes what she learned by talking with Americans in three cities about what they want—and don’t want—from government. These discussions are the heart of her new book, “The Forgotten Americans: An Economic Agenda for a Divided Nation,” in which she lays out a new agenda that “marries” red state values about work, family, and education with blue state policies. Also in this episode, a new Metro Lens segment, featuring Metropolitan Policy Program Senior Fellow Mark Muro talking about a new factbook on the state of the American heartland. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the .

2018 midterms: Health care is a top voter concern Oct 23, 2018

, a fellow in the at Brookings, addresses the health policy issues on voters’ minds as the 2018 midterm elections approach. He reviews the Trump administration’s changes to the Affordable Care Act, why Democratic candidates are placing more emphasis on health policy in their races than are Republicans, the topic of Medicaid expansion, and what repeal of the individual mandate could mean for health care in 2019 and beyond. For more special Brookings Cafeteria episodes about the 2018 midterms, visit the . Also, more research and analysis from Brookings experts about the elections are . Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the .

2018 midterms: Will Russia hack the elections? Oct 19, 2018

, a David M. Rubenstein fellow in Foreign Policy at Brookings, addresses the question of Russia’s potential involvement in the 2018 midterm elections. She also describes the latest tactics in disinformation campaigns and cyber threats, and how targeted nations can respond. Also in this edition, , fellow in Governance studies, analyzes the shape of House and Senate races, and looks ahead to the post-election Congress. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the .

2018 midterms: A big election year for states Oct 16, 2018

Amy Liu, vice president and director of the Metropolitan Policy Program at the Brookings Institution, addresses issues in gubernatorial and local races in the 2018 midterms, including the challenges of job growth, new technologies, and state preemption of local decision-making. Liu also addresses the urban-rural divide, which she says is “primarily a political and cultural one … being fanned by President Trump and his administration.” For more analysis on the 2018 midterm elections, visit . Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the .

2018 midterms: Myths about the upcoming elections Oct 12, 2018

In the first episode of a special series on the 2018 midterm elections, Senior Fellow describes some of the issues shaping the upcoming midterm elections and which common narratives around the elections are not supported by data. Also in this episode, explains the Federal Reserve’s recent decision to raise interest rates and the inherent difficulties in forecasting the economy. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the .

Who’s left out by America’s digital divide? Oct 05, 2018

, a fellow in and the , discusses America’s digital divide and challenges for people with lower incomes to access high-speed broadband and data networks. Turner Lee also describes the research she is conducting for an upcoming book and a she published on the digital and economic divides in Staunton, Virginia. Also in this episode, and discuss Wright’s book “” and the future of conflict between competing global powers. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the .

America’s role in protecting the global order Sep 28, 2018

Senior Fellows and discuss America’s evolving but essential role in the liberal world order, the strength of democracy around the globe, and Kagan’s new book “.” Also in this episode, describes some of the factors that affect black female candidates’ electoral success. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the .

Power and diplomacy in Southeast Asia Sep 21, 2018

Senior Fellow interviews Bilahari Kausikan, the former permanent secretary of Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on a range of current diplomatic and security issues in Southeast Asia, including Singapore’s role in the region, China’s rise, and the Trump administration’s approach to foreign policy. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the .

Peace, security, and the United Nations General Assembly Sep 19, 2018

In a special edition of the Brookings Cafeteria podcast, Vice President and Director discusses his new report on the peace and security landscape around the world and previews the United Nations General Assembly in New York City. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the .

Two Brookings economists reflect on the financial crisis and their careers Sep 14, 2018

David M. Rubenstein Fellows and discuss their research for the program at Brookings and how the 2008 financial crisis affected their careers as economists. Also in this episode, describes the priorities that will keep members of Congress busy before they leave Washington, D.C. for their traditional pre-election recess. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the .

Trump’s war on the press Sep 07, 2018

, a nonresident senior fellow and veteran journalist, discusses his new book “,” and why President Trump’s attacks on the media are a cause for concern. Also in this episode, reflects on the government’s response to the financial crises 10 years ago and introduces work the is doing around the anniversary. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the .

Norm Eisen, the Petschek Palace, and Europe’s turbulent century Aug 31, 2018

Senior Fellow discusses his new book, “,” with , director of the Center on the United States and Europe. Eisen describes the Petschek house in Prague where he lived as the U.S. ambassador to the Czech Republic, and how the lives of its former occupants tell the story of 100 transformative years of European history. Also in this episode, explains what led him to become a scholar and what he’s researching now in the latest edition of our Coffee Break segment. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the .

A progress report on Betsy DeVos’ education agenda Aug 24, 2018

, a fellow in Governance Studies and the , discusses some of the policies being pursued by the United States Department of Education under current Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos. Also in this episode, introduces his research on cluster-based economic development in the latest edition of our Metro Lens segment. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the .

If the US doesn’t lead on foreign assistance, who will? Aug 17, 2018

Merrell Tuck-Primdahl, communications director for the program at Brookings, interviews participants from the 15th annual . This year’s roundtable focused on U.S. leadership in foreign assistance, China’s influence and ambitions, how to support development on the ground, and more. Also in this episode, describes what members of the House and Senate will be doing in the upcoming weeks while Congress should be on its annual August recess. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the .

The rise of the alt-right Aug 10, 2018

Baruch College professor Thomas J. Main discusses his new book, “,” with Bill Finan, director of the Brookings Institution Press. In the interview and his book, Main describes the alt-right’s ideological roots, how it became a factor in American politics, and why it poses the greatest challenge to democratic liberalism today. Also in this episode, explains the current and potential consequences of President Trump’s tariffs in the latest edition of his Economic Update. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the .

Charlottesville: One year later Aug 03, 2018

In a special edition of the Brookings Cafeteria, four Brookings experts share their thoughts on the 2017 white supremacist rallies in Charlottesville, Va. Their commentary includes analyses of race and extremism in America, the history of racism and how we commemorate history in our public spaces, and what public policy solutions we should consider moving forward. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the .

America’s data privacy problem Jul 27, 2018

, who currently serves as the Ann R. and the Andrew H. Tisch Distinguished Visiting Fellow at Brookings and was formerly general counsel and acting secretary of the United States Department of Commerce, describes the state of online consumer data protections in the United States and introduces a framework for data privacy legislation. Also in this episode, discusses her research on how housing affordability varies across the country and the consequences of unusually high or low housing prices in communities. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the .

Finding breakthroughs for the UN Sustainable Development Goals Jul 20, 2018

, interim vice president and director of the Global Economy and Development program, and National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence Enric Sala discuss some of the innovative approaches for reaching the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals proposed in a new book, “,” published by the Brookings Institution Press. Also in this episode, describes the actions members of Congress could take to rebuke President Trump’s comments from a recent press conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the .

Building America’s water workforce Jul 13, 2018

Associate Fellow discusses his research on the 1.7 million people who work on America’s water infrastructure and the future challenges and opportunities that workforce faces. Also in this episode, meet David M. Rubenstein Fellow in the latest edition of our “Coffee Break.” Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the .

Grading America’s civics education Jul 06, 2018

, director of the Brown Center on Education Policy, discusses a new and how schools are equipping their students with a quality civics education. Also in this episode, Joseph Parilla and Max Bouchet share their findings from the which tracks the economic trajectory of the world’s 300 largest metropolitan economies. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the .

The transformation of Title IX Jun 29, 2018

Boston College professor R. Shep Melnick discusses his recent book, “,” and how implementation of the law has reached far beyond the original intent since its passage in 1972. Also in this episode, describes the potential ramifications of President Trump’s tariffs and whether or not a trade war would trigger the next economic recession. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the .

On Brookings and its role in today’s policy debates Jun 22, 2018

On the 200th episode of the Brookings Cafeteria podcast, , Brookings’s executive vice president and the vice president for Economic Studies, discusses his role at the Institution and some of the policy issues Brookings scholars are prioritizing in their research. Also in this episode, describes the current immigration debates in Congress and divisions within the House Republican conference. And finally, meet David M. Rubenstein Fellow in the latest edition of our “Coffee Break.” Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the .

What happened at the Trump-Kim summit in Singapore? Jun 14, 2018

In this episode, five Brookings experts offer their reactions to the recent summit between President Trump and Kim Jong-un, their analyses of the key outcomes, and their assessments of what comes next. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter.

Understanding when Black Lives Matter protests occur Jun 08, 2018

Governance Studies Fellow discusses her research on the Black Lives Matter movement, the connection between police-involved killings and protest activity, and the scope of racial inequity in America’s criminal justice system. Also in this episode, analyzes recent census data that show waning growth rates for some big cities, and faster growth in many suburbs. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the .

One year after Trump’s decision to leave the Paris Climate Agreement May 31, 2018

, Brookings senior fellow and the chief climate negotiator in the Obama administration, discusses his role in negotiating the Paris Climate Agreement and the implications of President Trump announcing his intention to withdrawal the United States from the agreement on June 1, 2017. Also in this episode, describes the recent rise in housing prices and why it’s difficult for young people to enter the housing market. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter.

Remaking education to help young people thrive May 24, 2018

, director of the at Brookings, describes the skills children need to succeed in life and how to improve the quality of learning for the most marginalized children and youth, including girls and children affected by extreme violence. Also in this episode, looks at the major factors that affect midterm elections and what you should watch out for in her regular “” segment.

How artificial intelligence will change the future of work May 18, 2018

, director of the Center for Technology Innovation, discusses his recent book “.” West explains that as robots, artificial intelligence, and automation make it possible to be more productive while working fewer hours, society must change its definition of work. Also in this episode, foreign policy expert Célia Belin unveils why she became a scholar and Susan Hennessey introduces , a database of experts in technology policy from diverse backgrounds. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter.

Improving opportunity with policies for women and families May 11, 2018

Senior Fellow discusses her research on the “success sequence” and how the combination of work, education, and family planning can help reduce poverty and increase opportunity in America. Also in this episode, previews his new report on the challenges facing older industrial cities throughout the Northeast and Midwest for the latest edition of our Metro Lens segment. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the .

Racial disparities in school discipline May 04, 2018

, a fellow in the Brown Center on Education Policy, discusses his research on disparities and discrimination in how schools discipline students of different racial and economic backgrounds. Also in this episode, explains the policies China has pursued to spur economic development and innovation following his recent trip to Xi’an and Shenzhen. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the .

Is anyone addressing Venezuela’s refugee crises? Apr 27, 2018

, David M. Rubenstein Fellow in the Global Economy and Development program, discusses his recent trip to the Venezuelan border and the economic and refugee crises the country is currently facing. Also in this episode, explains the politics behind the Senate’s confirmation of President Trump’s appointments in her regular “” segment. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the .

Fixing America's broken marijuana policies Apr 20, 2018

Senior Fellow discusses recent changes in public policy toward medical and recreational marijuana in the United States. Also in this episode, nuclear strategy and arms control expert makes his Brookings podcast debut in our regular Coffee Break segment, and answers a question on tensions in the Korean peninsula from one of our listeners. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the .

Grand strategy in the age of Trump Apr 17, 2018

Hal Brands, a professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, discusses his new book, “,” and what an “America First” foreign policy framework looks like. Also in this episode, explains the economic development incentives that state and local governments offer to get corporations, such as Amazon, to locate there. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the .

Tax day is coming, what are the experts saying? Apr 13, 2018

Brookings experts discuss some of the biggest issues in the current tax policy debate including American’s sense of patriotic duty to pay taxes and why filing can be so complicated. Also in this episode, discusses how racism continues to impact racial disparities in a new edition of our regular Metro Lens segment. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the .

Intro to Southeast Asia: Diversity, security, and politics Apr 06, 2018

Senior Fellow discusses the economic and security tensions in Southeast Asia, and relations among its nations with the United States and China. Also in this episode, previews his research on racial disparities in school discipline. A full interview with Jon will air later in May. And finally, puts talk of the federal debt and deficits into context. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the .

America's aging population could worsen the federal budget problem Mar 30, 2018

Senior Fellow discusses demographic shifts in the United States and the long term effects an aging population will have on the federal budget. Also in this episode, on the recently-passed omnibus spending bill and what priorities each chamber will likely address after Congress returns from recess. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the .

Empowering young people to end Chicago’s gun violence problem Mar 23, 2018

Former U.S. Secretary of Education sits down with young men from Chicago CRED (Creating Real Economic Diversity) to discuss the steps they have taken to disrupt the cycle of gun violence in their community and transition into the legal economy. Also in this episode, meet David M. Rubenstein Fellow in a recent edition of our Coffee Break segment. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the .

Giving minority men a chance to succeed Mar 16, 2018

Senior Fellow discusses the new at Brookings and a recent article she authored on the lack of opportunity for poor African-American and Native-American boys. Also in this episode, explains the economic development incentives that state and local governments offer to get corporations, such as Amazon, to locate there. And finally, on the security of Americans’ medical records. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the .

Marvin Kalb’s stories from Russia Mar 09, 2018

Nonresident Senior Fellow discusses his experience as a diplomatic attaché at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow in his recent book, “.” Also in this episode, shares lessons learned from a recent event with former Fed Chairs Janet Yellen and Ben Bernanke. Finally, Alan Krueger discusses his new paper with Eric Posner on three reforms for protecting low-income workers from monopsony and collusion. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the .

The millennial generation is a bridge to America's diverse future Mar 02, 2018

, demographer and senior fellow in the , discusses his research on the millennial generation. Frey explains why the millennial generation, now the most diverse adult generation in American history, serves as a social, economic, and political bridge to America’s diverse future. Also in this episode, discusses whether Congress will consider gun safety legislation, and Foreign Policy Senior Fellow interviews retired Japanese Lt. Gen. Noboru Yamaguchi. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the .

America's track record in building foreign militaries Feb 23, 2018

, nonresident senior fellow in the and program at Brookings, discusses her work at the Department of Defense and her new book, “.” Karlin explains how the United States trains and equips partner militaries abroad, and what failure and success look like through the examples of Vietnam, Greece, and Lebanon. Also in this episode, , a David M. Rubenstein Fellow in the Governance Studies program, joins us for a new edition of our Coffee Break segment.

Overcoming extremism in Pakistan Feb 16, 2018

, nonresident fellow in the program at Brookings, discusses her new book, “,” with the director of the Brookings Institution Press, Bill Finan. Afzal explains Pakistanis’ own views on terrorist groups, jihad, and America, the relationship between Islam and the Pakistani state, and how the country could redefine its sense of nationalism without what she calls "the crutch of religion." Also in this episode, discusses the demographics of millennial generation, now the largest generation in the United States, and what implications millennials’ diversity could have on the country. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the .

Who is Kim Jong-un? Feb 09, 2018

, senior fellow in and the SK-Korea Foundation Chair in Korea Studies, discusses North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un’s rise to power, his objectives, and the United States’ military and diplomatic options for the Korean peninsula. In a new Brookings Essay, “,” Pak further explains Kim’s upbringing and makes recommendations for thwarting Kim’s ambitions. Also in this episode, discusses his views on the recent volatility of the stock market and what relationship, if any, it has to the economy. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the .

How cities can thrive in the age of Trump Feb 02, 2018

Bill Finan, director of the Brookings Institution Press, discusses “” with authors Bruce Katz and Jeremy Nowak. In their book and in the interview, Katz and Nowak explain why cities and the communities that surround them are best suited to address many of the economic, social, and environmental challenges facing the world today. Also in this episode, Molly Reynolds explains what impact President Trump’s State of the Union address may have on his legislative agenda—specifically on immigration, infrastructure, and health care—in her regular “What’s Happening in Congress” segment. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the .

How cities are creating inclusive economies, part III Jan 30, 2018

In the last of a special three-episode series on Brookings's Inclusive Economic Development Lab, we talk to civic leaders from Indianapolis, Nashville, and San Diego about potential solutions each of their cities are considering to address the challenges of a rapidly-changing economy. In episodes one and two of this series, we took a closer look at some of those challenges and what city leaders learned from working with Brookings experts through the Inclusive Economic Development Lab. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the .

How cities are creating inclusive economies, part II Jan 29, 2018

In the second of a three-episode series, we discuss what civic leaders from Indianapolis, Nashville, and San Diego learned while working with Brookings experts through the Inclusive Economic Development Lab. In episodes one and three of this series, we explore the challenges and opportunities these cities face in a rapidly-changing economy and the potential solutions they are considering. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the .

How cities are creating inclusive economies, part I Jan 26, 2018

In the first of a special three-episode series on Brookings’s Inclusive Economic Development Lab, Rachel Barker, a policy analyst and engagement strategist in the , speaks to civic leaders in Indianapolis, Nashville, and San Diego about the challenges and opportunities their cities face in a rapidly-changing economy. In episodes two and three of this series, we explore what leaders from each city learned while working with Brookings experts through the Inclusive Economic Development Lab, and the potential solutions they are considering. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the .

Countering the wildlife trafficking and poaching threat Jan 19, 2018

, Senior Fellow in and the , discusses her new book “.” She explains the threats posed by poaching, trophy hunting, and wildlife trafficking, and what policy measures can be taken to combat them. Also in this episode, explains why we should not paint the Rust Belt region with one broad brush, and what policies really matter for the Rust Belt’s revival in the latest installment of our Metro Lens segment. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the .

Post-American Europe and the new geopolitics Jan 12, 2018

, senior fellow in and director of the , discusses the state of transatlantic relations and argues that it’s in U.S. interests to engage more with Europe. He also discusses his book “,” analyzing the nature of geopolitical competition in the world today. Also in this episode, stops by for his economic update, and , a visiting fellow in the Center on the United States and Europe, joins us for the first time in another edition of our regular “Coffee Break” segment. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the .

The top economic issues in 2018 Jan 05, 2018

, vice president and director of at Brookings and the Joseph A. Pechman Senior Fellow, analyzes the top economic issues facing the United States in the upcoming year. Also in this episode, on what Congress left unfinished before their holiday recess and the additions of Senators Doug Jones (D-Ala.) and Tina Smith (D-Minn.) in our regular “What’s Happening in Congress” segment, and answers a question from a listener. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the .

