Professor Mac McCorkle provides commentary on Governor Cooper's proposed budget plan, which includes investments in education, health care, and economic development. McCorkle notes that there are nuances to the budget proposal that could cause it to face opposition from Republican lawmakers in the legislature. Continue reading→

Professor Mac McCorkle comments on Gov. Cooper’s efforts to pass his own gun legislation, describing it as “very dubious.” He makes it clear Cooper’s mention of children was not an accident, noting “Cooper was trying to bend over backwards, saying, ‘Let’s focus on children and gun problems. Let’s focus on that,’” McCorkle said. Continue reading→

They first got interested in the topic after getting involved in a discussion on Twitter regarding politics in the Marvel universe. Carnes notes that he first got involved because “I saw this [Twitter conversation] as a brilliant group of political scientists, political theorists, communications scholars, popular culture scholars. Continue reading→

The article suggests that Pearson's experiences are not unique and that Black motorists are more likely to be stopped and searched by police than white motorists. Pearson provides a personal account of the disproportionate impact of traffic stops on Black drivers in Durham and to highlight the larger issue of racial profiling by law enforcement. Continue reading→

Duke University Sanford School of Public Policy has decided to transition the grading system for its introductory course to a pass/fail system starting in the fall of 2023. The course, which is a requirement for public policy majors, is currently graded on a letter-grade scale. The decision to transition to a pass/fail system was made in response to student feedback, which indicated that the letter-grade system added unnecessary stress and pressure to the course. Continue reading→