Public Affairs (Audio)

Just a hundred miles to the east of San Diego, one of the largest inland lakes in the West is drying up as a result combined human activity and climate change. The exposed lake bed is rapidly turning into a source of dust, worsening the frequent dust storms that impact the people who live in the surrounding areas. Learn about the intersection of architecture and science in this stark but magnificent landscape in a conversation with Climate Scientist Amato Evan and Architect Gillian Shaffer Lutsko. Discover how collaborations with local activists, policy groups, scientists and indigenous communities inspired an architectural project that envisions how we can unite conversations around redevelopment, the climate crisis, public health and community-led design. Series: "Jeffrey B. Graham Perspectives on Ocean Science Lecture Series" [Public Affairs] [Science] [Show ID: 38689]

By many accounts, the global fate of democracy is in question. Half of the world’s democracies are in retreat. The number of countries moving toward authoritarianism far outweighs the number moving toward democracy. And it has become common for elected leaders around the globe to use their power to weaken democratic institutions from inside the system. As part of our Democracy Talks series, Emilie Hafner-Burton, professor at UC San Diego's School of Global Policy and Strategy and the co-director of the Future of Democracy Initiative at the UC Institute for Global Conflict and Cooperation, talks about the global challenges to democracy with Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, New Jersey Secretary of State Tahesha Way and Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer. Series: "Democracy Talks" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 38725]

In the past few years, America’s democracy has faced formidable challenges, just as it has at other critical junctures of our history.  But our democracy has so far proven resilient, with one of the key sources of resilience being the officials who administer elections in states and counties across our nation.  As part of our Democracy Talks series, Thad Kousser, professor of political science at UC San Diego and the co-director of the Yankelovich Center, talks about the challenges we face with Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, New Jersey Secretary of State Tahesha Way and Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer. Series: "Democracy Talks" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 38637]

How do structures and practices of privatization and commercialization affect capacities for deliberating and defining limits? How do questions of purpose, desirability, and public good relate to the prioritization of commercialization and profit? What means, formal and informal, exist for setting limits or seeking alignment between public and private interests? Krishanu Saha, Ph.D, Rosemarie Garland-Thomson, Ph.D., Reuven Brandt, Ph.D., and J. Benjamin Hurlbut, Ph.D., engage in a lively discussion of cosmopolitan ethics. Series: "Stem Cell Channel" [Public Affairs] [Humanities] [Show ID: 38730]

It has become commonplace that democracy in the United States faces an existential threat. This belief has gained popular currency in the wake of Donald Trump’s presidency, nourished by his conduct in office, the attempt to overturn the 2020 election, and continuing efforts to subvert the electoral process. Whether this is true only time will tell. But a common narrative among scholars of American government holds that representative democracy is failing more systematically than the Trump phenomenon suggests. In this program, Charles Beitz, professor of politics at Princeton University, along with commentary by Martin Gilens, Pamela S. Karlan and Jane Mansbridge, talk about the current state of democratic dysfunction and what the future might hold. Series: "Tanner Lectures on Human Values" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 38274]

It has become commonplace that democracy in the United States faces an existential threat. This belief has gained popular currency in the wake of Donald Trump’s presidency, nourished by his conduct in office, the attempt to overturn the 2020 election, and continuing efforts to subvert the electoral process. Whether this is true only time will tell. But a common narrative among scholars of American government holds that representative democracy is failing more systematically than the Trump phenomenon suggests. In this program, Charles Beitz, professor of politics at Princeton University, along with commentary by Pamela S. Karlan and Jane Mansbridge, talk about how to regulate rivalry in democratic representative government. Series: "Tanner Lectures on Human Values" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 38273]

It has become commonplace that democracy in the United States faces an existential threat. This belief has gained popular currency in the wake of Donald Trump’s presidency, nourished by his conduct in office, the attempt to overturn the 2020 election, and continuing efforts to subvert the electoral process. Whether this is true only time will tell. But a common narrative among scholars of American government holds that representative democracy is failing more systematically than the Trump phenomenon suggests. In this program, Charles Beitz, professor of politics at Princeton University, and Martin Gilens, professor of public policy at UCLA, address how to diagnose the problem of whether or not our system of government is failing. Series: "Tanner Lectures on Human Values" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 38272]

How do Japan and South Korea view the geodynamics of the Indo-Pacific region? What are their needs, wants and fears regarding their alliance with the U.S., and how do they view China? How do they view the situation in North Korea, and how do they assess the larger ongoing, dynamic shifts in global security? While these questions are often discussed for either Japan or South Korea separately, in this conversation UC San Diego's Stephan Haggard puts them side by side to bring out similarities and differences in how both countries are repositioning in security, trade and geopolitics for 2023. [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 38663]

The world has lived through 2+ years of the COVID-19 pandemic, heightening the awareness of the links between health and other aspects of life including education and the economy. Future pandemics are a real risk but there are a number of other threats to human health and well-being as well. These include climate change, the rise of obesity, inverted population pyramids, inter-state conflict, rising inequalities, antimicrobial resistance. Counterbalancing these threats are the opportunities that may come through the health sector and broader innovation. Using a comprehensive future health scenario framework, Christopher Murray, professor and chair of Health Metrics Sciences, University of Washington and director of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, explores the range of future trajectories that may unfold in the 21st century. Series: "UC Berkeley Graduate Lectures" [Public Affairs] [Health and Medicine] [Business] [Show ID: 38271]