Best of the Brookings Cafeteria podcast in 2017 Dec 29, 2017

As 2017 ends, we look back gratefully on another excellent year for the Brookings Cafeteria podcast. We aired 52 episodes (not including this one), talked with over 60 guests, and covered dozens of policy topics. The honored us once again with the award for best education podcast of the year. Our team experienced some changes but still turned out a terrific show every week. To celebrate the closing of the year, today’s show features our favorite clips from past 12 months. We hope you enjoy it and perhaps take the opportunity to download full episodes that interest you, share the show with friends, and . Visit the to listen to all of the episodes mentioned in this one. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. BCP is part of the .

Winners and losers in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act Dec 22, 2017

, a senior fellow in and former deputy assistant secretary for tax analysis at the U.S. Treasury Department, discusses the good, the bad, and the ugly parts of the recently passed Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, and explains the implications it will have on pass-through businesses, individual and corporate tax rates, and more. Also in this episode, , David M. Rubenstein Fellow in the Metropolitan Policy Program, explains in our latest Metro Lens segment how a provision in the new tax plan which lowers the mortgage interest deduction amount could affect home values and potential home owners. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the .

Putin’s disinformation war on the West Dec 15, 2017

, David M. Rubenstein Fellow in the and program, discusses the disinformation campaign waged by the Russian Federation and President Vladimir Putin on the United States and European democracies through election interference, cyber-attacks, and the cultivation of political allies. Also in this episode, evaluates the legacy of outgoing Fed Chair Janet Yellen and the challenges facing her successor, Jerome Powell. And finally, we interviewed , visiting fellow at the , on transitional justice and the litigation of past crimes and atrocities, specifically in Egypt. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the .

When militants, criminals, and warlords take over Dec 08, 2017

and , both senior fellows in the program, discuss their new book "" with the director of the Brookings Institution Press Bill Finan. In the interview and in their new book, Felbab-Brown and Hamid address the origins of some of these nonstate actors and make recommendations on how the international community should address them. Also in this episode, explains how polarization and gridlock in the appropriations process create the possibility of a government shutdown in our regular “What’s Happening in Congress” segment. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the .

Today’s mayors are tackling new challenges Dec 01, 2017

, fellow in the at Brookings and the , discusses the key findings from her report on the evolving role of mayors and their position on the frontlines of public policy challenges like refugee resettlement and workforce development. Also in this episode, , senior fellow and policy director in the Metropolitan Policy Program, introduces his research on the . Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the .

Policy ideas to be thankful for Nov 24, 2017

In this special episode of the Brookings Cafeteria podcast, we reflect on some of the forward-thinking policy ideas and good news stories that have emerged from events hosted by the Bookings Institution in 2017. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the .

Turkey’s troubled relations with the West Nov 17, 2017

, TÜSİAD senior fellow in the program at Brookings and director of , discusses his new book with the director of the Brookings Institution Press Bill Finan. Also in this episode, , senior fellow emeritus in the Governance Studies program, shares an excerpt on the day President Kennedy was assassinated from his forthcoming political memoir. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the .

Reflecting on Trump’s presidency one year after his election Nov 10, 2017

A year after one of the greatest political upsets in American history, , the founding director of the and a senior fellow in the program, reflects on Trump’s presidency, his greatest challenges and successes, and what we should expect from the 2018 midterms and future of the Trump administration. Also in this episode, discusses Republicans "punting" on difficult decisions in the House tax bill for our regular “What’s Happening in Congress” segment. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the .

Why black cities matter Nov 03, 2017

, a David M. Rubenstein Fellow in the , discusses his new research project on the more than 1,200 majority-black communities in the United States. Also in this episode, , also a new David M. Rubenstein Fellow in the program, joins us for our regular “Coffee Break” segment. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the .

How investing in girls’ education can help fight climate change Oct 27, 2017

, postdoctoral fellow for the in the , discusses the findings of a which examines how promoting girls’ reproductive rights, investing in girls’ education, and developing girls’ life skills for a green economy are effective strategies for mitigating the effects of climate change. Also in this episode, addresses the complex water infrastructure challenges the United States faces in a new Metro Lens segment. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the .

The real cost of hosting the 2016 Rio Olympics Oct 20, 2017

Juliana Barbassa and Theresa Williamson, two contributors to "" from the Brookings Institution Press, discuss the corruption, disruption, and overall economic costs of hosting last year’s summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. Also in this episode, stops by for his regular economic update, and , senior fellow in the Governance Studies program, answers a question from one of our listeners. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the .

Voices on U.S. foreign assistance Pt. 2 Oct 13, 2017

In the second part of a two-part series on challenges facing U.S. foreign assistance, experts from the global development community discuss the importance of the private sector in aid financing, measuring aid effectiveness, foreign assistance success stories, and more. These experts, including Brookings Senior Fellow , were some of the members of the 14th annual . Also in this episode, , a fellow in the Governance Studies program, analyzes Senator Bob Corker’s (R-Tenn.) critique of President Trump and the relationship between congressional Republicans and the White House in our regular “What’s Happening in Congress” segment. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the .

Voices on US foreign aid (part 1) Oct 06, 2017

Leading voices from the global development community, including , a senior fellow in the program, discuss the challenges facing U.S. foreign aid. These experts were all participants at the 14th annual . The experts address the role of U.S. leadership in an increasingly multipolar world, what Americans think of foreign assistance programs, ideas to reform the U.S. foreign aid architecture, and more. This is part one of a two-part series of conversations on the U.S. development assistance under challenge. Also in this episode, , a new Rubenstein Fellow in the , stops by for our regular “Coffee Break” segment. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the .

How Pittsburgh went from steel town to innovation city Sep 29, 2017

Brookings expert discusses the findings of a new report from the , “,” which examines how Pittsburgh was able to transform itself from a manufacturing economy to leader in global innovation and technology. Also in this episode, Adie Tomer and Ranjitha Shivaram discuss in a new Metro Lens segment, and Ryan Nunn, policy director for , answers a question from one of our listeners. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the .

After Snowden—surveillance, protecting privacy, and reforming the NSA Sep 22, 2017

Tim Edgar, former ACLU lawyer and National Security Council advisor on cybersecurity, and current senior fellow at the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs, discusses his new book with the director of Brookings Institution Press Bill Finan. Also in this episode, joins us for his regular economic update and discusses a new report from Brookings on around the world. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the .

10 years after the Great Recession, why aren't more Americans working? Sep 15, 2017

10 years after the Great Recession, new research from the at Brookings scholars and demonstrates that although the 'jobs gap' from the recession is now closed, millions of American men and women of prime working age remain out of the labor force. Also in this episode, explains what's happening in Congress and discusses new research on private sector investment in health research and development. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the .

The true costs of Trump's border wall (part 2) Sep 08, 2017

In the second of two parts of a conversation about the U.S.-Mexico border wall that President Trump has pledged to build, Brookings Senior Fellow discusses the costs of a wall for the U.S. economy and the environment, and whether it would have any effect on crime and violence. Also in this episode, meet Jay Shambaugh, new director of the Hamilton Project at Brookings. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the .

The true costs of Trump's border wall (part 1) Sep 01, 2017

President Donald Trump pledges to build a wall on the border between the U.S. and Mexico, claiming that it will stop criminals and drugs from entering the United States. Vanda Felbab-Brown, a senior fellow in the Center for 21st Century Security and Intelligence at Brookings and author of the new Brookings Essay, “The Wall: The real costs of a barrier between the United States and Mexico,” addresses these and other claims made about the border wall. This is part one of a two-part conversation about her essay and the wall. Also: in another installment of Metro Lens, the Metropolitan Policy Program's Joseph Parilla discusses why services exports (as opposed to goods exports) need to be a more central part of the Trump administration’s focus on its made in America agenda. Thanks to audio producer Gaston Reboredo with assistance from Mark Hoelscher, and to producer Vanessa Sauter. Additional support comes from Jessica Pavone, Eric Abalahin, Rebecca Viser, and David Nassar. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the .

Limitations of the senate filibuster Aug 25, 2017

, fellow in Governance Studies, discusses her new book , and introduces "majoritarian exceptions" as a key instrument of majority party power in the Senate. Also in this episode, provides us with his regular economic update. Thanks to audio producer Gaston Reboredo with assistance from Mark Hoelscher, and to producer Vanessa Sauter. Additional support comes from Jessica Pavone, Eric Abalahin, Rebecca Viser, and David Nassar. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the .

Welfare, segregation, economic mobility Aug 18, 2017

, the Okun-Model Fellow in Economic Studies and an associate professor in the School of Public Affairs at American University, talks about his research on why people participate, or don't, in social welfare programs like food stamps, and also new research on how past segregation may predict modern-day economic mobility. Also in this episode: , a fellow in Governance Studies, offers her assessment of what's happening in Congress, and what will happen in Congress after the August recess ends. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the .

Crisis in Qatar Aug 11, 2017

, director of research at the and a senior fellow in , provides a background on the Qatar-Gulf crisis and outlines its social, economic, and political implications. Also in this episode: , senior fellow in and director of the , answers a listener question on corporate income tax and addresses the role of taxes in economic growth for our regular 'Ask an Expert' segment. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the .

The community college-employer connection Aug 04, 2017

, a fellow in the in , discusses her work on the relationship between community colleges and employers and outlines how cooperation between the two can counter the skills gap in the American workforce. Also in this episode: , a nonresident senior fellow in the , chronicles poverty in the suburbs in our regular ‘Metro Lens’ segment. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the .

Weapons of mass destruction and global health security Jul 28, 2017

, a joint visiting fellow with Brookings and the University of Pennsylvania Perry World House and the former coordinator for Threat Reduction Programs in the Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation at the Department of State, discusses her work on global security issues, from weapons of mass destruction to the spread of infectious disease. Also in this episode: , director of the and a senior fellow in , discusses inflation in our regular "Wessel's Economic Update" segment. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the .

Crisis in Caracas, unrest in Venezuela Jul 21, 2017

, a fellow in the program, explains the circumstances behind increasing social, political, and economic unrest in Venezuela and offers some recommendations on a response to the situation. Also in this episode: , a fellow in , describes why it has been so difficult for Senate Republicans to even begin writing legislation to repeal and replace Obamacare in our regular "What's Happening in Congress" segment. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the .

A life in foreign service Jul 14, 2017

discusses his new book and his experiences working to advance U.S. national interests in some of the country's most difficult situations. Also in this episode: , the Arjay and and Frances Fearing Miller Chair in Federal Economic Policy and a senior fellow in , recounts the Kansas tax cut experiment and outlines its implications for future tax reform efforts. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the .

After the Paris climate accord Jul 07, 2017

, a nonresident senior fellow in , addresses the future of governmental response to climate change following President Trump's decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement. Also in this episode: , a senior fellow at the , takes a closer look at out-of-work Americans in our regular "Metro Lens" segment. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the .

Can President Trump implement his immigration agenda? Jun 30, 2017

, a senior fellow in the program and director of the at the Brookings Institution, discusses her new report " " and addresses the costs associated with implementing Trump's proposed policies. Also in this episode: David Wessel, director of the , explains productivity growth in our regular "Wessel's Economic Update" segment. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the .

Net neutrality: The war is over Jun 23, 2017

, a nonresident senior fellow in the , provides a brief history of net neutrality and addresses the future of the FCC's telecommunications rule-making under Title II. Also in this episode: , a fellow in , gives an update on the budget process in our regular "What's Happening in Congress Segment". Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the .

Hoarding the American Dream Jun 16, 2017

, a senior fellow in Economic Studies and co-director of the Center on Children and Families, discusses his new book and outlines why distinctions in the American middle class matter. Also in this episode: , director the of , stops in for our regular "Coffee Break" segment. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback by email to and follow us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

Career paths and earnings after college Jun 09, 2017

Ryan Nunn, a fellow in Economic Studies and policy director for the Hamilton Project, addresses the earnings of college graduates based on their choices in career path and course of study. Also in this episode: Louise Sheiner, a senior fellow in Economic Studies and policy director for the Hutchins Center on Fiscal and Monetary Policy, answers a listener’s question about the effectiveness of the U.S. tax system when compared to other advanced nations in “Ask an Expert.” Finally, Richard Shearer, a senior research associate with the Metropolitan Policy Program, discusses the challenges of extending the benefits of economic growth to everyone in our regular “Metro Lens” segment. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the .

The 1967 Arab-Israeli War Jun 02, 2017

Between June 5 and June 10, 1967, Israel and an Arab coalition of Egypt, Syria, and Jordan fought a war that Israelis call the Six Day War, and that Arabs generally call the June War. By war’s end, Israel had captured territories on all three fronts: the Sinai Peninsula and Gaza Strip from Egypt; the Golan Heights from Syria; and the West Bank and East Jerusalem from Jordan. And with those territories hundreds of thousands of people, primarily Palestinians (today numbering millions), came under Israeli control. In this episode, five Brookings scholars share their insights and expertise on a range of current policy issues that have roots in the conflict. These include how the war changed both Israel and its Arab neighbors; the transformation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; the rise of political Islam as an alternative to Arab secular nationalism, particularly in Egypt; regional repercussions and peace deals; and the role of US diplomacy. On the 50th anniversary of the 1967 War, our experts look back as they look forward to grapple with these issues and how the conflict’s legacies continue to resonate today. This episode is part of a larger effort by the Center for Middle East Policy at Brookings to offer perspectives on the war’s anniversary, to ask what can be learned from it, and how these lessons inform our understanding about the current turmoil in the region.

Is Africa still rising? May 26, 2017

, director of the and senior fellow in , discusses his new role at the Africa Growth Initiative and what challenges and opportunities African nations are facing today. Also in this episode, provides his regular economic update and reviews the difficult process of impeachment. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the .

The global middle class May 19, 2017

, senior fellow and co-director of , discusses his report, "" and explores the challenges and opportunities this brings in emerging and developing economies. Also in this episode, , fellow in , provides her regular “What’s Happening in Congress” update. This week: the investigative options available to Congress and the impact on the Republicans' legislative agenda. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the .

Europe and the world May 12, 2017

Javier Solana, a distinguished fellow at Brookings, discusses why Europe and European institutions such as the EU and NATO are important not only in terms of European integration, but for the world. Solana has held numerous leadership posts, including: member of the Spanish parliament; Spanish foreign affairs minister; secretary-general of NATO; European Union high representative for common foreign and security policy; and secretary general of the Council of the European Union. Also in this episode, Bill Finan speaks with Foreign Policy VP and Director Bruce Jones about his new book (editor), “The Marshall Plan and the Shaping of American Strategy.” In it, Jones explores how the United States helped restore a Europe battered by World War II and created the foundation for the postwar international order. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the .

Demography and democracy May 05, 2017

, a senior fellow in the Metropolitan Policy Program at Brookings, talks about his collaborative research project, "," which explores demographic change and its effects on the U.S. electorate and politics. Also in this episode, Senior Fellow talks about the threat from North Korea in an installment of the series. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the .

Tunisian youth and their politics Apr 28, 2017

, fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and former nonresident fellow in the , considers the low youth participation in Tunisian politics and the implications for the country's democracy. Also in this episode, , senior fellow in and director of the , provides his regular economic update. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the

What Putin and Russia want Apr 21, 2017

Pavel Baev, nonresident senior fellow in the Center on the United States and Europe, addresses the character and ambitions of President Vladimir Putin and discusses what policies to pursue in managing the challenging U.S.-Russia relationship. Also in this episode, Molly Reynolds, fellow in Governance Studies, provides her regular “What’s Happening in Congress” update. This week: special elections in Kansas and Georgia and avoiding government shutdown. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the

Proud to pay taxes Apr 14, 2017

Vanessa Williamson, fellow in Governance Studies, explains why the civic commitment of tax paying makes Americans proud and how misinformation about the tax system can negatively influence public perception of taxes. Also, brought to you by the Brookings Creative Lab "Unpacked" series, George Ingram, senior fellow in Global Economy and Development, breaks down the myths surrounding U.S. foreign aid and explains how providing international aid acts as an investment in making the world more stable and economically prosperous. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to BCP@Brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the .

The water problem Apr 07, 2017

Patricia Mulroy, senior fellow in the Metropolitan Policy Program and editor of "The Water Problem," discusses her new book and sheds light on the critical water crisis in the United States. Also in this episode, John Villasenor, nonresident senior fellow in Governance Studies and the Center for Technology Innovation, discusses his research on how public sector governance capacity can help in expanding private sector investment in global health. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the .

The Arab world should employ more women Mar 31, 2017

Bessma Momani, nonresident fellow at the Brookings Doha Center and author of , examines how Arab countries would benefit from more women joining the formal workforce and how this would promote gender equality throughout the region. Also in this episode, David Wessel, senior fellow and director of the Hutchins Center on Fiscal and Monetary Policy, provides his regular economic update. This week: five big questions on economic policy. Finally, Matt Fiedler, fellow with the Center for Health Policy in Economic Studies, discusses why he became a scholar and why he believes health care reform is currently the most pressing policy issue. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the .

The Pakistan challenge Mar 24, 2017

, senior fellow and director of the , offers his expert view on the policy challenges facing the new administration with respect to Pakistan, their double-sided government, and their tumultuous regional relations. Also in this episode, , fellow in , returns with her regular “What’s Happening in Congress” update. This week: confirming Neil Gorsuch, passing an Obamacare replacement, contention over the budget, and the investigation of Russian interference into the US presidential election. Finally, Tom Loveless examines disproportionate suspension rates for African American students from his . Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the .

What went wrong with college sports Mar 17, 2017

Donna A. Lopiano, adjunct lecturer in sports management at Southern Connecticut State University and president of Sports Management Resources consulting firm, and former Women's Athletic Director at the University of Texas at Austin, discusses her most recent title, co-authored with Gerald Gurney and Andrew Zimbalist, "Unwinding Madness: What Went Wrong with College Sports--and How to Fix It" (Brookings Institution Press, 2017) which looks at how college sports have undermined what college is supposed to do for students: educate them. Also in this podcast, Stephen Hess, senior fellow emeritus in Governance Studies, recounts travelling with vice-presidential candidate Spiro T. Agnew, in this installment of "Steve Hess Stories." Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the .

Regulatory policy in the Trump administration Mar 10, 2017

Philip Wallach, senior fellow in Governance Studies, breaks down the regulatory process and considers the shape of regulation in Trump’s administration. Also in this episode, an excerpt from an event with Ma Ying-jeou, former President of the Republic of China, as he discusses Taiwan's past, present, and future. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is a part of the .

