A $5 million gift from Caryn Seidman-Becker will establish the Becker Government Leadership Initiative at the Sanford School of Public Policy to encourage and support Duke student interest in public service, especially at the federal level. The gift will create a six-year pilot program designed to identify, recruit, inspire, and support exceptional undergraduate students from their first year through graduation as they prepare for careers in federal service and leadership in public service.

Manoj Mohanan has been appointed vice provost for interdisciplinary programs, effective July 1, Provost Alec D. Gallimore announced Wednesday. Mohanan is the Creed C. Black Professor of Public Policy and has served as interim dean of the Sanford School of Public Policy since 2024. He also holds faculty appointments in economics and global health.

Public policy is a discipline that recognizes that people want and need different things, and different policy processes can lead to dramatically different outcomes. Yet, despite these apparent differences, competing worldviews are still working towards a common goal of making the world better. It is just that the better world might look different depending on where you view it from. At a time when Americans are increasingly concerned about the tone of our political discourse, the Sanford...

In the latest episode of Sanford's Policy 360 podcast, guest John Hillen says that only a third of native-born Americans can pass the citizenship test that American immigrants are required to pass. He is part of a new bipartisan commission trying to change that. The goal is to revitalize the teaching of American civics and history.

In the wake of the financial crisis of 2008, Congress established the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the CFPB. It protects Americans from predatory practices by consumer finance companies. The CFPB enforces federal laws and investigates fraud and abuse. It has sent over 6.8 million complaints to companies for resolution so far. The bureau has been targeted for massive cuts by the new administration which, thus far, have been blocked by a federal judge.