A hallmark of every developed nation is the provision of a social safety net – a collection of public programs that deliver aid to the poor. Because of their higher rates of poverty, children are often a major beneficiary of safety net programs. Compared to other countries, the U.S. spends less on antipoverty programs and, consequently, has higher child poverty rates. Professor Hilary Hoynes discusses the emerging research that examines how the social safety net affects children’s life trajectories. The long run benefits are significant for the families, but also show that many programs prove to be excellent public investments. This has implications for current policy discussions such as the expanded Child Tax Credit. Series: "UC Berkeley Graduate Lectures" [Public Affairs] [Business] [Show ID: 38275]

Foreign influences on elections are widespread. Although foreign interventions around elections differ markedly — in terms of when and why they occur and whether they are even legal — they all have enormous potential to influence citizens in the countries where elections are held. Monitors and Meddlers explains how and why outside interventions influence local trust in elections, a critical factor for democracy and stability. Whether foreign actors enhance or diminish electoral trust depends on who is intervening, what political party citizens support, and where the election takes place. This talk, presented by UC San Diego political science professor Lauren Prather, draws on diverse evidence, including new surveys conducted around elections with varying levels of democracy in Georgia, Tunisia, and the United States. Series: "Osher UC San Diego Distinguished Lecture Series" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 38457]

The Global Burden of Disease Study (GBD) began in 1991 sponsored by the World Bank and the World Health Organization to fill a critical gap in global health information. It has grown steadily to become an active collaboration of more than 8,000 scientists, researchers and policy-makers from 156 countries working together to quantify health at the national and subnational level. In this program, Christopher J.L. Murray, Professor and Chair of Health Metrics Sciences at the University of Washington and Director of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), discusses what we've learned over the last 30 years studying global health. Series: "UC Berkeley Graduate Lectures" [Public Affairs] [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 38270]

Ukrainian Member of Parliament Inna Sovsun joins Yuriy Gorodnichenko, Professor of Economics at UC Berkeley, and Janet Napolitano, Professor at the Goldman School of Public Policy and former Secretary of Homeland Security, for a firsthand perspective on the war in Ukraine since the Russian invasion in early 2022. They discuss the war's impact, and what comes next for the people of Ukraine. This event is cosponsored by the Goldman School of Public Policy, the Center for Security in Politics, the Center for Studies in Higher Education, the Institute of Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies, the Institute of European Studies Series: "Richard and Rhoda Goldman School of Public Policy at UC Berkeley" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 38606]

The Institute of the Americas and the UC San Diego School for Global Policy & Strategy presents a public forum featuring a presentation of the new book, North America 2.0: Forging a North American Future, by its two co-editors, Alan Bersin and Tom Long and remarks by senior representatives of the North American Forum from Canada, Mexico and the United States. Series: "Institute of the Americas" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 38542]

The county of San Diego has instituted inclusionary hiring practices to recruit neurodivergent individuals to the workforce and ensure departments have the proper skills to interview, train, and work with these members of the San Diego community. Garret Hoff, Brandy Winterbottom, Brian Lafferty, and Megan Elledge-LeVota discuss how this initiative came to be and what it means for the future. Series: "Autism Tree Project Annual Neuroscience Conference" [Public Affairs] [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 38394]

UC Berkeley Goldman School's new Center for Security in Politics hosts a fireside chat with former UC President and Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano in conversation with Jose Antonio Meade. He served as a cabinet minister under Presidents Felipe Calderón and Enrique Peña Nieto in a variety of roles, including Secretary of Finance and Public Credit, Secretary of Social Development, Secretary of Foreign Affairs, and Secretary of Energy. He was the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) candidate in the 2018 presidential election, where he placed third. Napolitano is a Professor of Public Policy and Director of the new Center for Security in Politics. An in-depth conversation about U.S.-Mexico relations, the challenges of the border, and how we can align forces to build a better future for both countries. Series: "Richard and Rhoda Goldman School of Public Policy at UC Berkeley" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 38556]

How do we move from purpose to action? Fundación Tú Más Yo focuses on community development through education and collaboration. Toñe Beguerisse and Dalia Rodriguez speak with Morgan Appel about how they implement programs and work directly with communities to create change. Series: "Education Channel" [Public Affairs] [Humanities] [Education] [Show ID: 38414]

Fake news. Misinformation. Disinformation. The role of journalism in society has never been more important. So what's the future of news in a country deeply suspicious of information? Veteran journalists Kevin Merida, Los Angeles Times executive editor, and Donna Britt, author and Washington Post syndicated columnist, talk about the state of news and information. The discussion is moderated by Point Loma Nazarene University journalism professor Dean Nelson. This event is supported by the UC San Diego Helen Edison Lecture Series which offers free public lectures that advance humanitarian purposes and objectives. Series: "Helen Edison Lecture Series" [Public Affairs] [Humanities] [Show ID: 38462]

On March 4th, 1865, President Abraham Lincoln delivered his Second Inaugural Address. He considered it his “greatest speech” and his “best effort." Join Academy Award-winning actor Richard Dreyfuss and best-selling Lincoln biographer Dr. Ronald C. White for a fascinating look at the Second Inaugural Address. Through a powerful, fascinating voyage of discovery, one comes away with a better understanding of where the country was in 1865 and Lincoln’s feeling towards the Civil War, the defeated Confederacy and, perhaps most importantly, American slavery. A century and a half later, as the U.S. faces a similar struggle over who we are as a people and a nation, Lincoln's speech still resonates. [Public Affairs] [Humanities] [Show ID: 38385]

Creating change in communities starts with trust. Fundación Tú Más Yo focuses on community development through education and collaboration. Founders José Antonio Díaz and Alejandro Martínez speak with Morgan Appel about how they partner with communities to establish meaningful collaborations focused on need, sustainability, community engagement, and goodwill. Series: "Education Channel" [Public Affairs] [Education] [Show ID: 38365]