Understanding the global refugee crisis Mar 02, 2017

Jessica Brandt, associate fellow in Foreign Policy and special assistant to the president in the Executive Office, examines the state of the global refugee crisis today and addresses what steps the United States and international community should take to provide relief. Also in this episode, David Wessel, senior fellow and director of the Hutchins Center on Fiscal and Monetary Policy, provides his regular economic update. This week, he introduces the center's new Fiscal Impact Measure, which interprets the impact of fiscal policy on GDP growth in real time. Finally, Lynn Kuok, nonresident fellow in the Center for East Asia Policy Studies, discusses tensions in the South China Sea in our "Ask an Expert" segment. Follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. BCP is part of the .

Is Russia a threat? Feb 24, 2017

Steven Pifer, senior fellow and director of the Arms Control and Non-Proliferation Initiative, examines the relationship between the U.S. and Russia in terms of nuclear policy, arms control, and the conflict with Ukraine. Also in this episode, Molly Reynolds, fellow in Governance Studies, discusses recent congressional town hall meetings and the likelihood that members of Congress will change their actions when they return to Washington. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter.

Fixing, or replacing, the Affordable Care Act Feb 17, 2017

Alice Rivlin, a senior fellow in Economic Studies and the Center for Health Policy, addresses the claim that the Affordable Care Act is "collapsing," and provides her expert analysis on what actions the new administration and Congress should take on health care. Also in this episode, Jonathan Sallet, a visiting fellow in Governance Studies, discusses why became a scholar after serving in government on our Coffee Break segment. He explains why the idea of "truth" is most critical to preserving democracy, and why he considers it a pressing issue of our time. Finally, in our Metro Lens segment, Elizabeth Kneebone, fellow at the Metropolitan Policy Program, explains how EITC aids low-income Americans. Thanks to audio producer Gaston Reboredo and producer Vanessa Sauter, and also thanks for additional support from Eric Abalahin, Jessica Pavone, Nawal Atallah, Kelly Russo, and Rebecca Viser. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. BCP is part of the .

Islamism after the Arab Spring Feb 10, 2017

Shadi Hamid, senior fellow in the Project on U.S. Relations with the Islamic World in the Center for Middle East Policy, discusses his new co-authored paper "Islamism After the Arab Spring: Between the Islamic State and the Nation State." He explains what "Islamism" means and how it has evolved over the past few years. Also in this episode, Dany Bahar, a fellow in the Global Economy and Development program, explains how immigrants strengthen our country. Finally, Fred Dews reviews the highlights of what experts have said in the previous week regarding the Trump administration in our new “First 100 Days” segment. This week:a possible rise in terrorism due to the "Muslim ban," repealing or repairing the ACA, and a shift in the U.S.-Mexico relationship. Thanks to audio producer Gaston Reboredo and producer Vanessa Sauter, and also thanks for additional support from Eric Abalahin, Jessica Pavone, Nawal Atallah, Kelly Russo, and Rebecca Viser. Follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. BCP is part of the .

Introducing "5 on 45": A new podcast from the Brookings Podcast Network Feb 09, 2017

Want a daily bite of analysis from Brookings experts on what’s happening with the Trump administration? Subscribe to 5 on 45 through your favorite podcast app for a quick hit of commentary on the day’s news. And don't forget to follow for the latest updates.

A short history of marijuana Feb 03, 2017

John Hudak, deputy director of the Center for Effective Public Management and senior fellow in Governance Studies, discusses why marijuana is an important public policy issue and how its image is changing, which is the focus of his new book, "Marijuana: A Short History." Also in this episode, David Wessel, senior fellow in Economic Studies and director of the Hutchins Center on Fiscal and Monetary Policy, provides his regular economic update. Finally, Fred Dews reviews the highlights of what Brookings experts have said in the previous week regarding the Trump administration in our new “First 100 Days” segment. This week: the "Muslim ban," Trump's trade stance, moving the US embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, and the attack on sanctuary cities. Thanks to audio producer Gaston Reboredo and producer Vanessa Sauter, and also thanks for additional support from Eric Abalahin, Jessica Pavone, Nawal Atallah, Kelly Russo, and Rebecca Viser. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. BCP is part of the .

The top economic issues in 2017 Jan 27, 2017

Ted Gayer, vice president and director of Economic Studies and the Joseph A. Pechman Senior Fellow, looks at the top economic issues in the upcoming year. Tune in to hear his views on the performance of the U.S. economy and job markets, as well as the trends he sees with the new administration. Also in this podcast: Joseph Kane, senior research analyst and associate fellow at the Metropolitan Policy Program, discusses the increasing water infrastructure challenges we face today, and what action cities need to take to tackle their water challenges in our regular "Metro Lens" segment. Finally, Fred Dews reviews the highlights of what experts have said in the previous week regarding the Trump administration in our new "First 100 Days" segment. This week: withdrawing from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, security relations with China, and our possible transition into a new world order. Thanks to audio producer Gaston Reboredo and producer Vanessa Sauter, and also thanks for additional support from Eric Abalahin, Jessica Pavone, Nawal Atallah, Kelly Russo, and Rebecca Viser. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. BCP is part of the .

What do ex-presidents do? Jan 19, 2017

Elaine Kamarck, director of the Center for Effective Public Management and a Senior Fellow in Governance Studies, discusses what's next for Barack Obama and what role former presidents play in our civic life. She also offers some predictions about how Trump will deal with his presidency based off of her book, "Why Presidents Fail and How They Can Succeed Again." Also in this episode, Bradley Hardy, the Okun-Model Fellow in Economic Studies, discusses why he became a scholar and what he believes is the most pressing public policy issue today. Thanks to audio producer Gaston Reboredo and producer Vanessa Sauter, and also thanks for additional support from Eric Abalahin, Jessica Pavone, Nawal Atallah, Kelly Russo, and Rebecca Viser. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. BCP is part of the .

India's foreign policy Jan 13, 2017

Shivshankar Menon, a distinguished fellow in Foreign Policy at Brookings and a former Indian foreign minister and national security advisor, shares some of his experiences behind the scenes of some of India’s most critical foreign policy decisions. In his new book, “Choices: Inside the Making of India’s Foreign Policy,” Ambassador Menon reflects on the difficult choices that one of the world’s great, rising powers has had to make. Also in this episode, part three of a conversation with Greg Clark, author of the 2016 book, “Global Cities: A Short History.” You can listen to part one about the history of global cities in our November 4 episode, and part 2—a discussion of cities to include Singapore, Vienna, and San Diego—aired on December 9. Subscribe to the Brookings Cafeteria on iTunes, listen in all the usual places, send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. BCP is part of the .

Trump's national security and defense team Jan 06, 2017

Donald Trump’s inauguration as 45th president of the United States is right around the corner, and so the nation's (and world's) focus turns to the end of his transition to the White House and the start of his administration. Senior Fellow --director of research for Foreign Policy, co-director of the Center on 21st Century Security and Intelligence, and the Sydney Stein, Jr., Chair--came on the show to talk about the president-elect’s incoming national security team and the most salient foreign policy, national security, and defense issues for the new administration. Also in this episode, Senior Fellow , director of the Hutchins Center on Fiscal and Monetary Policy, talks about investing in human capital in his regular Wessel's Economic Update. And, Visiting Fellow talks about China's global rise and how the U.S. and European Union can meet the challenge Subscribe to the Brookings Cafeteria on iTunes, listen in all the usual places, send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. BCP is part of the .

Best of the Brookings Cafeteria in 2016 Dec 30, 2016

2016 is finally over and with it another great year for the Brookings Cafeteria podcast. We had 52 episodes, over 60 guests, and covered dozens of policy topics. We celebrated the centennial of the Brookings Institution in a few episodes. The Academy of Podcasters at Podcast Movement honored us once again with a nomination as best education podcast of the year. Our team experienced some changes but still turned out a terrific show every week. To celebrate the closing of the year, today’s show features our favorite clips from past 12 months. Thanks to all of those who made 2016 another great year for the show: Gaston Reboredo, audio engineer and producer, who took over from Zack Kulzer after Zack moved out west Vanessa Sauter, producer, who replaced Carisa Neitsche, who left to pursue graduate studies Bill Finan, interviewer with the authors of Brookings Press books Adrianna Pita, the host of the and guest host of some episodes Sara Abdel Rahim and Basseem Maliki, interns extraordinaire. Basseem helped find all the clips for this show Mark Hoelscher, who produced a few shows and assisted with audio production in others Jessica Pavone, Eric Abalahin, and Rebecca Viser, who provide design and web support Richard Fawal and David Nassar, who provide their leadership and support. Show Notes: Visit the to listen to all of the episodes mentioned in this one. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts or on , send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. BCP is part of the .

The global political economy Dec 16, 2016

Kemal Derviş, vice president and director of Global Economy and Development at Brookings, discusses policies for a globally interdependent world, which is the focus of his new book “Reflections on Progress: Essays on the Global Political Economy.” Also in this episode, Molly Reynolds, fellow in Governance Studies, answers a listener’s question on whether ideology or choice of candidate is more important for American voters in our regular “Ask an Expert” segment. Additionally, Richard Shearer, senior research associate and senior project manager with the Metropolitan Policy Program, examines the ways in which the divide between big city and small town America play out in our politics. Finally, an excerpt from a recent Brookings event featuring Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and British Member of Parliament Tristram Hunt talking about cities in the age of Trump and Brexit. Subscribe to the Brookings Cafeteria on iTunes, listen in all the usual places, send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. BCP is part of the .

Open government and Trump's transition ethics Dec 09, 2016

Ambassador Norman Eisen, visiting fellow in Governance Studies and former U.S. ambassador to the Czech Republic, discusses the controversies surrounding President-elect Trump’s transition to the White House and his new report on open government. Also in this episode, Rebecca Winthrop, director of the Center for Universal Education and senior fellow in Global Economy and Development, analyzes the ways in which education systems should evolve in the digital age. Finally, Bill Finan and Greg Clark, nonresident senior fellow at the Metropolitan Policy Program, continue their conversation on Clark’s new book “.” The first part of this interview can be found in our “” episode. Thanks to audio producer Gaston Reboredo and producer Vanessa Sauter, and also thanks for additional support from Eric Abalahin, Jessica Pavone, Nawal Atallah, Basseem Maleki, and Rebecca Viser. Subscribe to the Brookings Cafeteria on iTunes, listen in all the usual places, send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. BCP is part of the .

Megachange is upending the world Dec 02, 2016

Darrell West, vice president and director of Governance Studies and author of “Megachange: Economic Disruption, Political Upheaval, and Social Strife in the 21st Century,” analyzes how recent dramatic disruptions in trends, such as the rise of Donald Trump and Brexit, are challenging institutions and societies. Also in this episode, David Wessel, senior fellow and director of the Hutchins Center on Fiscal on Monetary Policy, talks about the types of economic policies that we can expect from a Trump presidency. Finally, Vanda Felbab-Brown, senior fellow in Foreign Policy and the Center for 21st Century Security and Intelligence, answers a listener’s question on what President Trump can do about NAFTA in our regular “Ask an Expert” segment. Thanks to audio producer Gaston Reboredo and producer Vanessa Sauter, and also thanks for additional support from Eric Abalahin, Jessica Pavone, Nawal Atallah, Basseem Maleki, and Rebecca Viser. Subscribe to the Brookings Cafeteria on iTunes, listen in all the usual places, send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. BCP is part of the .

Trump's transition to the White House Nov 25, 2016

Elaine Kamarck, senior fellow in Governance Studies and founding director of the Center for Effective Public Management, discusses the ongoing transition of president-elect Donald Trump to the White House. Also in this episode, Joshua Meltzer, senior fellow in Global Economy and Development, examines the U.S.’s relationship with international trade. Finally, David Victor, co-chair of the Energy Security and Climate Initiative, and Adrianna Pita, host of Brookings’s Intersections Podcast, talk about the Paris Climate Agreement. Thanks to audio producer Gaston Reboredo and producer Vanessa Sauter, and also thanks for additional support from Eric Abalahin, Jessica Pavone, Nawal Atallah, Basseem Maleki, and Rebecca Viser. Subscribe to the Brookings Cafeteria on iTunes, listen in all the usual places, send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. BCP is part of the .

The rise of Chinese President Xi Jinping Nov 18, 2016

Cheng Li, senior fellow in Foreign Policy and director of the John L. Thornton China Center, talks about the rise of Chinese President Xi Jinping through the Chinese communist party leadership, which is the focus of his new book, “Chinese Politics in the Xi Jinping Era: Reassessing Collective Leadership.” Also in this episode, Laurence Chandy, fellow in Global Economy and Development, examines how technology and globalization affect inequality. Finally, Harsha Singh, executive director of the Brookings India Center, discusses his career, Brookings India, and current events in India. Thanks to audio producer Gaston Reboredo and producer Vanessa Sauter, and also thanks for additional support from Eric Abalahin, Jessica Pavone, Nawal Atallah, Basseem Maleki, and Rebecca Viser. Subscribe to the Brookings Cafeteria on iTunes, listen in all the usual places, send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. BCP is part of the .

After Election 2016 Nov 10, 2016

Brookings experts discuss Election 2016 and the transition ahead. David Wessel, senior fellow in Economic Studies and director of the Hutchins Center on Fiscal and Monetary Policy, moderates a conversation with Stuart Butler, senior fellow in Economic Studies, John Hudak, senior fellow in Governance Studies and deputy director of the Center for Effective Public Management, Elaine Kamarck, senior fellow in Governance Studies and founding director of the Center for Effective Public Management, and Bruce Riedel, senior fellow in Foreign Policy and director of the Intelligence Project, on the results of the 2016 U.S. presidential election and what to expect from President-elect Donald Trump. Special thanks to the event moderator, David Wessel, and the events team, Eric Bull, Adrianna Pita, and Camilo Ramirez. Additional thanks to audio producer Gaston Reboredo and producer Vanessa Sauter, and also thanks for additional support from Eric Abalahin, Jessica Pavone, Nawal Atallah, Basseem Maleki, and Rebecca Viser. Subscribe to the Brookings Cafeteria on , listen in all the usual places, send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. BCP is part of the .

Election 2016: It's almost over Nov 04, 2016

John Hudak, deputy director of the Center for Effective Public Management and a senior fellow in Governance Studies, discusses the final stretch of the 2016 U.S. presidential election and what to expect after the election is over. Also in this episode, Adie Tomer, fellow at the Metropolitan Policy Program, talks about infrastructure challenges for the next president. Finally, Bill Finan interviews Greg Clark, nonresident senior fellow at the Metropolitan Policy Program, on his new book “Global Cities: A Short History.” Thanks to audio producer Gaston Reboredo and producer Vanessa Sauter, and also thanks for additional support from Eric Abalahin, Jessica Pavone, Nawal Atallah, Basseem Maleki, and Rebecca Viser. Subscribe to the Brookings Cafeteria on iTunes, listen in all the usual places, send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. BCP is part of the .

Election 2016 and low-income white Americans Oct 28, 2016

Carol Graham, senior fellow in Global Economy and Development, explores the socioeconomic factors impacting the health and happiness of low-income white Americans and how they are playing out in the 2016 presidential election. Also in this episode, Joshua Meltzer, senior fellow in Global Economy and Development, answers a listener’s question on trade policy in our regular “Ask an Expert” segment. Finally, Harsha Singh, senior fellow and executive director of Brookings India, offers his thoughts on the U.S. 2016 presidential election from an Indian perspective. Thanks to audio producer Gaston Reboredo and producer Vanessa Sauter, and also thanks for additional support from Eric Abalahin, Jessica Pavone, Nawal Atallah, Basseem Maleki, and Rebecca Viser. Subscribe to the Brookings Cafeteria on , listen in all the usual places, send feedback email to , and follow us and tweet us at on Twitter. BCP is part of the .

How the next president can impact US alliances and the international liberal order Oct 27, 2016

As part of the Brookings Election 2016 project, the Brookings Podcast Network brings you a special edition episode in which Indira Lakshamanan, Washington columnist for the Boston Globe and contributor to Politico, moderates a conversation with Fiona Hill, senior fellow in Foreign Policy and director of the Center on the United States and Europe, and Thomas Wright, fellow in Foreign Policy and director of the Project on International Order and Strategy, on the ways in which the next president should treat current U.S. alliances, engage with Russia, and how all of this will affect the international order over the next 4-8 years. Special thanks to the event moderator, Indira Lakshamanan, and the events team, Eric Bull, Adrianna Pita, and Camilo Ramirez. Additional thanks to audio producer Gaston Reboredo and producer Vanessa Sauter, and also thanks for additional support from Eric Abalahin, Jessica Pavone, Nawal Atallah, Basseem Maleki, and Rebecca Viser. Subscribe to the Brookings Cafeteria on iTunes, listen in all the usual places, and send feedback email to . BCP is part of the Brookings Podcast network.

Globalization and the 2016 presidential election Oct 21, 2016

Homi Kharas, deputy director in the Global Economy and Development program and one of the authors of Brookings’s new “11 Global Debates” series, examines how issues of globalization are playing out in the 2016 presidential election. Also in this episode, John Hudak, deputy director of the Center for Effective Public Management and a senior fellow in Governance Studies, provides an update on the presidential and down-ballot races. Finally, Jon Valant, fellow in Governance Studies and the Brown Center on Education Policy, explains what inspired him to become a scholar of education policy and why he thinks education policy builds the foundation that solves many social problems. Thanks to audio producer Gaston Reboredo and producer Vanessa Sauter, and also thanks for additional support from Eric Abalahin, Jessica Pavone, Nawal Atallah, Basseem Maleki, and Rebecca Viser. Subscribe to the Brookings Cafeteria on , listen in all the usual places, and send feedback email to . The Brookings Cafeteria podcast is part of the .

