Trending Globally: Politics and Policy

Scientists have developed vaccines for Covid-19 in record time. Now how do we convince enough people to take them? To get a better understanding of the roots and causes of "vaccine hesitancy," Sarah spoke with political scientist and Watson Institute Associate Professor Prerna Singh. In studying the history of mass vaccination, Prerna has come to a troubling conclusion: skepticism (and at times, outright rejection) is an inescapable part of modern vaccination efforts. But by looking at successful vaccination programs of the past, Prerna also explains why this kind of skepticism exists, and what can be done to overcome it. You can learn more about Watson’s other podcasts here.

On this episode Watson’s Director Ed Steinfeld talks with Deborah Seligsohn as part of Trending Globally’s ongoing series on contemporary China. Deborah’s an Assistant Professor of Political Science at Villanova University, where she focuses on the relationship between business interests and environmental issues in China. Ed and Deborah explore how China’s economic transformation has changed the country’s views towards environmental issues, and how the US and China might cooperate (and, at times, compete) to address global issues like climate change.You can learn more about and listen to the Watson Institute's other podcasts here.

India and the US have both struggled with anti-democratic forces the last few years. What lessons do these countries' struggles have for each other — and for us? There’s no better person to talk with about these issues than Ashutosh Varshney, Professor of International Studies at Watson and the Director of Watson’s Center for Contemporary South Asia. He has a way of explaining familiar politics in unfamiliar ways, and in the process making connections that usually go unnoticed. On this episode, he and Sarah do just that as they discuss democratic erosion in the US and India, and how both countries might change during a Biden Administration.You can learn more about Watson’s other podcasts here.

What can one of America’s smallest states teach us about US politics? A lot, it turns out. On this episode Sarah talks with the Boston Globe’s Dan McGowan, a political reporter who covers Rhode Island. Sarah and Dan discuss the pandemic response in Rhode Island, the leftward tilt of the Rhode Island State House in the 2020 elections, and what Americans should expect from their new Commerce Secretary (and former RI governor) Gina Raimondo. You can subscribe to Dan McGowan’s newsletter from the Boston Globe, ‘Rhode Map,’ here. You can learn more about Watson’s other podcasts here.

On this episode Sarah talks with Watson Senior Fellow and member of Watson’s Climate Solutions Lab Deborah Gordon. Deborah is an expert on one of the most destructive greenhouse gasses in our atmosphere: methane. Thanks to the work of people like Deborah, the Biden Administration recently made methane reduction one of its top climate priorities. But as Deborah explains, methane has some peculiar physical and financial characteristics that make curbing it much easier said than done. (Originally broadcast in October 2019.)You can learn more about Watson's Climate Solutions Lab here. You can learn more about Watson's network of podcasts here.

On this episode, the shocking history of one of history’s most toxic relationships. Sarah talks with Peter Andreas about his book ‘Killer High: A History of War in Six Drugs.’ In it, he explores the role drugs have played in human warfare - not just as vices, but as commodities, and even as weapons. After hearing this conversation you'll see drugs, war, and the relationship between the two in a new light. (Originally aired February 2020.)You can learn more about and purchase 'Killer High' here. You can see the Watson Institute’s panel discussion about the book here. You can learn more about Watson’s other podcasts here.

The Biden Administration has rejoined the Paris Climate Agreement, paused deportation of immigrants, and mandated the wearing of masks on Federal property. But there’s one arena that the administration has avoided putting in the spotlight: the future of US military intervention. On this episode Sarah talks with anthropologist and Watson Professor Cathy Lutz about ‘The Costs of War,’ an interdisciplinary project she co-founded 10 years ago that aims to uncover the economic, political, and human costs of America’s foreign interventions since 9/11. As we enter into a new presidency and approach a full two decades since the US invaded Afghanistan and Iraq, Sarah asks Cathy: what are the true costs of these military interventions, and is there hope that maybe they'll be addressed in a more permanent way? You can learn more about Costs of War here. You can join the Costs of War email list here. And you can donate to Costs of War through Brown University here. You can learn more about Watson’s other podcasts here.Photo Courtesy AP Images/Rahmatullah Nikzad

Between the presidential election, spikes in the coronavirus pandemic, and the beginning of mass vaccination, you might have missed this other world-historical event: China landed on the moon. On this episode, Watson’s Director Ed Steinfeld talks about China’s lunar mission with Watson Faculty Fellow Jim Head. Jim is a Professor of Geological Sciences at Brown, and a leading expert on interplanetary exploration. They discuss the science and politics of China’s growing space program, and what it means for human space exploration in the 21st century. They also look at why this next generation of space travel will be nothing like the Cold War ‘space race,’ and a little bit about where exactly Elon Musk fits in, too.You can learn more about Watson’s other podcasts here.

On this episode Sarah talks with Jori Breslawski, a Postdoctoral Fellow at Watson and expert on one type of organization that’s been on the front lines in the fight against Covid-19: armed non-governmental groups. That means groups like Boko Haram, Hezbollah, and the Islamic State, as well as gangs in countries like Brazil, El Salvador, and South Africa. While ‘emergency healthcare provider’ might seem like a surprising role for these types of groups, Jori explains how, once you understand how they operate in society, it's not surprising at all. You can read Jori's article about how armed groups are responding to Covid in 'The Conversation' here. You can learn more about Watson’s other podcasts here.

This is the third part in a special series from Trending Globally exploring the housing crisis in the United States, and in Rhode Island in particular. The crisis has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, but as we’ll show, it’s a problem that has been with us for much, much longer. On this episode, we follow one Rhode Island family's story in order to understand the psychological and economic costs of eviction, and we examine the state-level policies that make the experience so much more punishing than it has to be. We look at the long-term causes of housing insecurity, and explore what it would actually mean to make housing a human right. Contributors to this podcast include students from Brown University and the media collective Signs of Providence. You can learn more about their organization here. Listen to Parts 1, 2, 4, and the series epilogue. You can learn more about the Watson Institute's other podcasts here.