Public Policy Channel (Audio)

This episode of TecHype features Yoel Roth, former Head of Trust and Safety at Twitter. Yoel provides first-hand insights into how one of the largest online platforms in the world built out its trust and safety operations to better ensure its service was helpful, harmless, and aligned with user expectations While at Twitter, Dr. Roth found himself the target of a coordinated harassment campaign on the platform, one instigated by the current CEO Elon Musk. His years of work building out the trust and safety operations had become personal. In this episode, Dr. Roth provides professional and personal perspectives on the real benefits and risks of platform trust and safety efforts, the current state-of-the-art of the field, and where it’s going. Series: "UC Public Policy Channel" [Public Affairs] [Science] [Show ID: 39285]

Joan Donovan, a leading disinformation researcher specializing in media manipulation, explains how social media platforms have become the new battleground for public persuasion. Co-author of “Meme Wars: The Untold Story of the Online Battles Upending Democracy in America,” Donovan uncovers the ways memes and social media enable fringe groups to lure in new recruits and spread their ideologies. In this episode, Donovan provides expert guidance on technical and policy strategies necessary to mitigate the weaponization of social media. Series: "UC Public Policy Channel" [Public Affairs] [Science] [Show ID: 39286]

The relationship between the United States and China is the most important, difficult and vital bilateral relationship in the world today. So how does the U.S. make its China policy? How do different administrations address the China policy? And how has it changed over the past two decades? In this discussion, Susan Shirk, professor emeritus at the UC San Diego School of Global Policy and Strategy and founding chair of the 21st Century China Center, talks with Stephen Hadley, former national security advisor to President George W. Bush, about the evolution of U.S.-China relations in recent years. Also joining the discussion is Paul Haenle, who served as the White House China director on the National Security Council staffs of former presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama. Series: "UC Public Policy Channel" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 39227]

TecHype is a groundbreaking series that cuts through the hype around emerging technologies. Each episode debunks misunderstandings around emerging tech, provides insight into benefits and risks, and identifies technical and policy strategies to harness the benefits while mitigating the risks. This episode of TecHype features Prof. Stuart Russell from UC Berkeley, a world-renowned expert in artificial intelligence and co-author (with Peter Norvig) of the standard text in the field. We debunk misunderstandings around what “AI” actually is and break down the benefits and risks of this transformative technology. Prof. Russell provides an expert perspective on the real impacts AI will have in our world, including its potential to provide greater efficiency and effectiveness in a variety of domains and the serious safety, security, and discrimination risks it poses. Series: "UC Public Policy Channel" [Public Affairs] [Science] [Show ID: 39284]

TecHype is a groundbreaking series that cuts through the hype around emerging technologies to get to what matters. Each episode debunks misunderstandings around emerging tech, provides insight into benefits and risks, and identifies technical and policy strategies to harness the benefits while mitigating the risks of emerging technologies. This episode of TecHype features Prof. Hany Farid from UC Berkeley, a world-renowned expert in the analysis of digitally manipulated images. We take a deep dive into determining what a 'deepfake’ is and explore how these AI-generated images, videos, and audio can be used for both amusing and alarming purposes. Farid highlights the increasing prevalence of deepfakes and their impact on society. From revolutionizing the entertainment industry, bolstering creativity, and championing advocacy campaigns to their use in impersonating public figures in ways that manipulate elections or personal contacts to commit fraud. The episode concludes with a discussion of targeted strategies that can be pursued to keep you safe from harmful deepfakes, such as digital watermarking and detection tools. Series: "UC Public Policy Channel" [Public Affairs] [Science] [Show ID: 39244]

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]

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]

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]

“I’m not a racist, but…” In their new book, Racial Resentment in the Political Mind (University of Chicago Press), Goldman School Dean David C. Wilson and Notre Dame Professor of Political Science Darren Davis explore the concept of racial resentment. They argue that while prejudice and racism are fundamentally rooted in American politics, so are non-racial motivations, such as a belief in a “just” world, where people get what they deserve and deserve what they get. This instinct to make judgments about “deservingness” in politics often animates those who believe they are “not racist,” but tend to oppose policies and ideas that advance racial justice, and blame racial-ethnic minorities for their social, political, and economic positions. Join Dean Wilson and Professor Davis in conversation with Assistant Vice Chancellor Dan Mogulof about their research findings and why a nuanced conversation about race is critical to democracy.  Series: "Richard and Rhoda Goldman School of Public Policy at UC Berkeley" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 37781]

Join Secretary Janet Napolitano and Senator Mark Warner for a discussion about the risks and opportunities of emergent technologies for voting, political engagement, and more. Must innovation and security always be at odds? Is there a way to find a balance between the two? Tune in for a fascinating conversation between two national security experts and lifelong public servants. Series: "Richard and Rhoda Goldman School of Public Policy at UC Berkeley" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 37661]

Former Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and former Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius explore the H1N1 Pandemic of 2009 and what lessons that pandemic might have for our current situation. Series: "Richard and Rhoda Goldman School of Public Policy at UC Berkeley" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 37523]