Down-ballot races in the 2016 election Oct 14, 2016

Molly Reynolds, fellow in Governance Studies, examines the upcoming down-ballot races and how they will shape Congress and state governments. Also in this episode, John Hudak, deputy director of the Center for Effective Public Management and a senior fellow in Governance Studies, provides an update on where the presidential race stands. Finally, this episode features an excerpt from an episode of Brookings’s Elections 101 Video Series in which William Galston, senior fellow in Governance Studies, talks about how to increase voter participation and make voting easier. Thanks to audio producer Gaston Reboredo and producer Vanessa Sauter, and also thanks for additional support from Eric Abalahin, Jessica Pavone, Nawal Atallah, Basseem Maleki, and Rebecca Viser. Subscribe to the Brookings Cafeteria on , listen in all the usual places, and send feedback email to .

Minority voting in the 2016 election Oct 07, 2016

Fredrick C. Harris, nonresident senior fellow in Governance Studies and director of the Center on African American Politics and Society at Columbia University, and guest interviewer Adrianna Pita, host of the Intersections podcast, discuss the history of African-American participation in politics and how minority turnout might affect the results of this year’s presidential election. Also in this episode, Elaine Kamarck, senior fellow in Governance Studies and author of a new paper titled, “The relationship that rules the world: Modern presidents and their vice presidents,” analyzes the recent vice presidential debate and the role of vice presidents. This episode also includes an excerpt from an episode of Brookings’s Elections 101 Video Series in which John Hudak, deputy director of the Center for Effective Public Management and senior fellow in Governance Studies, explains the importance of swing states. Finally, Joseph Parilla, fellow in the Metropolitan Policy Program, talks about globalization and urbanization in China. Thanks to audio producer Gaston Reboredo and producer Vanessa Sauter, and also thanks for additional support from Eric Abalahin, Jessica Pavone, Nawal Atallah, Basseem Maleki, and Rebecca Viser. Subscribe to the Brookings Cafeteria on , listen in all the usual places, and send feedback email to .

What does success in the Middle East look like for the next president? Oct 06, 2016

As part of the Brookings Election 2016 project, the Brookings Cafeteria brings you a special edition podcast where Indira Lakshamanan, columnist for the Boston Globe, moderates a conversation with Robert Einhorn, senior fellow in the Arms Control and Non-Proliferation Initiative and former negotiator of the Iran nuclear deal, and Michael O’Hanlon, senior fellow in Foreign Policy and co-director of the Center for 21st Century Security and Intelligence, who discuss how the next president can balance the dual goals of U.S. security and the protection of Syrian lives. Special thanks to the event moderator, Indira Lakshamanan, and the events team, Eric Bull, Adrianna Pita, and Camilo Ramirez. Additional thanks to audio producer Gaston Reboredo and producer Vanessa Sauter, and also thanks for additional support from Eric Abalahin, Jessica Pavone, Nawal Atallah, Basseem Maleki, and Rebecca Viser. Subscribe to the Brookings Cafeteria on iTunes, listen in all the usual places, and send feedback email to BCP@Brookings.edu

Foreign policy issues in the presidential election Sep 30, 2016

Michael O’Hanlon, senior fellow in Foreign Policy and co-director of the Center for 21st Century Security and Intelligence, discusses ISIS, refugees, trade, and other foreign policy issues weighing on the minds of voters. He also addresses many of the issues the next president will have to deal with, whether or not they are part of the campaign discussion. O’Hanlon also previews the new Election 2016 and America’s Future project, a series of policy briefs and events on the biggest issues facing the nation. Also in this episode, John Hudak, deputy director of the Center for Effective Public Management and senior fellow in Governance Studies, provides an analysis of the first presidential debate. This episode also includes an excerpt from an episode of Brookings’ Elections 101 Video Series where E.J. Dionne, senior fellow in Governance Studies, explains polling and how to determine the accuracy of polls. Finally, Dany Bahar, fellow in the Global Economy and Development program, is featured in a new segment titled, “Ask an Expert,” where we take BCP to the streets and get a passerby to ask one of our Brookings experts a question. Thanks to audio producer Gaston Reboredo and producer Vanessa Sauter, and also thanks for additional support from Eric Abalahin, Jessica Pavone, Nawal Atallah, Basseem Maleki, and Rebecca Viser. Subscribe to the Brookings Cafeteria on , listen in all the usual places, and send feedback email to .

Economic issues in the presidential election Sep 23, 2016

David Wessel, senior fellow and director of the Hutchins Center on Fiscal and Monetary Policy, looks at Hillary Clinton’s and Donald Trump’s different approaches to policy issues including taxes, family leave, and trade. Also in this episode, John Hudak, deputy director of the Center for Effective Public Management and a senior fellow in Governance Studies, provides a general election update and discusses the upcoming first presidential debate. Finally, Bill Finan interviews John Bessler, professor of Law at the University of Baltimore School of Law and an adjunct professor at the Georgetown University Law Center, who edited the new Brookings volume, “Against the Death Penalty,” which offers Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer’s passionate dissent in a 2015 death penalty case. Thanks to audio producer Gaston Reboredo and producer Vanessa Sauter, and also thanks for additional support from Eric Abalahin, Jessica Pavone, Nawal Atallah, Basseem Maleki, and Rebecca Viser.

Syrian refugees and Western inaction Sep 16, 2016

Guest host Robert McKenzie, visiting fellow in the Project on U.S. Relations with the Islamic World, and Leon Wieseltier, the Isaiah Berlin Senior Fellow in Culture and Policy, discuss how Western inaction impacts Syrian refugees and the political landscape in Europe. Also in this episode, Elizabeth Mann, fellow in the Brown Center on Education Policy, addressesthe importance of providing every child with a high level of education. Finally, Bill Finan interviews Donald Kettl about his new book, “Escaping Jurassic Government: How to Recover America’s Lost Commitment to Competence.” Thanks to audio producer Mark Hoelscher and producer Vanessa Sauter, and also thanks for additional support from Eric Ablahan, Jessica Pavone, Nawal Atallah, Basseem Maleki, and Rebecca Viser. Subscribe to the Brookings Cafeteria on , listen in all the usual places, and send feedback email to .

U.S. business in Africa Sep 09, 2016

Amadou Sy, senior fellow and director of the Africa Growth Initiative, addresses both the opportunities and challenges of U.S. economic engagement in Africa as the second U.S.-Africa Business Forum approaches. Also in this episode, Elizabeth Kneebone discusses the significance of the increasing number of high poverty neighborhoods in our regular Metro Lens segment. Finally, Bill Finan interviews Steven Koltai, guest scholar in Governance Studies, on his new book Peace through Entrepreneurship. Thanks to audio producer Mark Hoelscher and producer Vanessa Sauter, and also thanks for additional support from Jessica Pavone, Eric Abalahin, and Rebecca Viser. Subscribe to the Brookings Cafeteria on , listen in all the usual places, and send feedback email to .

Why presidents fail Sep 02, 2016

Elaine Kamarck, senior fellow in Governance Studies and director of the Center for Effective Public Management, talks about why we need a managerial presidency, a central argument in her most recent book Why Presidents Fail and How They Can Succeed Again. Also in this podcast, Aaron Klein, fellow in Economic Studies and policy director of the Initiative on Business and Public Policy, discusses what inspires him in public policy and public service. Finally, Steve Hess looks back on his time in the Eisenhower White House. Thanks to audio producer Mark Hoelscher and producer Vanessa Sauter, and also thanks for additional support from Jessica Pavone, Eric Abalahin, and Rebecca Viser. Subscribe to the Brookings Cafeteria on , listen in all the usual places, and send feedback email to .

Financial ecosystems and the move toward equity Aug 26, 2016

John Villasenor, nonresident senior fellow in Governance Studies and the Center for Technology Innovation, discusses his new report on digital and financial inclusion. Also stay tuned for our regular election update from John Hudak, deputy director of the Center for Effective Public Management and a senior fellow in Governance Studies. Thanks to audio producer Mark Hoelscher and producer Vanessa Sauter, and also thanks for additional support from Jessica Pavone, Eric Abalahin, and Rebecca Viser. Subscribe to the Brookings Cafeteria on , listen in all the usual places, and send feedback email to .

The case for trade and the TPP Aug 19, 2016

Mireya Solís, senior fellow and the Philip Knight Chair in Japan Studies in the Brookings Center for East Asia Policy Studies, explores the domestic and international importance of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, comments on what the presidential candidates are saying about trade, and also addresses the fears people have about losing their jobs to trade. Also stay tuned for our regular economic update from David Wessel, senior fellow and director of the Hutchins Center on Fiscal and Monetary Policy. Thanks to audio producer Mark Hoelscher and producer Vanessa Sauter, and also thanks for additional support from Jessica Pavone, Eric Abalahin, and Rebecca Viser. Subscribe to the Brookings Cafeteria on , listen in all the usual places, and send feedback email to .

America’s 'insane' politics Aug 12, 2016

Jonathan Rauch, senior fellow in Governance Studies, expands on his widely popular new article in The Atlantic titled, “How American Politics Went Insane.” Also in this episode, Metropolitan Policy Program Associate Fellow Devashree Saha examines the impact of crashing oil prices on state and metro economies. Thanks to audio producer Mark Hoelscher, plus thanks to Carisa Nietsche, Bill Finan, Vanessa Sauter, Jessica Pavone, Eric Abalahin, and Rebecca Viser. Subscribe to the Brookings Cafeteria on , listen in all the usual places, and send feedback email to .

Brazil on the global stage Aug 05, 2016

Harold Trinkunas, senior fellow and director of the Latin America Initiative at Brookings, and David Mares, guest scholar in the Latin America Initiative, discusses their new book Aspirational Power: Brazil’s Long Road to Global Influence. Also in this episode, Steve Hess recounts navigating a challenging request from President Nixon. Finally, Metropolitan Policy Program Fellow Adie Tomer narrates his path to public policy research on infrastructure. Thanks to audio producer Mark Hoelscher, plus thanks to Carisa Nietsche, Bill Finan, Vanessa Sauter, Jessica Pavone, Eric Abalahin, Rebecca Viser, and our intern Sara Abdel-Rahim. Subscribe to the Brookings Cafeteria on , listen in all the usual places, and send feedback email to .

Fracking + election update Jul 29, 2016

After the conventions, a presidential election update from . In the interview, , senior fellow and policy director of the discusses a plan to address the economic boom-bust cycle in states that rely heavily on “fracking” and how this plan can spur innovation, inclusive economic development, and de-carbonization in the U.S. Also in this podcast a Coffee Break from Eyerusalem Siba, research fellow with the Africa Growth Initiative in the Global Economy and Development program. LINKS:

Coup attempt in Turkey Jul 22, 2016

Kemal Kirişci, TÜSİAD Senior Fellow in Foreign Policy, discusses the recent coup in Turkey and its implications for Turkey’s regional role, foreign policy, and its democracy. Also in this podcast our final Syrian Refugee series segment with Matteo Garavoglia, a visiting fellow in the Foreign Policy Center on the United States and Europe. Also stay tuned for William Frey, Senior Fellow, Metropolitan Policy Program as he discusses America’s racial and age divide and its effect on the political environment. Links - - - - Thanks to audio engineer and producer Zack Kulzer, with editing help from Mark Hoelscher, plus thanks to Carisa Nietsche, Bill Finan, Jessica Pavone, Eric Abalahin, Rebecca Viser, and our intern Sara Abdel-Rahim. Subscribe to the Brookings Cafeteria on , listen in all the usual places, and send feedback email to

Islam: A conversation with Shadi Hamid Jul 15, 2016

Shadi Hamid, senior fellow in the Project on U.S. Relations with the Islamic World in the Center for Middle East Policy and author of the new book , discusses his own personal experience as an American Muslim, and talks about Islam in the context of modern America and the world. Also in this episode Constanze Stelzenmueller, Robert Bosch Senior Fellow in the , discusses refugee integration in Germany. Links Project on U.S. Relations with the Islamic World Islamic Exceptionalism: How the Struggle Over Islam Is Reshaping the World “Temptations of Power: Islamists and Illiberal Democracy in a New Middle East ” Trump's proposed ban on Muslims Is Islam "exceptional"? Thanks to audio engineer and producer Zack Kulzer, with editing help from Mark Hoelscher, plus thanks to Carisa Nietsche, Bill Finan, Jessica Pavone, Eric Abalahin, Rebecca Viser, and our intern Sara Abdel-Rahim. Subscribe to the Brookings Cafeteria on , listen in all the usual places, and send feedback email to

What Brexit means for Britain and the EU Jul 08, 2016

, director of the at Brookings and a senior fellow in , discusses the decision of a majority of voters in Britain to leave the E.U. and the consequences of Brexit for the country’s economy, politics, position as a world power, and implications for its citizens. Show Notes Thanks to audio engineer and producer Zack Kulzer, with editing help from Mark Hoelscher, plus thanks to Carisa Nietsche, Bill Finan, Jessica Pavone, Eric Abalahin, Rebecca Viser, and our intern Sara Abdel-Rahim. Subscribe to the Brookings Cafeteria on , listen in all the usual places, and send feedback email to

Arne Duncan on solutions to Chicago’s youth violence crisis Jul 01, 2016

, former U.S. secretary of education during the Obama administration and now a nonresident senior fellow with the Brown Center on Education Policy, discusses the crisis of youth violence in Chicago and solutions that strengthen schools and encourage more opportunities for those who are marginalized to make a living in the legal economy. “The best thing we can do is create hope, opportunity and jobs particularly on the South and West side for young and black men who have been disenfranchised, who have been on the streets. If we can give them some chances to earn a living in a legal economy not selling drugs and not on street corners, I think we have a chance to do something pretty significant here,” Duncan says. “My fundamental belief is that the police cannot solve this on their own we have to create opportunities for young people in communities who have been marginalized for far too long.” Also in this episode, , the Centennial Scholar, who discusses how European cities are addressing the refugee crisis in a new segment from our Refugee Series.

The Syrian refugee crisis Jun 24, 2016

, a visiting fellow in the , discusses the current situation with and solutions for the Syrian refugee crisis. “The scale, scope and complexity of the Syria crisis is staggering. Nearly half a million people have lost their lives, 13.5 million are in need of humanitarian assistance, 6.5 million are internally displaced, and there 5 million refugees in neighboring countries - namely, Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey. And hundreds of thousands have made their way to Europe in search of refuge and rights,” McKenzie says. Also in this episode: Bill Finan talks to Nonresident Senior Fellow in , and , TÜSİAD Senior Fellow in Foreign Policy, about their new book Show Notes Thanks to audio engineer and producer Zack Kulzer, with editing help from Mark Hoelscher, plus thanks to Carisa Nietsche, Bill Finan, Jessica Pavone, Eric Abalahin, Rebecca Viser, and our intern Sara Abdel-Rahim. Subscribe to the Brookings Cafeteria on , listen in all the usual places, and send feedback email to

2016 election (not-a-horse race) update Jun 17, 2016

, deputy director of the and a senior fellow in , discusses the fundamental dynamics of the 2016 election, the importance of the ground game, vice presidential picks, and prospects for the Senate and/or House flipping from Republican to Democratic control. “I think policy itself is what’s not getting enough attention in these campaigns. … It is not something that is a sexy issue that people want to particularly hear about, they are more interested in the horse race or in this case the fighting that is going on,” Hudak says. “What Americans need to do is take a step back and think about the issues that matter most to them. You have to think a lot about what issues matter the most to you and hold the candidates accountable as much as possible.” Also in this podcast, Teresa Ter-Minassian explains public-private partnerships and their role in development based on her paper for the new project on Show Notes Thanks to audio engineer and producer Zack Kulzer, with editing help from Mark Hoelscher, plus thanks to Carisa Nietsche, Bill Finan, Jessica Pavone, Eric Abalahin, Rebecca Viser, and our intern Sara Abdel-Rahim. Subscribe to the Brookings Cafeteria on , listen in all the usual places, and send feedback email to

Becoming brilliant: What science tells us about raising successful children Jun 10, 2016

, senior fellow in the and a psychology professor at Temple University, and University of Delaware professor Roberta Michnick Golinkoff, also a psychologist, discuss their new book: "." In this podcast, Hirsh-Pasek and Golinkoff discuss ways to reimagine what successful learning looks like in a global world using six major skills that will help kids succeed beyond traditional perceptions of success such as good test scores. “What we need to do is train thinkers, to be able to attack the problems in the world,” Golinkoff says. These skills prepare children to become competitive business leaders, entrepreneurs, and scientific pioneers. As Hirsh-Pasek says, “The times have changed. As more businesses realize that their interactions are going to be global, they realize that they need creative thinkers, innovators, and problem solvers.” Also stay tuned for our regular economic update with as he looks at four big questions to determine what this year and next will look like for the U.S. economy. Show Notes Thanks to audio engineer and producer Zack Kulzer, with editing help from Mark Hoelscher, plus thanks to Carissa Nietsche, Bill Finan, Jessica Pavone, Eric Abalahin, Rebecca Viser, Brionne Smith, and our intern Sara Abdel-Rahim. Subscribe to the Brookings Cafeteria on , listen in all the usual places, and send feedback email to

Phil Klay on the citizen-soldier Jun 03, 2016

In this podcast, award-winning author and veteran Phil Klay discusses how his experience as a Marine Corps officer in Iraq informed his short-story collection Redeployment, which won the National Book Award in 2014; and also talks about the themes he explores in the new Brookings Essay, “The citizen-soldier: Moral risk and the modern military.” “Most people sign up with the hope of being part of an institution that is doing something good in the world,” Klay says, and that “they will be putting their shoulders to the wheel along with a lot of other people by advancing the ideals of American democracy.” Show Notes

Invest in children for better outcomes May 27, 2016

, director of and senior fellow in Economic studies, discusses the importance of investments in children, especially those who are from low socio-economic backgrounds. She highlights issues such as early childhood education, child poverty, and food insecurity, issues about which The Hamilton Project has produced significant research and recommendations. “[W]e’re dangerously underinvesting in children today. And there’s emerging research that indicates that if we spend more on schools, if we make sure that families have more income, or if we alleviate food insecurity, that has a payoff not just today but down the line, in terms of more productive people when they grow up,” Schanzenbach says. Also in this episode: a presidential election update with . And our new Metro Lens segment with as she discusses . Show Notes Thanks to audio engineer and producer Zack Kulzer, with editing help from Mark Hoelscher, plus thanks to Carissa Nietsche, Bill Finan, Jessica Pavone, Eric Abalahin, Rebecca Viser, Brionne Smith, and our intern Sara Abdel-Rahim. Subscribe to the Brookings Cafeteria on , listen in all the usual places, and send feedback email to

Sextortion: The New cyber crime May 19, 2016

, a senior fellow in Governance Studies and co-founder and editor-in-chief of The LawFare Blog, is co-author of a new study,-“”; and a legislative proposal to close the sextortion sentencing gap. In the podcast, Wittes explains the crime itself; the importance of cyber security and how teens and parents can protect themselves online. “Teenager cyber security hygiene actually matters a great deal,” Wittes says. “It just matters a great deal to protect values and goods that the cyber security community has not traditionally focused on.” Also in this podcast: meet , a fellow for the Project on 21st Century City Governance, part of the Centennial Scholar Initiative. Also stay up-to-date about a potential “Brexit” from the EU with some highlights from our Brookings event “.” Show Notes Subscribe to the Brookings Cafeteria on , listen in all the usual places, and send feedback email to . Thanks to audio engineer and producer Zack Kulzer, with editing help from Mark Hoelscher, plus thanks to Carissa Nietsche, Bill Finan, Jessica Pavone, Eric Abalahin, Rebecca Viser, Brionne Smith, and our intern Sarah AbdelRahim.

Foreign policy in the Obama era May 13, 2016

, executive vice president of the Brookings Institution, offers his take on a broad spectrum of foreign policy issues, including peace in the Middle East, the liberal international order, and his own journey in foreign affairs leadership and policymaking. He also discusses the contours of an "Obama doctrine" in foreign policy, and whether the next president will bring continuity or change. Also in this podcast: an economic update from , director of the Hutchins Center on Fiscal and Monetary Policy. Also hear , visiting fellow in the Center on the United States and Europe, discuss his upcoming book “.” Show Notes Subscribe to the Brookings Cafeteria on , listen in all the usual places, and send feedback email to . Thanks to audio engineer and producer Zack Kulzer, with editing help from Mark Hoelscher, plus thanks to Carissa Nietsche, Bill Finan, Jessica Pavone, Eric Abalahin, Rebecca Viser, Brionne Smith, and our intern Sarah AbdelRahim.

Ironic: Vietnam decision-making worked May 06, 2016

Les Gelb, a former Brookings fellow and co-author of the 1979 book The Irony of Vietnam: The System Worked –which is being released this month as a Brookings Press Classic – discusses the influence the Vietnam War has had on how the U.S handles wars and the need for American pragmatism in foreign policy decision-making today. “What made this country great was Americans using their pragmatism, solving problems, and realizing there were certain problems they couldn’t solve--at least, not solve them right away,” Gelb says. In the podcast, Gelb also explains the “domino theory” that guided U.S. policymakers during the Vietnam conflict. “Vietnam was the essential domino and if it fell to communism, if it fell to the Soviet Union and China, in effect, [then] all of Asia would fall right behind it.” Also in this episode: another installment of "Steve Hess Stories" with Senior Fellow Emeritus ; and hear more from the Brookings event . Show Notes Subscribe to the Brookings Cafeteria on , listen in all the usual places, and send feedback email to .

The U.S.-Cuba thaw Apr 29, 2016

Richard Feinberg, a nonresident senior fellow in the Latin America Initiative and author of the forthcoming book, “Open for Business: Building a New Cuban Economy” (Brookings, 2016), discusses current U.S. and Cuba relations after President Obama's visit and looks ahead to Cuba's increasing engagement with the global economy. “The younger generation does have a respect for Fidel Castro and what the older generation accomplished,” Feinberg says. “They want to see a fresh generation of leadership, they want to see a more relaxed political atmosphere, they want more opportunities economically to exercise their own profession and exercise their own talents. They want and fully expect normal relations between Cuba and the United States.” In this podcast, Feinberg explains how Cuba can reintegrate itself into global economy while encouraging a gradual opening of economic relations with the U.S. Also in this podcast, meet new scholar Susan Hennessey, fellow in National Security in Governance Studies and stay tuned for our presidential election update with John Hudak. Show Notes Open for Business: Building the New Cuban Economy Obama scores a triple in Havana In Cuba, Obama looks to the post-Castro era Subscribe to the Brookings Cafeteria on iTunes, listen in all the usual places, and send feedback email to BCP@Brookings.edu.

How to get millions learning in the developing world Apr 22, 2016

, a nonresident fellow in the Center for Universal Education, and , a senior fellow and director of the Center for Universal Education, discuss a new report: . In this podcast, Robinson and Winthrop discuss the state of children’s education around the world while highlighting some cases that show how the quality and reach of children’s education can be improved. “Nine out of 10 kids in the world is in primary school, but there is still a lot to be done,” Winthrop says. “A lot of kids are dropping out before they finish secondary school. 75% percent of girls in Sub-Saharan Africa enter primary school but only 8% finish secondary school.” Also in this podcast a Coffee Break with , director of the Health Policy Center and an interview with author on his new book, "." Show Notes: Subscribe to the Brookings Cafeteria on , listen in all the usual places, and send feedback email to .

Hacking hospitals: Is our personal information at risk? Apr 15, 2016

In this episode, , a fellow in the Brookings Institution's , explains the current dilemma of security breaches of medical records that are hitting the health care industry. “The difference between the IT revolution in the health care sector and in any other sector is that other businesses embraced IT naturally and gradually and that allowed them to prepare in all other technological and organizational aspects that are necessary to appropriately use IT,” says Yaraghi. “In the health care sector it happened overnight. From 9.4% in 2008 to 96.9 in 2014.” Also stay tuned for our regular economic update with , who talks about taxes; and hear our new Metro Lens segment with who discusses concentrated poverty in places like Cleveland and San Antonio. Show notes: Subscribe to the Brookings Cafeteria on , listen in all the usual places, and send feedback email to .

Burma/Myanmar and Aung San Suu Kyi Apr 08, 2016

In this podcast, , a nonresident senior fellow in the , discusses Myanmar’s transition to democracy, examining the economic, social and political aspects of the transition, as well as potential obstacles in the short run. “So much foreign aid has poured in and will continue to pour in now that Aung San Suu Kyi is leading the government that it may do more harm than good, becoming a factor that actually derails the transition," says Rieffel. Also in this episode: another installment of "" with Senior Fellow Emeritus ; and a conversation with , director of at Brookings. Subscribe to the Brookings Cafeteria on , listen in all the usual places, and send feedback email to .

Baltimore a year after the riots Apr 01, 2016

One year after: Observations on the rise of innovation districts , a fellow with the , discusses the current economic, social, and political situation in Baltimore a year after the riots. “1/5 people in Baltimore lives in a neighborhood of extreme poverty,” Vey says. In this podcast, Vey describes the current state of Baltimore and urges the start of discussions about the abject poverty facing many cities in the United States. Also in this episode: stay tuned for our presidential election update with . Also, discusses global drug policy and the upcoming United Nations General Assembly special session on drug policy. Show Notes Subscribe to the Brookings Cafeteria on , listen on , and send feedback email to .

How well are American students learning? Mar 25, 2016

, a nonresident senior fellow in Governance Studies, explains his latest research on measuring achievement of American students. “The bottom line here: the implementation of the common core has appeared to have very little impact on student achievement,” Loveless says. In this episode, he discusses whether the common core is failing our students, whether AP achievement is indicative of student success, and the role of principals as instructional leaders. Also in this episode: Get to know , the Robert Bosch Senior Fellow in the , during our "Coffee Break” segment. Also stay tuned to hear the final episode in our centenary series with current and past Brookings scholars. Show notes: Subscribe to the Brookings Cafeteria on , listen on , and send feedback email to .

Why the poorest kids quit high school Mar 18, 2016

, a nonresident senior fellow in Economic Studies, explains her new research (with Phillip Levine for the Brookings Papers on Economic Activity) on high school students who are growing up in places with high income inequality and their decision to stay in high school or not. “Kids at the bottom of the income distribution are discouraged by higher levels of income inequality as opposed to being driven by it,” Kearney says. “Low income kids are more likely to drop out of high school than high income kids. But conditional to being low income, kids who are growing up in states or cities characterized by high levels of lower tail income inequality—a greater gap between the bottom and the middle—are more likely to drop out of high school.” Also in this episode: Our regular economic update with , senior fellow and director of the Hutchins Center on Fiscal and Monetary Policy. Also stay tuned to hear our new Metro Lens segment with, vice president and director of the Metropolitan Policy Program. Show Notes: Subscribe to the Brookings Cafeteria on , listen on , and send feedback email to .

The Supreme Court after Scalia Mar 11, 2016

, a visiting fellow in Governance Studies and an expert on federal courts, discusses the process and politics of replacing Associate Justice Antonin Scalia on the U.S. Supreme Court given the current political climate. “This polarization our politics has affected the polarization of the confirmation and nomination process and I don’t see how it gets ratcheted down,” Wheeler says. “It gets ratcheted up but I don’t see what happens to get us back to the day in which the Senate basically fulfilled its duty, which was to advise and consent to confirmation of qualified nominees and we’re moving away from that basic obligation of the Senate.” In the podcast, Wheeler gives an overview of the president's and the Senate's constitutional duties for replacing a Supreme Court justice. He also discusses the implications of appointing a Supreme Court justice now, or waiting until the next president is sworn in. Also in this episode: another segment of with Senior Fellow Emeritus ; and discusses his new book, Subscribe to the Brookings Cafeteria on , listen on , and send feedback email to .

A Syrian refugee speaks Mar 04, 2016

Qutaiba Idlbi, a Syrian refugee and activist, and , a Brookings visiting fellow and expert on the Middle East and North Africa, discuss the Syrian crisis from a personal and public policy perspective. In this podcast, Idlbi shares his own experience participating in the Syrian revolution as it began and the repercussions for him and his family. McKenzie also provides feedback on the crisis from a policy perspective and the role that the United States should play in accepting refugees. “Getting arrested is worse than getting killed because when you are arrested you wish you could get killed every moment you are in prison because of how much you are tortured,” Idlbi says about his experience in Syria. McKenzie says that, “There is no question that the Syrian crisis is the defining crisis of our time. It is a complex emergency that is ongoing.” See also: Also, Senior Fellow gives her assessment of what happened on Super Tuesday, and looks ahead to the continuing presidential primary contest. Subscribe to the Brookings Cafeteria on , listen on , and send feedback email to .

How public policy has changed over the decades Feb 26, 2016

As a part of Brookings Centenary series, Strobe Talbott, current president of Brookings, and Bruce MacLaury, president of Brookings from 1977 to 1995, look to the major policy challenges that Brookings should take on in its second century while they reflect on their own periods of leading Brookings. Talbott and MacLaury discuss the role of Brookings in the past, present, and future as a nexus of non-partisan ideas, with a passionate commitment to the common good. From their perspectives, the two presidents examine how the landscape of public policy research and analysis has changed since the years they assumed the presidency of Brookings.

The rich-poor life expectancy gap Feb 19, 2016

, a senior fellow in Economic Studies, explains new research on the growing longevity gap between high-income and low-income Americans, especially among the aged. “Life expectancy difference of low income workers, middle income workers, and high income workers has been increasing over time,” Burtless says. “For people born in 1920 their life expectancy was not as long typically as the life expectancy of people who were born in 1940. But those gains between those two birth years were very unequally distributed if we compare people with low mid-career earnings and people with high mid-career earnings.” Burtless also discusses retirement trends among the educated and non-educated, income inequality among different age groups, and how these trends affect early or late retirement rates. Also stay tuned for our regular economic update with , who also looks at the new research and offers his thoughts on what it means for Social Security. Show Notes Subscribe to the Brookings Cafeteria on , listen on , and send feedback email to .

Five Rising Democracies Feb 12, 2016

, a senior fellow in the discusses the five rising democracies; Brazil, South Africa, India, Indonesia, and Turkey and their role in the international liberal order. “These countries show that you can have democratization and improvements in political freedom and at the same time grow your economies and improve in terms of human development,” Piccone says. In the podcast, Piccone provides an overview of each of the five nations highlighted in his new book, “Five Rising Democracies and the Fate of the International Liberal Order,” and how their economic, social, and political development allows them greater access in global politics. Also in this episode, “Steve Hess Stories” with Senior Fellow Emeritus . Show Notes Subscribe to the Brookings Cafeteria on , listen on , and send feedback email to .

What happened in Iowa and the next presidential primaries Feb 05, 2016

, a fellow in the Governance Studies Program at Brookings, explains why the Iowa Caucuses matter so much in the presidential election. She also discusses what to expect from Congress this year for both congressional elections and the presidential election. “There are a lot of quirky details to the Iowa Caucus,” Reynolds says. In this interview, she explains what makes the Iowa Caucuses so important in the presidential nomination process and what to expect as the races continue. She also weighs in on what we can expect from Congress this year, including appropriations and what Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says he plans to do. Also in this episode: Listen to Hollie Russon Gilman, a fellow at New America and Harvard’s Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation, discuss her new book "." Also, get to know , a fellow in Governance Studies at Brookings, during our "Coffee Break." Show Notes: Subscribe to the Brookings Cafeteria on , listen on , and send feedback email to .

Celebrating the Brookings Centenary: The Trustees Jan 28, 2016

This episode features two of the leaders of the Brookings Institution: the co-chairs of the , John L. Thornton and David M. Rubenstein. They reflect on our first 100 years and share their thoughts on Brookings’s second century. The episode is the first in a series celebrating 100 years of the Brookings Institution. Later in this series, you’ll hear from former and current Brookings presidents as well as scholars.

Made in Africa: manufacturing and economic growth Jan 21, 2016

In this week’s episode, , a senior fellow in the Global Economy and Development Program, assesses the potential role of several economic strategies in transforming Africa’s industrial development for the global economy. “Between now and about 2030, the estimates are that as many as 85 million jobs at [the] bottom end of manufacturing will migrate out of China. So the question is: where will they go?” In this podcast, Page explains that with policy change, great focus, and a cohesive implementation of economic strategies, a number of African countries can capitalize on this opportunity in the global market. Also in this episode: Our regular economic update with , senior fellow and director of the Hutchins Center on Fiscal and Monetary Policy. Also, a new segment about issues affecting metropolitan areas with , senior fellow and deputy director of the Metropolitan Policy Program. Show Notes: Subscribe to the Brookings Cafeteria on , listen on , and send feedback email to .

Obama and the 2016 elections Jan 15, 2016

Tune in to hear , senior fellow in , and , senior fellow and the Ezra K. Zilkha Chair in and former policy advisor to President Bill Clinton, review President Obama’s State of the Union address and look ahead to the 2016 presidential and congressional elections. In this episode, they assess policy issues from the Obama Administration and discuss how the presidential candidates will address these issues. They identify the political party of the next President as a determining characteristic in the legacy President Obama will leave behind. Show Notes: Subscribe to the Brookings Cafeteria on , listen on , and send feedback email to .

Top economic issues in 2016 Jan 08, 2016

, vice President and director of the Economic Studies Program at Brookings and the Joseph A. Pechman Senior Fellow, forecasts the top economic issues in the upcoming year. Tune in to hear more about the labor market, wages, and productivity growth in 2016. Gayer also outlines which economic issues the presidential candidates should be talking about in the elections and how much impact the president has in economic policy decisions. Also in this podcast: “What’s Happening in Congress” with , senior fellow in Governance Studies and deputy director of the Center for Effective Public Management. And also get to know , senior fellow and deputy director of the Brown Center on Education Policy, during our “Coffee Break.” Show Notes: (Case/Deaton study) (from Economic Studies Program) Subscribe to the Brookings Cafeteria on , listen on , and send feedback email to .

Best of the Brookings Cafeteria in 2015 Dec 31, 2015

In this last episode of the Brookings Cafeteria podcast for 2015, you'll hear some of the best moments from the show selected from the year's episodes. Thanks to the team that makes this podcast possible: Zack Kulzer, Mark Hoelscher, Carissa Nitchy, Jessica Pavone, Rebecca Viser and Eric Abalahin. Also, special thanks to the leadership and support of David Nassar and Richard Fawal. And a very special thanks to our intern Karen WaelGirgis, who was instrumental in putting this episode and many others together. Show Notes: Visit the to listen to all of the episodes. Subscribe to the Brookings Cafeteria on , listen on , and send feedback email to .

Why girls’ education is the world’s best investment Dec 22, 2015

, senior fellow and director of the Center for Universal Education at Brookings, discusses her new book (co-authored with Gene Sperling and Christina Kwauk) "" (Brookings Institution Press, 2015). “Girls’ education really is quite unique in terms of interventions you can do," she says. "Not because it’s a silver bullet; there are no such things as silver bullets. But, certainly in developing country contexts, it has so many high returns across such a wide variety of areas important for society.” In this podcast, Winthrop walks us through the evolution of girls’ education and how “Twenty-five years ago, girls’ education was an issue in every single country in the world.” She reminds us that there’s a reason to be optimistic: “There are a lot of huge gains in girls’ education. There is a lot to celebrate. Over the last twenty years, the number of girls who have been out of school have been cut in half.” Also in this podcast: Listen to , senior fellow in the Metropolitan Policy program and author of the book “,” answer a question from one of our listeners on how we define post-baby boom generations. And also stay tuned for the next installment of “Steve Hess Stories,” in which Senior Fellow Emeritus discusses his childhood in New York City and his first memories of the presidency. ______________________________________________ Show Notes: Also listen to our other podcast episodes about global education: , with Maysa Jalbout , with Julia Gillard , with Hafex Ghanem and Liesbet Steer , with Rebecca Winthrop __________________________________________________________ Subscribe to the Brookings Cafeteria on , listen on , and send feedback email to .