The Center on Civility & Democratic Engagement (CCDE) at the Goldman School of Public Policy presents a special 2021 UC Berkeley Homecoming lecture featuring Berkeley Mayor Jesse Arreguin. CCDE Faculty Director Dan Lindheim interviews Berkeley Mayor Jesse Arreguin on how he went from Cal student to Berkeley's Mayor, and the key issues the City faces in terms of public safety, housing, homelessness, COVID, and its complicated relationships with the Berkeley campus. Series: "Richard and Rhoda Goldman School of Public Policy at UC Berkeley" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 37321]

Disinformation - the intentional dissemination of false information to shape political and social outcomes - is an increasingly pernicious feature of the US political landscape. In just the past 18 months, disinformation has had direct, harmful effects on efforts to check the spread of COVID-19, on initiatives for racial justice and on the 2020 election and its aftermath. Clearly, disinformation costs lives and erodes democracy. This Berkeley Conversation convenes eminent scholars to explore one of the most critical questions facing US democracy: How can we counter disinformation to protect our communities without compromising America’s core principles? This event is sponsored by the Goldman School of Public Policy, Berkeley Law and the Office of Communications and Public Affairs. Series: "Richard and Rhoda Goldman School of Public Policy at UC Berkeley" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 37462]

David Beckmann reviews what we've learned from the Poverty, God & Politics series, talks about the students in his UC Berkeley class, and thanks the people—about 3,000 a week—who have watched webcasts and read the companion blog posts. He stresses the importance of advocacy with Congress this year and active participation in next year's elections. Series: "Richard and Rhoda Goldman School of Public Policy at UC Berkeley" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 36998]

Eugene Cho, president of Bread for the World, explains how this nationwide Christian citizens' movement repeatedly wins large-scale change for people struggling with hunger in this country and around the world. He concludes with Bread's current campaign to strengthen U.S. support for progress against child malnutrition worldwide.  Eugene is introduced by David Beckmann, who served as president until a year ago. These two leaders are different in many ways and Eugene is leading Bread for the World in new directions. But they are clearly united in faith and in deep appreciation for the people and congregations across the country who persistently urge their members of Congress to help hungry people. Eugene spoke to David's class in March 2021, an intense period of anti-Asian hate crimes. Series: "Richard and Rhoda Goldman School of Public Policy at UC Berkeley" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 36997]

John Carr provides a witty and incisive assessment of the liabilities and strengths of the Catholic community and its role in the politics of poverty. Its strengths include the leadership of Pope Francis and the rich tradition of Catholic social teaching. Carr is director of the Initiative on Catholic Social Teaching and Public Life at Georgetown University. Their educational programs are influential among Catholics in the United States and extend to thousands of people around the world. John previously served for more than two decades as director of the department that works on issues of peace, justice, and international development for the US Conference of Catholic Bishops. John and David Beckmann have worked together for many years and are close friends. Series: "Richard and Rhoda Goldman School of Public Policy at UC Berkeley" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 36996]

Tom Hart, acting CEO and North American Executive Director of the ONE Campaign, explains how a strong advocacy community, including people of faith and faith-based organizations, have helped to reduce poverty, hunger, and disease around the world over the last generation. David Beckmann and Tom Hart open and close with lively discussions of two advocacy campaigns—debt relief for poor countries in the year 2000 and global child nutrition right now. Tom concludes with ambitious proposals to address the still-raging COVID pandemic and its consequences in low-income countries. Series: "Richard and Rhoda Goldman School of Public Policy at UC Berkeley" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 36995]

Many faith bodies and faith-related groups organize legislative advocacy. Amy Reumann, director of Witness and Society for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), explains how the ELCA's legislative advocacy is rooted in faith and theology, collective study of policy concerns, and ELCA ministries at the local, national, and international levels. The ELCA, its churches, and people are active in advocacy with state governments, the United Nations, and corporations as well as with the federal government. Whenever possible, they bring powerful decision-makers into conversations with the people and organizations that the ELCA and its people know through their on-the-ground ministries—homeless people, for example, or local churches in Central America. ELCA congregations bring people from all across the political spectrum together in worship, fellowship, and study. Series: "Richard and Rhoda Goldman School of Public Policy at UC Berkeley" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 36994]

Anna Eng, a senior organizer for the Industrial Areas Foundation (IAF), explains from experience how faith-based community organizing works. David Beckmann argues that the faith-based community organizing movement has contributed to increasing political participation among low-income Americans. He also talks about the Poor People's Campaign and the positive impact of social media. Series: "Richard and Rhoda Goldman School of Public Policy at UC Berkeley" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 36993]

911 dispatchers have some of the most stressful jobs in the world. They are constantly helping people through the toughest moments of their lives. All that stress can lead to high levels of burnout and turnover. That is bad news not just for the dispatchers, but for everyone who needs their help, and city budgets. Researcher Elizabeth Linos at UC Berkeley's Goldman School of Public Policy has found a simple but effective way to address burnout among dispatchers by giving them a sense of community on the job. Series: "UC Public Policy Channel" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 35616]