Foreign policy issues the candidates should be talking about Dec 18, 2015

“A lot of the issues that we focus on as crises on a daily basis—I think particularly of Syria—they are certainly crises in their own right,” says . “But to my mind the failure to deal with them does have a lot to do with the consequences of the breakdown in international order and the breakdown in the international capacity to create order.” , fellow in the Project on International Order and Strategy and the Center on the United States and Europe at Brookings, gives his view on the top foreign policy issues of the day and in the 2016 presidential election. “The interesting thing about terrorism is that it is never, at least for advanced societies, a direct threat in any existential way, despite what many of our politicians say,” argues Shapiro in this podcast, “What can threaten a nation like ours is that in the process of responding to an attack like in San Bernardino or in Paris that we destroy the things that are most precious to us, like our freedoms, like our civil liberties, that we engage in foreign policy adventures in order to try to make ourselves feel more secure and more safe that actually erode our power.” Also in this podcast: The final installment of the Paris climate conference series by , vice president and director of Foreign Policy at Brookings. And also stay tuned for our regular economic update with , senior fellow and director of the Hutchins Center on Fiscal and Monetary Policy. ______________________________________________ Show Notes: _____________________________________________________ Subscribe to the Brookings Cafeteria on , listen on , and send feedback email to .

Hong Kong, China, and the Umbrella Movement Dec 11, 2015

, director of the Center for East Asia Policy Studies and holder of the Chen-Fu and Cecilia Yen Koo Chair in Taiwan Studies and also the Michael H. Armacost Chair, talks about Hong Kong’s relationship to China, the umbrella movement of 2014, and the future of democracy in Hong Kong. “First of all,” Bush says, “there is the continuing challenge of how you make the Hong Kong economy competitive in a global economy that is … constantly changing technologically.” “On the political side, I personally believe that Hong Kong would benefit from having competitive elections for senior leaders. … But elections in and of themselves won’t solve all the governance problems that Hong Kong has.” Also in this podcast: Listen to with the first installment of “Steve Hess Stories,” in which Senior Fellow Emeritus explains how he came to write a best-selling book, , while serving in the Army. And part four of our Paris climate conference series with Fellow ______________________________________________ Show Notes: _____________________________________________________ Subscribe to the Brookings Cafeteria on , listen on , and send feedback email to .

College Rankings: Is there a better system? Dec 03, 2015

, fellow in the Metropolitan Policy Program at Brookings, tells us what’s missing in conventional college ranking systems like that of U.S. News & World Report. And using President Obama’s new college score card, Rothwell talks about his new value added approach to rankings. “I don’t actually think we need more college ranking systems. I think we need better ranking systems,” argues Rothwell. The “problems with U.S. News and some of the conventional rankings,” he continues, include “way too much emphasis on selectivity. Non-selective schools have no chance to ever make it towards the top of the rankings. And as a result there are a lot of hidden gems out there … that are providing great outcomes for [their] students.” Also in this podcast: In our Coffee Break segment, meet a scholar who grew up in Vancouver, the son of World War II refugees, visiting fellow . And stay tuned for part three of our Paris climate conference series as Senior Fellow discusses the role of carbon pricing in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. ______________________________________________ Show Notes: ______________________________________________ Subscribe to the Brookings Cafeteria on , listen on , and send feedback email to .

The ISIS attack on Paris Nov 19, 2015

, an expert on counterterrorism and Middle East Security, and research director for the Center for Middle East Policy at Brookings, explains what we know and don’t know about the ISIS terrorist attack in Paris and whether he thinks ISIS will strike the U.S. Also, part two of our Paris climate talk series on new technology from , senior fellow and policy director of the Metropolitan Policy Program. “The real danger to me is not taking care of the refugee problem,” argues Byman, “If these refugees are trapped in the Middle East, if they’re in these huge camps where there are no opportunities, if they’re not integrated into host societies, over time we’re going to see the development of a terrorism and radicalization problem among large numbers of refugees.” Also in this podcast: “What’s Happening in Congress” with special guest , a fellow in Governance Studies. ______________________________________________ Show Notes: (video) ______________________________________________ Subscribe to the Brookings Cafeteria on , listen on , and send feedback email to .

Paris climate conference (COP21): what you need to know Nov 13, 2015

, nonresident senior fellow at Brookings and Ittleson Professor of Environmental Studies and Sociology at Brown University discusses climate change and the upcoming global climate talks in Paris. “Scientists are telling us,” Roberts says, “that about 2 degrees Celsius is about the highest limit to stay safe... And in fact right now we’re just under 1 degree Celsius of warming and we’re already seeing these impacts of wildfires, droughts, heat waves, flooding, sea level rise, melting Greenland icesheets and Antarctica being potentially destabilized. There are great risks we’re running at 1 degree. What is it going to be like at 2?” Also hear from Senior Fellow as she discusses a new report on immigrants and their integration into American society. ______________________________________________ Show Notes: ______________________________________________ Subscribe to the Brookings Cafeteria on , listen on , and send feedback email to .

The 2016 presidential election and why primaries matter Nov 06, 2015

This week, talks presidential primaries, congressional primaries, and the problems facing our current nominating system. She also offers predictions on the likely GOP and Democratic presidential nominees. Listen to find out who she’s tapped to win. “Political parties are incredibly important,” says Kamarck, “They shape Americans’ behaviors. They are the best predictor of how Americans are going to vote. And there are in fact real and meaningful differences between the parties. You can’t really have democracies without political parties. Political parties are the sort of essence of democracy, but they’re also the part of democracy that voters love to hate.” Kamarck is a senior fellow and founding director of the Center for Effective Public Management. She is also author of “The primary method of nominating candidates increases polarization,” argues Elaine. “The place that you see it affect behavior most dramatically is in congressional primaries. … So what happens is the most extreme voters tend to dominate and they pull the Democrats to the left and Republicans to the right. What a surprise then when they get to Congress and nobody can agree on anything?” Also hear give his regular economic update, this time on tax reform proposals from the campaign trail. ______________________________________________ Show Notes: ______________________________________________ Subscribe to the Brookings Cafeteria on , listen on , and send feedback email to .

Ukraine’s long Russian entanglement Oct 30, 2015

, a nonresident senior fellow at Brookings and former CBS News Correspondent, discusses his new book "." “I think since 1991 at the end of the Soviet Union, the end of Communism as a global philosophy, Ukrainians have come to understand that they are an independent culture,” explains Kalb. “The shame of it is that though they are, they are locked into a history which may deny them the full expression of their politics and their culture. And they can’t escape that; it is simply a part of their history.” “When I started doing the research for this book,” Kalb says, “one of the things that I did was to go back and read notes of the classes I used to do fifty and sixty years ago as a graduate student. … And I realized, rather quickly I’m happy to say, that unless you went back a thousand years, truly, you would not understand why Putin is doing what he’s doing now either in Crimea, or Ukraine, or even in Syria. You couldn’t because the thousand years gives you the perspective and the reasoning and the psychological backdrop for current actions that may confound the West, may confound the president of the United States, but they don’t confound Russian nationalists, people who have been raised on this history.” Also in this podcast: Get to know Matteo Garavoglia, a dual German and Italian citizen and an Italy Program Fellow, during our “Coffee Break.” ______________________________________________ Show Notes: ______________________________________________ Subscribe to the Brookings Cafeteria on , listen on , and send feedback email to .

Can we end rural hunger and reach the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals? Oct 23, 2015

and discuss their Ending Rural Hunger project, designed to help the world achieve one important facet of the “No Hunger” Sustainable Development Goal. “[P]robably about ¾ of the [food insecurity] problem that we’re dealing with globally is actually in rural areas,” Kharas says in this podcast. McArthur explains, “I think the first thing to note is that the world is making progress. So roughly speaking, undernourishment as a share of the world is dropping by about 1 percent every three years.” Also in this episode, John Hudak gives his regular “What’s happening in Congress” update. ______________________________________________ Show Notes: A Note from Our Guests: Homi and John are very grateful to the full team that contributed to the Ending Rural Hunger project. The report itself was prepared by a group in Brookings’s Global Economy and Development program, which also included: Geoffrey Gertz, Sinead Mowlds, and Lorenz Noe, assisted by Julie Biau, Soumya Chattopadhyay, Krista Rasmussen and Madelyn Swift. The report design and interactive website were developed in collaboration with Data Act Lab, including: Alexandra Silfverstolpe, Daniel Lapidus, Mikael Göransson, Niklas Beinhoff, Martin Lindbratt, Tobias Strollo and Arkadiusz Mytych. ______________________________________________ Subscribe to the Brookings Cafeteria on , listen on , and send feedback email to .

A discussion on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict Oct 16, 2015

Fellows and from the Center for Middle East Policy at Brookings debate the challenges facing the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. “In the long term, [Hamas] is not where peace lies… What doomed the disengagement in Gaza was the rise of Hamas and the continuation of the war from it… This reality, where war continues from a territory that is evacuated is perhaps the biggest [factor], except for the second intifada,… that has made Israelis skeptical of peace,” explains Natan. “The other two trends on the ground are deepening Israeli occupation…You would expect if you are moving towards a two state solution…that there would be movement towards disengaging from that reality rather than deepening it. But it is in fact deepening. There are more settlers, more construction. And that is a source of anger for Palestinians who see more and more of their land being swallowed up… and their hopes for an independent state sort of vanishing before their eyes,” says Khaled in this podcast. Also in this podcast: "Coffee Break" with . Coffee Break is a new segment where we ask scholars at Brookings six questions to get to know them and their work more personally. ______________________________________________ Show Notes: ______________________________________________ Subscribe to the Brookings Cafeteria on , listen on , and send feedback email to .

The future of American land warfare Oct 08, 2015

“To use some of the time honored clichés, ‘The enemy may get a vote too.’ Or the Bolshevik line, ‘You may not have an interest in war, but war may have an interest in you.’ I paraphrase that to say we may not, at the moment, have an interest in counterinsurgency and stabilization missions, but they may have an interest in us… we can’t be like the ostrich putting our head in the sand just because we’re tired of these kinds of wars. They might come back, whether we like it or not.” says Senior Fellow about his new book, The Future of Land Warfare. After learning about the various scenarios that might necessitate land warfare, we’ll hear , senior fellow in Economic Studies and Editor of the Evidence Speaks project, discuss the cost of universal Pre-K. “The question is: what should the nation or states do to increase participation rates to a universal level?” Whitehurst asks in this project. “And what I’ve found by looking at the evidence is that actually people haven’t provided very good evidence on how many children are presently served.” Also, stay tuned to hear expert update us on one of the nation’s most alarming economic problems – wage stagnation. Show Notes: Subscribe to the Brookings Cafeteria on , listen on , and send feedback email to .

The plight of Syrian refugees Sep 25, 2015

“For someone who has followed these issues from 1989 ... it is a sad moment,” says in this podcast. “It is a sad moment because we feel that international solidarity is not there. And that solidarity was, ... for a fleeting moment, triggered by that little child ... on the beaches of Turkey.” Kirisci, TÜSİAD Senior Fellow at Brookings and an expert on Turkish foreign policy and migration studies, speaks on why Syrians are fleeing to Europe, the impact of Syrian displacement on neighboring countries, and how the failure of the international community to do its part in resettling refugees has increased Syrian reliance on human smugglers. “I think there is a growing loss of hope. There is a growing feeling that the likelihood of things improving in Syria is less than nil,” he says. Also stay tuned for "What’s happening in Congress" with Brookings Fellow , and hear Senior Fellows and discuss their new paper advocating for universal voting. Show Notes: Elizabeth Ferris and Kemal Kirişci forthcoming paper Subscribe to the Brookings Cafeteria on , listen on , and send feedback email to .

U.S.-Iran relations, the Iran nuclear deal, and the future of Iran Sep 11, 2015

“Iran gets out of jail free. I mean, they’re out of the penalty box at this point," says Senior Fellow in this podcast on Iran in a post-nuclear deal world. "The rest of the world will do business as usual with Iran. Iran will be welcomed to international fora. The ... stench of pariah-hood that had attached itself to Iran during the presidency of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad—both because of the nuclear escalation and because of Ahmadinejad’s proclivity for really provocative statements and reprehensible rhetoric on the Holocaust and other issues—that problem is now gone.” Maloney, the interim deputy director of Foreign Policy at Brookings, and a senior fellow in the , examines the impact of the nuclear deal on U.S.-Iran relations and on the Iranian people, discusses Iran’s place in the international community, and talks about her optimism for the future of Iran. “It’s a young, dynamic, incredibly well-positioned society for the future,” she says. “I think if I were to place a bet on the long-term democratic opportunities in the region, Iran is it. By a long shot.” Also in this episode, Senior Fellow , director of the Hutchins Center on Fiscal & Monetary Policy, delivers his regular "Wessel's Economic Update, this time on the distribution of student loan debt. Show Notes: The Brookings Essay: Maloney's new book: Brookings's on Middle East Politics and Policy by Robert Einhorn Subscribe to the Brookings Cafeteria on , listen on , and send feedback email to .

Community colleges and college affordability Aug 21, 2015

“Almost half of undergraduates in the United States start at a community college,” says Fellow in this podcast. Soliz, a new fellow in the at Brookings, identifies challenges faced by students looking to transfer from community colleges to four-year institutions, reacts to President Obama’s proposal to make community college free, and discusses the conflict between for-profit colleges and community colleges. Regarding the conflict between the two, she says, “From an institutional perspective, there is a lot of potential for competition to be a beneficial thing. If the community colleges are losing students to the for-profits, then that could encourage them to increase their efficiency and increase their quality. [However] there are a couple of reasons why that may not be happening.” Also in this episode, Fellow , managing editor of FixGov blog, offers his "What's Happening in Congress" update. Show Notes: Subscribe to the Brookings Cafeteria on , listen on , and send feedback email to .

Jihadist terrorism, Islamic State, and the war in Yemen Aug 06, 2015

“We have successfully built up our defenses so that here, at home in the United States, we’re probably safer than we were a decade ago but abroad our terrorist enemy is more numerous, more barbaric, more dangerous than ever before,” says Senior Fellow in this podcast. Riedel, director of the , and also a former CIA officer and senior policy official, identifies the catalysts of the global jihadist movement, discusses the rise of the Islamic State and its rivalry with al-Qaida, addresses the crisis in Yemen, and examines how the Obama administration can better deploy soft power tools. “A strategy that only uses the stick isn’t going to work,” he says. “We have to have a strategy that not only goes after the terrorists but also seeks to deal with the underlying issues that produce this wave of terrorism. That’s easy to say and very very hard to do.” Also in this episode, Senior Fellow , director of the Hutchins Center on Fiscal & Monetary Policy, delivers his regular "Wessel's Economic Update." Show Notes: Subscribe to the Brookings Cafeteria on , listen on , and send feedback email to . "22" by Taylor Swift, Max Martin, and Shellback (Big Machine Records, Republic Records)

Economic costs of hosting the Olympics and World Cup Jul 13, 2015

“Go and interview a restaurateur in central London near Piccadilly or go and interview a theatre manager in central London about how their business was in central London in August of 2012 [during the Summer Olympics] and they’ll say ‘It was awful. It was like the great depression,’” says economist in this podcast. Zimbalist, a professor of economics at Smith College and the author of (Brookings Institution Press, 2015), reveals the real economic costs and benefits of hosting mega-sporting events and discusses the prospects of FIFA following the corruption scandal. “This is what the modern Olympics and the modern World Cup are really about,” he says. “It’s the Circus Maximus in the old days of referring to these gigantic stadiums and elaborate facilities, but it’s also a Circus Maximus in the sense that it’s a circus.” Also in this episode, Senior Fellow , managing editor of , offers his "What's Happening in Congress" update. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Show Notes: , Andrew Zimbalist and Roger Noll (Zimbalist op-ed in Boston Globe) -------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe to the Brookings Cafeteria on , listen on , and send feedback email to .

New Orleans’ resilience 10 years after Hurricane Katrina Jul 07, 2015

“New Orleans is still in the middle of a major urban experiment,” says Senior Fellow in this podcast, the 50th episode of the Brookings Cafeteria. “It’s an urban experiment that is not so much just about responding to Katrina and the oil spill, but really is the great experiment of our time.” The central question within that experiment is, “regardless of any environmental or economic disaster—like the Great Recession, the loss of a manufacturing sector—how does an economic center, a population center, really continue to grow and adapt?” Liu is co-director of the at Brookings and has been an expert on the rebuilding efforts in greater New Orleans and southern Louisiana post Hurricane Katrina, the Gulf oil spill, and the recession. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Also in this episode, Senior Fellow , director of the Hutchins Center on Fiscal and Monetary Policy, offers his regular "Wessel's Economic Update." -------------------------------------------------------------------- Show Notes: (2011) "" "" (book, 2011) -------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe to the Brookings Cafeteria on , listen on , and send feedback email to .

Jean-Marie Guéhenno on his leadership of UN peacekeeping and "The Fog of Peace" Jun 18, 2015

“More and more we see that the separation between war and peace is not as clear-cut as it used to be,” says Jean-Marie Guéhenno in this podcast. Guéhenno, president and CEO of the International Crisis Group and a nonresident senior fellow at Brookings, was head of United Nations peacekeeping operations from 2000 to 2008, the longest-serving person in that post. In this podcast, he talks about his toughest peacekeeping operation, his best results, and why a political process is so important to the success of peacekeeping operations, all themes in his latest book, “" (Brookings Institution Press, 2015). Also in this episode, Governance Studies Fellow John Hudak explains what’s happening in Congress. --- Show Notes: --- Subscribe to the Brookings Cafeteria on , listen on , and send feedback email to .

Why the European Union matters Jun 04, 2015

“The European Union is, in a way, a treasure,” says Distinguished Brookings Fellow in this podcast. “It’s a treasure that really signifies peace, that signifies cooperation … the type of thing the global world of today needs.” Solana, former secretary general of NATO and EU foreign policy chief, describes how he started as a physics professor before turning to policy-making and reaching the highest levels of Spanish and European institutions; discusses how the EU negotiates the shoals of nationalism; addresses the EU’s responses to the crisis in Ukraine and its approach to the negotiations with Iran; and offers his advice for success in navigating a global world. Also in this episode, Senior Fellow , director of the , offers his regular "Wessel's Economic Update," focusing on the question of whether the Federal Reserve's quantitative easing program increased inequality. And, George Burroughs gets an update from Nonresident Senior Fellow on the water crisis in the western states. This follows the Brookings Cafeteria podcast , the "Vegas water czar." Show Notes: (event) , Brookings Essay by Strobe Talbott (New and Expanded Edition), by Carlo Bastasin Subscribe to the Brookings Cafeteria on , listen on , and send feedback email to .

Ukraine's struggle for independence May 21, 2015

What is happening in Ukraine is a tremendous threat to Putin’s Russia precisely because of the kinship that Russians feel with Ukraine,” says in this podcast. Freeland, a Member of Parliament in Canada and also a journalist and author, talks about her own family’s connection to Ukraine, why the Russian propaganda machine has been effective, and why the Russian-Ukrainian language divide is oversimplified. Listen to find out why she thinks that the “Maidan and what has followed is the most hopeful moment ever in Ukrainian history.” --- Also in this episode, Fellow explains what’s happening in Congress, including a rare moment of agreement between President Obama and the Republicans in Congress. --- Show Notes: • "" • --- Subscribe to the Brookings Cafeteria on , listen on , and send feedback email to .

MOOCs, college costs, and the future of higher education May 07, 2015

“Ten years from now college is going to look a lot different,” says Senior Fellow in this podcast. Butler, an expert on the future of higher education, economic mobility, budget process reform, and federal entitlement reform, explains how developments in education technology, such as MOOCs, are driving college costs down, changing university business models, and could have a dramatic effect on social mobility in this country. “If you have a higher education system that actually does provide students with the skills they really need at a much lower cost than today,” he says, “that’s good for everybody, and good for the economy.” Plus, in "Wessel's Economic Update," , director of the Hutchins Center on Fiscal and Monetary Policy, discusses the re-release of Arthur Okun's classic book, "." Show Notes: Subscribe to the Brookings Cafeteria on , listen on , and send feedback email to .

Education challenges in the Arab world Apr 23, 2015

“The Arab world has made huge progress in giving children access to school,” says , a nonresident fellow with the at Brookings. Yet even so, she calls the 2.6 million Syrian children out of school in the region “perhaps the biggest education crisis globally.” In the podcast, Jalbout—former CEO of the Queen Rania Foundation and a global leader on education in international development—discusses the challenges and solutions to educating children in the Arab world, why quality and not just access matters, how the education crisis is a global security issue, and why 3 out of 4 Arab women remain out of the labor force in their countries. Much of the discussion is about Jalbout’s new report, “.” Show Notes: Subscribe to the Brookings Cafeteria on , listen on , and send feedback email to .

Taxes and the IRS Apr 13, 2015

“Anger at the IRS for the complexity of the tax system is misplaced,” says Senior Fellow in this podcast. “The IRS does not legislate the tax code; Congress does. And if the tax code is complicated, that is Congress’s fault.” Gale, co-director of the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center, explains one reason why the complicated tax code might be a good thing. Gale also addresses a variety of issues, including: what tax reform means; whether reform is good for economic growth; what are meant by a flat tax and consumption tax; and political rhetoric about abolishing the IRS. "You can argue about whether you want lower taxes or higher taxes, but I don’t think there should be an argument about whether we want an effective enforcement agency. It’s just a good government thing." - Bill Gale Show Notes: (event w/ IRS Commissioner Koskinen) Subscribe to the Brookings Cafeteria on , listen on , and send feedback email to .

Vegas water czar on West’s water crisis Apr 09, 2015

“I know that California has got a nightmare on [its] hands right now,” says , former general manager for the Southern Nevada Water Authority and now a Brookings nonresident senior fellow, in this podcast taped just as California announced statewide water restrictions. Mulroy, who has been called “the water empress of Vegas,” discusses a path forward in California’s crisis; explains why criticizing the Bellagio fountain’s water use is misplaced; reflects on how she got into the water business in the first place; and offers insights from her experience on how communities can cooperate on water issues. “We in this country have no idea how fortunate we are,” she says. “We are a small minority around the world that actually has reliable 24/7 water.” (Hoover Dam photo by Sareen Hairabedian) Show Notes: (YouTube) Subscribe to the Brookings Cafeteria on , listen on , and send feedback email to .

Robert Putnam on "Our Kids: The American Dream in Crisis" Apr 02, 2015

Brookings Fellows and speak with noted political scientist and author Robert Putnam, professor of public policy at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, about his new book . Putnam explains how an “opportunity gap” has emerged over the past twenty-five years between education for wealthy and poor children in America, and how differences in politics, class, and race are impacting the American dream. Also in this episode, Governance Studies Fellow explains "What's Happening in Congress." Show Notes: - - Subscribe to the Brookings Cafeteria on , listen on , and send feedback email to .

Julia Gillard on the power of universal education Mar 19, 2015

“The forces of darkness, the terrorists, know that education is a powerful change agent,” says former Australian Prime Minister in this podcast about her commitment to global education. Ms. Gillard, now a distinguished fellow with the at Brookings and chair of the Global Partnership for Education, discusses a variety of topics, including her path to becoming Australia’s 27th prime minister; overcoming barriers to achieving universal education; why quality of education matters as much, or more, than getting children into school; and what needs to be done in the post-2015 development agenda to achieve gender equity in education. Show Notes: - - - - - Subscribe to the Brookings Cafeteria on , listen on , and send feedback email to .

The Federal Reserve and "Audit the Fed" Mar 03, 2015

“The real question is, are the proponents of ‘Audit the Fed’ legislation seeking to make the Fed more accountable …? Or are they basically people who don’t like what the Fed is doing and see ‘Audit the Fed’ as a lever to change the Fed?” asks Hutchins Center on Fiscal and Monetary Policy Director in this podcast. Listen to find out why Wessel calls “Audit the Fed” a misnomer, but also how he explains why we are asking the Fed to do too much in the economy. He also offers ideas on useful reforms to Fed accountability and transparency. Plus, find out why he describes a return to the gold standard as “snake oil.” Wessel is also a senior fellow in Economic Studies and former economics editor of the Wall Street Journal. Show Notes: - - - - - Subscribe to the Brookings Cafeteria on , listen on , and send feedback email to .

North and South Korea: Pride, Prejudice and Unification Challenges Feb 20, 2015

"We have a deficit of knowledge about the Koreas" in both the academy and public discourse, says , the SK-Korea Foundation Chair in Korea Studies and a senior fellow in the Center for East Asia Policy Studies at Brookings. In this podcast, Moon, who is also a political science professor at Wellesley College, describes her own journey to becoming a scholar with a focus on Asia and the Koreas; talks about what she observed during her trip to North Korea; explains the sources of North Koreans' national pride; and offers her thoughts on the very serious challenges for Korean reunification. Also in the podcast, a discussion between of Governance Studies and in Foreign Policy about President Obama's request to Congress for an Authorization for Use of Military Force against ISIS. Show Notes: - - - - , by Mo Yan - , by Adam Johnson ---- Subscribe to the Brookings Cafeteria on , listen on , and send feedback email to .

The Affordable Care Act, America's health, and leading the CBO Feb 06, 2015

"I think the Affordable Care Act is actually doing quite well," says Senior Fellow in this podcast. Rivlin, the Leonard D. Schaeffer Chair in Health Policy Studies and director of the at Brookings, cited the expansion of medical insurance coverage, declining cost growth, and other positive factors for the ACA. She also reflects on continued political opposition to the law, the impending King v. Burwell Supreme Court case, and what it was like to stand up a new federal agency, the Congressional Budget Office, in 1975. Also in the podcast, Senior Fellow , director of the Hutchins Center on Fiscal and Monetary Policy, offers his regular "Wessel's Economic Update." Show Notes: • (with Mark McClellan) • • Subscribe to the Brookings Cafeteria on , listen on , and send feedback email to .

Bruce Katz on the 21st Century Metro: Innovative, Powerful, and Leading the Country Forward Jan 20, 2015

“Cities and metro areas are networks, they are not governments; therefore we need to put them central to the debate of how the country moves forward,” says in this podcast on the metropolitan revolution—metro areas’ recognition that they are where change does and should happen, especially in an era of congressional gridlock. Katz, vice president and director of the Metropolitan Policy Program and also the Adeline M. and Alfred I. Johnson Chair in Urban and Metropolitan Policy, explains that the nation’s 388 metropolitan areas are “the true organic economies”; discusses why metro areas are at the “vanguard of policy innovation”; describes why the traditional federalism pyramid should be flipped to feature cities and metros on top; and offers insights into the new spatial geography of innovation that is spurring production-oriented economic growth. Also in the podcast, Governance Studies Fellow offers his regular update, "What's Happening in Congress." Show Notes: • (with Jennifer Bradley)• (with Julie Wagner)• (Adie Tomer and Joseph Kane)• • • Subscribe to the Brookings Cafeteria on , listen on , and send feedback email to .

Strobe Talbott on His Life, the World, and Everything Jan 09, 2015

In this podcast, Brookings President reflects on growing up in Cleveland, his career—as a journalist, State Department Official, and think tank leader—and today’s challenges for governance and stability. Learn how a career in journalism prepared him for State Department diplomacy; about his role in defusing two international crises in one dangerous week in June 1999; what he thinks about Vladimir Putin and Russia’s course; and why nuclear proliferation and climate change are “existential threats.” And also listen to his reflections on Brookings’s centenary next year. Also at the top of the podcast, , director of the , offers his economic update and previews two important upcoming events. Show Notes: • , by Fiona Hill and Clifford Gaddy (2d edition)• , by Angela Stent• , by Strobe Talbott and William Antholis (revised edition)• • "," Brookings Essay by Strobe Talbott Subscribe to the Brookings Cafeteria on , listen on , and send feedback email to .

Nixon and Moynihan: White House Odd Couple Dec 18, 2014

In 1969, a conservative president made a liberal professor his urban affairs adviser in the White House. When Richard Nixon brought Daniel Patrick Moynihan onto the White House staff, the consequences for both would be tremendous, as recounted by in this podcast based on his fascinating tale of those years, (Brookings, 2014). Hess, a senior fellow emeritus at Brookings who was not only Moynihan’s deputy on the Urban Affairs Council but also a close friend, offers vivid anecdotes of what he witnessed, including: why “in a strange way Nixon fell in love with [Moynihan]”; a visit from actor Kirk Douglas; how Moynihan invented the Presidential Medal of Freedom; and the White House jazz concert led by Duke Ellington, the award’s first recipient. Also in the podcast, Governance Studies Fellow , in his "What's Happening in Congress" commentary, reviews the end of the 113th Congress and looks ahead to the next; and , deputy director of Foreign Policy at Brookings, talks about his new book, with David Steven, , which is about the "revolutionary changes in the supply, demand, and flow of energy" worldwide. Show Notes: • • , a series in which Hess recalls five key moments of his time working with Richard M. Nixon• The "" memo, Moynihan to Nixon (January 16, 1970) (pdf)• , story of the 1969 jazz all-star concert (Len Garment, The New York Times, Aug. 25, 2002)• Subscribe to the Brookings Cafeteria on , listen on , and send feedback email to .

How to Make Government Programs Work Dec 05, 2014

“One thing most people don't know is that our [social] programs don't work,” says Senior Fellow in this podcast about how the Obama administration is starting to create a “culture of evidence” for the design and evaluation of government programs, with the ultimate aim to increase equality of opportunity in America and spend less money doing it. Haskins, the Cabot Family Chair and co-director of both the Center on Children and Families and the Budgeting for National Priorities project, is the co-author, with Greg Margolis, of (Brookings, 2014). The book, Haskins says, tells the story of “how the Obama administration has been the most important administration ever for using the results of social science research and especially scientific program evaluation to improve federal programs.” Listen as Haskins describes the origin of the research, the “sausage making” of the policy process, and the move to instill a commitment to evidence-based policymaking across the political spectrum. “There is a growing commitment to evidence and a growing accepting by both parties of the logic of evidence that we need to figure out if these programs work,” Haskins says. In the segments, first hear from Hutchins Center on Fiscal & Monetary Policy Director discuss the problem of uncertain forecasts about the federal budget, and tee up an upcoming event, on December 15. Second, after the interview, , fellow in National Security Law, explains a recent paper series about the , which explores various questions about the integration of robots and robotics into civilian life. Show Notes: • • • • • • Subscribe to the Brookings Cafeteria on , listen on , and send feedback email to .

Our Dysfunctional Politics and the Road to 2016 Nov 21, 2014

“The Republican Party has become like a parliamentary party, vehemently oppositional and opposed to anything that the other party would do,” says in this podcast in which he shares his expertise and insight on political dysfunction in America, on the roots of today’s divisive partisanship, on ideas for solutions, and on the 2016 presidential contest. Mann, a senior fellow in Governance Studies and the W. Averell Harriman Chair in American Governance, also reflects on his 45 years studying and engaging with the political scene in Washington, sharing what he has seen, heard and done along the way. In his regular segment on what's happening in Congress, Fellow explains what Congress is doing now that the midterm elections are over. He focuses on the new confirmation environment for the president and also how congressional Republicans will react to Obama's executive action on immigration. Show notes: • (with Norman Ornstein)• • (podcast)• • • Subscribe to the Brookings Cafeteria on , listen on , and send feedback email to .

America's Diversity Explosion Is Coming Just in Time Nov 14, 2014

"I am convinced that the United States is in the midst of a pivotal period ushering in extraordinary shifts in the nation's racial demographic makeup," writes in his new book, . In this podcast, Frey, a senior fellow in the Metropolitan Policy Program and an internationally regarded demographer, explains what he means by "diversity explosion"; why growing minority populations are so important for America; and what public officials, community leaders, and decision-makers need to understand about the importance of educating and training a new generation of workers. Frey also discusses how he got into the field of demography, and what it means when people say "demography is destiny." Also in the podcast, , director of the , offers his regular economic update, noting that "something weird is going on" when broad measures of the labor market are looking better yet two-thirds of the voters say the economy is getting worse. Show notes: • • • • "" (music/lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, performed by Lori Lieberman, Schoolhouse Rock, 1977) Subscribe to the Brookings Cafeteria on , listen on , and send feedback email to .

2014 Midterms Post-Election Special Nov 05, 2014

In this special edition of the Brookings Cafeteria, Senior Fellows ,, and offered their insights and analysis about the 2014 midterm election results. Listen to find out why Mann called the results "a red tsunami"; why Binder said it was "oddly predictable"; and why, for Galston, the outcome was "challenging" in a variety of ways. Mann is the W. Averell Harriman Chair in American Governance and co-author of . Binder is a professor of political science at George Washington University, a contributor to the blog, and author of many books including . Galston, the Ezra K. Zilkha Chair in Governance Studies, was a policy advisor to President Bill Clinton and presidential candidates. He authored the recent essay, "." Send your feedback about this or any other podcast to . or .

Latin America: Grand Vision of a Shared Future Oct 31, 2014

“Latin America actually lacks an identity because it has them all,” says —a Brookings nonresident senior fellow—as he reflects on how Peruvian poet Mario Vargas Llosa described Latin America. In this podcast, Talvi, who directs the , explains why there are actually three Latin Americas based on macroeconomic factors; why nations such as Chile, Peru, Mexico and Colombia have very strong fundamentals (and why Argentina and Venezuela are troubling); why economic growth has slowed in the region since 2011; and why inequalities throughout the region are inconsistent with a stable social order. Also, listen to find out why Talvi chose the University of Chicago and its frigid winters for graduate study in economics, a world away from his temperate native country, Uruguay. Talvi recently authored the report, “.” In one of our regular special segments, Governance Studies Fellow describes the blog series on the most important issues and Senate races in the upcoming midterm elections. Visit to learn more. Show Notes: • • • (PDF)• • • (article by Mario Vargas Llosa)• •

Why Marriage Is the Best Environment for Kids Oct 17, 2014

“Two married parents are the best environment for kids, on average,” says in this podcast about her new book, . Adding that “we all know single parents who are doing a great job,” Sawhill explains how her research and data show that gaps in education, family structure and parenting styles create unequal starts for American children in the aggregate. Seventy percent of all pregnancies to unmarried women under 30 are unplanned, she says, and today 40 percent of all children in American are born outside marriage. In the podcast, Sawhill, a senior fellow and co-director of the , talks about one of the central themes of the book, how to change “drifters” into “planners,” to “have people take responsibility and make explicit choices about when to have children, whether to have children, who to have children with, and not to treat it so casually.” Plus, in a new feature, Senior Fellow , director of the Hutchins Center on Fiscal & Monetary Policy, offers his thoughts in "Wessel's Economic Update." And finally, introducing a new series of blog posts on the website that will focus on the upcoming midterm elections. The series will feature Brookings scholars discussing key policy issues in the election, and spotlights from academics on key senate races. Show Notes: • • • • • • Send feedback and questions for podcast guests to . * N.b.: In the podcast, Sawhill refers to the concept of "marriage-go-round" and cites Kathy Edin. The phrase "marriage-go-round" was originally used in sociologist Andrew Cherlin's book of the same name. The phenomenon has, however, also been referred to by Edin as the "family-go-round."

Trade Clearly Matters Oct 03, 2014

Every increase of $1 billion in U.S. exports is estimated to support 6,000 jobs, and 95 percent of the world’s consumers live outside the United States, says in her new report, “.” It clearly matters, as she explains in this wide-ranging interview about the importance of trade, how trade negotiations work, why trade leads to net job gains, the prospects for ongoing trade negotiations with European and Asia-Pacific countries, and more. Sapiro, a visiting fellow in Global Economy and Development at Brookings, was deputy U.S. trade representative from 2009 to 2014, and also served on the National Security Council and at the U.S. State Department. Plus, in a , moderator , a senior fellow and editor-in-chief of Lawfare (and also the on the Brookings Cafeteria), described the background of a flight experiment he and colleagues did with off-the-shelf drones, one that the FAA said could not take place in Washington, DC. Learn more about it on . And finally, in a new "What’s Happening in Congress" segment, Fellow offers his views of how both Congress and President Obama dealt with the administration’s decision to take military action against ISIS targets in Syria and Iraq. Show Notes: • (paper by Miriam Sapiro)• (data and interactive from the Metropolitan Policy Program)• (the Peterson Institute report)• • • (event)• Send feedback and questions for podcast guests to .

Billionaires Are Not Like You and Me Sep 17, 2014

The 1,645 wealthiest men and women worldwide—492 of them in the United States—who control assets worth $6.5 trillion are shaping the world for the better and sometimes for the worse. In this podcast and in his new book, , vice president and director of Governance Studies at Brookings, explains who the billionaires are, how they are more involved than ever in politics and society, why this matters, and how, for many reasons, they really are not like the rest of us. Also, hear what has to say about what's happening now in Congress. Show Notes: • • • • • • Feedback or questions? Send an email to .

On ISIS, Syria, Iran, and President Obama’s Middle East Strategy Sep 05, 2014

ISIS establishes a jihadist caliphate across Syria and Iraq. Iran pursues its nuclear ambitions. Syria remains mired in a terrible civil war, exacting a toll on the civilian population and region. In this podcast, Senior Fellow () offers his views on these and related developments, the Obama administration’s response to them, and what he believes is the “great white whale” of President Obama’s Middle East strategy. Although he says that Obama’s initiatives in the region have failed, he explains what the president can do to put together a coalition of like-minded powers to act as a counterweight to the ISIS threat. Doran also offers candid thoughts on why “academia is a profoundly conformist place,” how he made the transition from that world to government and then to a think tank, and why he wanted to be a Middle East scholar in the first place. Plus, highlights from a , and what Russia's foreign policy moves indicate about Vladimir Putin's view on the global order. Show Notes: • "" (Doran's article in Foreign Affairs, January/February 2002)• (Brookings event in which Doran made the Sarah Palin reference)• "" (Brookings Essay by Suzanne Maloney)• "" (article by Doran)• "" (Big Bets/Black Swans memo by Doran)• "" (for Doran's Captain Ahab reference)• "" (David Remnick's interview with the president) Send feedback or questions for podcast guests to .

Much of What We Think about Privacy, Liberty, Security and Threat is Wrong Sep 04, 2014

(originally aired on 8/30/13) In this inaugural edition of the Brookings Cafeteria podcast, , senior fellow in Governance Studies, talks with host Fred Dews about a range of issues at the junction of liberty and security, privacy and government surveillance. Wittes explains how liberty and security are not always in tension; how we might think about the government's surveillance activities; and why technology makes this moment in the history of the world both exciting and terrifying. Wittes is the co-founder and editor-in-chief of , which is devoted to sober and serious discussion of hard national security choices, and where you can when he wrote, “Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.”

Health Care Reform Opportunities and Affordable Care Act Implementation Sep 04, 2014

(originally published 9/13/13) What is the state of health care in America? Can costs be reduced and outcomes improved? Will the Affordable Care Act (aka “Obamacare”) implementation be successful? Which aspects of ACA are already having a positive impact? What to expect on October 1 when state health exchanges go online? , a fellow in the at Brookings and also a practicing internal medicine physician with Johns Hopkins Medicine, speaks with host Fred Dews about these and other questions related to one of the most important aspects of our lives. Patel says that one thing that worries her about health care is that “nobody feels as if it is their responsibility to tackle that cost [of health care].” She also says that she is worried about "active resistance" to implementation of the Affordable Care Act despite the benefits that are already apparent. Show notes: , testimony by Kavita Patel to the U.S. Senate Budget Committee , testimony by Kavita Patel to the U.S. Senate Finance Committee , Brookings book by William Haseltine , TIME magazine article by Steven Brill , Journal of the American Medical Association

U.S. Immigrants and Prospects for Immigration Reform Sep 04, 2014

(originally published 9/27/13) The foreign-born population in America is over 13 percent of the total population, the largest share of immigrants since the 1920s. Over 40 million immigrants—documented and undocumented, young and old—live and work in towns and metropolitan areas throughout the country. In this podcast, , a senior fellow in the Metropolitan Policy Program, puts today's immigrant population into historical context, explains where they live now and how they contribute to their communities, and looks ahead to the prospect for comprehensive immigration reform at the federal and local levels. Singer, an expert on immigrants and demographic change, says that one important issue on which emphasis should be placed is the social, economic, civic and political integration of immigrants into the places where they live. Show notes:

Social Mobility and the American Dream Sep 04, 2014

(originally published 10/11/13) The American Dream is not dead, but Americans today experience less socioeconomic fluidity between where they are born and where they end up than people in comparable nations, including Great Britain. It is "in need of some health care," says , an Economic Studies fellow and policy director of the . In this podcast, Reeves discusses his research on policies to make evidence-based social mobility—from birth, through childhood into adulthood—a priority, at both state- and federal-levels. Family and parents matter, and governments can help; "That's a place where Republicans and Democrats can really meet around." Reeves, who edits the at Brookings, discusses evidence-based approaches to understanding social mobility and devising policies to increase it. "The belief that [American] society is open and fluid and classless," he says, "may actually be inhibiting action to make that true." He says that "an unequal society can become a stratified society. Inequality can begin to perpetuate itself almost automatically." Show notes: • • • • •

Arms Control, Russia, Ukraine and the European Union Sep 04, 2014

(originally published 10/23/13) Arms Control. Russia. Ukraine. Three distinct issues that share multiple connections. In this podcast, , senior fellow and director of the , connects the dots. A former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine and career foreign service officer, Pifer calls for an additional round of strategic arms reductions between the U.S. and Russia, on top of those agreed-to under the New START treaty. He also examines Russian foreign policy and explains how Ukraine is attempting to follow a path to greater integration with Europe while facing pressure from Moscow. Show notes: • • • • • , with Michael O'Hanlon

Who Are the Foreign Students Studying in U.S. Higher Ed? Aug 15, 2014

Over 800,000 foreign students are studying in the U.S. at institutions of higher education. Where are they coming from? What are they studying? And how can U.S. visa policy be improved to take advantage of this talented group? To find out the answers to these questions, I spoke with Associate Fellow from the Metropolitan Policy Program. Show Notes: • • • • •

Is There Really a Student Loan Debt Crisis? Aug 01, 2014

As of last year, student loan debt in the U.S. exceeded $1.2 trillion, more than any other type of household debt except home mortgages. Media accounts have described this as the "potential next debt bomb for the U.S." and "the next financial disaster." But is there really a student loan debt crisis? To find out, I spoke with , a fellow in the Brown Center on Education Policy at Brookings. She explains how evidence sheds light on the problem, noting that it's difficult to reconcile reports of bad outcomes with what is, in general, a very good investment. Also in this podcast, listen to Senior Fellow speak about his new book, (Brookings Institution Press, 2014). Show notes: • (report by Beth Akers and Matt Chingos)• (Brown Center Chalkboard)• (paper by Akers and Chingos)• (paper by William Gale, Benjamin Harris, Bryant Renaud, and Katherine Rodihan)

Islamists, Democracy, and the Roots of Middle East Violence (Part 2) Jul 25, 2014

This week's interview features part two of a conversation with , a Middle East expert and fellow in Foreign Policy at Brookings. Hamid discusses the perception that Islam and democracy are incompatible. Plus, he goes into more detail about what to expect from Egypt's President Sisi, and why it's a cop-out for Americans to look at Middle East violence and say that there's nothing we can do about it because the hatreds are so ancient and deep seated. (In , Hamid talked about meeting Muslim Brotherhood leaders, including Mohamed Morsi before he became Egypt's first democratically-elected president, about the power of social media, and about why Islamists are willing, literally, to die for their cause.) Hamid is the author of the new book, . Also in this episode: a new segment, "Out of the Archives," where we find research from the last century of Brookings history that touches on how we see the world today. During a week in which we observe the 45th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, we take a look at . Show Notes: • (part one of podcast)• , by Shadi Hamid (Oxford University Press, 2014)• , by Shadi Hamid• "" (registration required)• "," report by Shadi Hamid• Have a question or comment about this podcast, or a question for a scholar? Send it to and we may address it in an upcoming episode.

Islamists, Democracy, and the Roots of Middle East Violence (Part 1) Jul 18, 2014

This week's interview features part one of a conversation with , a Middle East expert and fellow in Foreign Policy at Brookings. In it, Hamid talks about Islamists and democracy, especially in Egypt. He also talks about meeting Mohamed Morsi before he became Egypt's first democratically-elected president, why the Muslim Brotherhood was cautious about attaining power, and why Islamists are willing, literally, to die for their cause. Part two of the conversation . Hamid is the author of the new book, . Also in this episode: a new segment focusing on what's happening in Congress. You've probably heard or seen the headlines about House Speaker John Boehner's proposed lawsuit against President Obama. Will this maneuver succeed or backfire? Governance Studies Fellow offers some answers. Show Notes: • , by Shadi Hamid (Oxford University Press, 2014)• "" (registration required)• "," report by Shadi Hamid• • Have a question or comment about this podcast, or a question for a scholar? Send it to and we may address it in an upcoming episode.

Time for Measured Optimism on Africa Jun 20, 2014

Over the past decade, sub-Saharan African economies have grown 5 percent a year, and the region’s economy should double by 2030. Yet this growth is not enough to spread needed development and progress throughout the region. , a senior fellow with the at Brookings, talks about the role of foreign direct investment, priorities for African policymakers, and the prospect for conflict resolution in the most troubled areas. Show notes: • • (pdf)• • • • (blog)

We Need to Change the Way We Think about Infrastructure in America Jun 06, 2014

"We need to change the way we think about infrastructure in America," says . It's not just about the federal government fixing roads and bridges anymore. In this podcast, Puentes, a senior fellow in the , explains how our states and metropolitan areas, through public and private partnerships, are moving forward on the nation's infrastructure goals. Show Notes: • (interactive)• (event)• (blog)• (project resources)

The Facts on Inequality, Wealth, Income, and Working May Surprise You May 21, 2014

Economic issues are prolific in the public sphere, from taxes and inequality, to jobs and productivity and more. Even Thomas Piketty's book on wealth distribution is now a bestseller. How can a person make sense of the terms and of the discussion? One way is to talk to an economist, like , a senior fellow in the Economic Studies Program at Brookings. In this podcast, he offers his expertise to explain issues such as middle-class income gains, wealth distribution and Piketty's book in ways that both surprise and enlighten. Show notes: • • • • •

What You Should Know about the Rise of Brazil and the Rest of Latin America May 09, 2014

As nations across Latin America have become wealthier and more stable in recent years, they are seeking to engage with the world, including the United States, on a more level playing field. In this podcast, , senior fellow and director of the at Brookings, describes Latin America's economic, social, and political challenges and opportunities, with particular attention given to Brazil's rise as a potential major power. Show notes: • • • • •

Do Common Core Standards Really Matter? Apr 25, 2014

Forty-four states and the District of Columbia have adopted the Common Core State Standards in English language arts and mathematics. Despite initial enthusiasm, criticism of and outright opposition to the standards are beginning to arise. , a senior fellow in the at Brookings, explains how the Common Core came about, why some are opposed to it now, and what his research shows about its impact on student achievement. Show notes: • (Loveless)• (Loveless, in 2012 Brown Center Report)• (West and Bleiberg)• (Brown Center event)• (West and Bleiberg)• (Brown Center event)• (Loveless)•

Governing a Changing Arctic Apr 11, 2014

The Arctic is changing. As the polar ice cap recedes, new shipping routes are opening up and access to Arctic energy resources is expanding. , a nonresident senior fellow with the at Brookings, explains what these changes mean for Arctic governance and for U.S. leadership of the Arctic Council in 2015. Show notes: • Offshore Oil and Gas Governance in the Arctic: A Leadership Role for the United States: | • • •

Measuring the Pursuit of Happiness Mar 28, 2014

"Happiness." "Contentment." "Subjective well-being." Can we measure how happy people are and if so, what can we do with this information? In this podcast, , the Leo Pasvolsky Senior Fellow and author of , explains how happiness/well-being research works and why it matters for public policy in the U.S. and globally. In the podcast, Graham explains two dimensions of understanding well-being, the "Benthamite/hedonic" and the "Aristotelian/eudemonic." She explained them : Those of us involved focus on two distinct dimensions: hedonic well-being, a daily experience component; and evaluative well-being, the way in which people think about their lives as a whole, including purpose or meaning. Jeremy Bentham focused on the former and proposed increasing the happiness and contentment of the greatest number of individuals possible in a society as the goal of public policy. Aristotle, meanwhile, thought of happiness as eudemonia, a concept that combined two Greek words: "eu" meaning abundance and "daimon" meaning the power controlling an individual’s destiny. Show notes: • "," Carol Graham• , Carol Graham• "," Carol Graham• "," Andrew Oswald and others• "," Cahit Guven and others• • •

Presidents Deliver the Bacon, Too Mar 14, 2014

Pork barrel spending has traditionally been understood as the exclusive domain of Congress. Yet recent presidents are highly engaged in the practice, too, as demonstrates in his illuminating new book, (Brookings, 2014). In this podcast, , a fellow in Governance Studies, explains how presidents dole out over $100 billion per year in discretionary federal grants through scores of federal agencies, often in service of improving his electoral prospects. In one example, Hudak examined why the National Park Service delivered more grants to Pennsylvania than to California, even though the former has fewer residents and fewer federally protected sites. One explanation he offers is that, during the course of his study, Pennsylvania has been a swing state while California has not. Show Notes: • • • •

A Bleak Picture for Children's Education in the Arab World Feb 28, 2014

"More than half of Arab children are not learning," says Senior Fellow in this new podcast about learning in the Arab world. He joined , a fellow also with the at Brookings, in this discussion about their findings on and solutions for a range of education issues in the region, including number and quality of teachers, accountability, gender, curriculum, and whether Arab world children are learning the skills they need to compete in the 21st century. Show notes: • • • •

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly Global Challenges Feb 14, 2014

From East Asia to Africa, through Afghanistan to Syria and the greater Middle East, Senior Fellow guides us on a brief tour of the good, the bad, and in some cases, the ugly challenges facing our world today. Find out why he says, despite all the challenges, the global order is remarkably healthy right now and what that means for America's role in the world. Show notes: • (Big Bets & Black Swans presidential briefing memo)• (Big Bets & Black Swans memo)• • •

America's War on Poverty Moves to the Suburbs Jan 22, 2014

Poverty in the United States looks different now than it did when President Lyndon Johnson declared an "unconditional war on poverty" 50 years ago. With the publication of their book, , Elizabeth Kneebone and Alan Berube brought to the fore of the national conversation the experience of the 16.5 million people living in poverty in the suburbs. In a new podcast, , a fellow in the , says that the landscape of poverty is "dramatically different" than it was a half century ago. A third of the poor population lives in the suburbs, and during the 2000s, the poor population there grew larger and faster than in cities. While many programs from the war on poverty have been effective in keeping millions of people out of poverty, Kneebone says in this podcast that the shifting geography of poverty to suburbs means that we need to "reassess what's working" and "better adapt our policies to a new reality of suburban poverty." Learn more about the book, get case studies about communities facing suburban poverty, and download an Action Toolkit at . Also read "" by Kneebone and Berube.

Cybersecurity and Cyberwar: What You Need To Know Jan 08, 2014

"Cyber issues have been too long been left only to the 'IT' crowd, ... when it's something—whether you are working in politics, in media, in military, in law, in business, or just frankly as a good citizen or as a good parent—you need to know more about. It connects to all of these different issues and yet most of us have been operating from this position of, frankly, ignorance. And we're being taken advantage of." So says , co-author of the new book, . In this podcast, Singer, a senior fellow in Foreign Policy at Brookings and director of the , talks about how individuals, businesses and governments need to be thinking about cyber issues. Our conversation touched on a variety of issues covered in the book, including the utility of parallels to the Cold War; the role of nonstate actors; how Anonymous and the Zetas Mexican drug cartel mixed it up in cyber space; and how important individual cyber hygiene is.

The Intersection of Politics and Policy Is a Lonely Place Dec 20, 2013

"The intersection of politics and policy is a lonely place," writes Senior Fellow in her new book . In this podcast, Kamarck, founding director of the , touches on the ideas and examples in her book to explain why politics and policy have to come together for us to understand success and failure in U.S. politics. She talks about "surveying the policy battlefield" in trying to understand the complexity of change. For example, why did unpopular President Harry Truman manage to get the Marshall Plan passed "with a hostile Republican Congress," while Barack Obama, who "came into office on the heels of a robust political victory" with majorities in both houses of Congress, failed to enact climate change legislation? The conversation ranged from how FDR's social policies reflected American values, to whether the Affordable Care Act does, to the complexity and length of modern legislation, to whether or not elections matter and if mandates exist outside politician's own minds. Show notes: • , by Elaine Kamarck• • , by E.E. Schattschneider• , by Robert Dahl

Congressional Master Class: The Senate Filibuster, Congress and the Federal Reserve Dec 06, 2013

In this podcast, congressional expert explains why the Senate filibuster is a historical mistake. She talks about her research on Congress’s relationship with the Federal Reserve and addresses whether Congress is more polarized today than it has been in the past. Binder, a senior fellow in Governance Studies, is also a professor of political science at George Washington University and contributor to the . Show notes: • (testimony by Alice Rivlin)• • • • •

Educating Children Worldwide Takes Access Plus Learning Nov 22, 2013

Universal primary education by 2015 is one of the United Nations' Millennium Development Goals. While great progress has been made in expanding educational access, are children learning what they need to learn to succeed? , senior fellow and director of the , talks about why access plus learning is important. In the podcast, Winthrop also describes her collaboration with the Learning Metrics Task Force, and addresses how to measure educational outcomes, the challenge of educating children in conflict-affected areas, and the significance of Malala Yousafzai to the global education movement. Show notes: • • • • •

Ending Extreme Global Poverty Nov 08, 2013

The number of people worldwide living in extreme poverty—defined as living on $1.25 a day or less—was cut in half between 1990 and 2010. Yet more than one billion people still subsist at this level, and about three billion live at under $2.50 a day. , a fellow in the Global Economy and Development Program at Brookings, discusses the possibility that by 2030 the world might eradicate the most extreme poverty. He explains how we measure the problem, what the private sector and aid agencies can do about it, whether or not current targeting approaches are effective, and talks about the poverty problem in the United States. Chandy, who is a scholar in the , says that while a lot of progress has been made over the last decade in reducing poverty, continued progress is: going to require new approaches and new efforts to get us closer to that zero mark. That would include bringing to an end some of the persistent conflicts in low-income countries; bringing marginalized communities into the orbit of their economies; better targeting of the extreme poor. These are all things we haven’t done very well in the past and we’re going to have to do to get anywhere close to that goal of zero. Show notes: • (Chandy)• (Chandy and others, eds.)• (Chandy)• (World Bank)• • • • • (Luke Shaefer and Kathryn Edin)

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected