Policy Punchline

Bringing up the Superbowl at a Sunday BBQ is cool, but bringing up science is much less “socially acceptable”… Likewise, people read about politics and celebrity gossips, but why not the science section in newspapers and magazines? Is it just because science journalism is fundamentally less interesting? Or is it because our society lacks appreciation for science and intellectual discourse? Mr. Mike Lemonick is here to answer those questions and provide his insights on Trump’s latest science policies. Mike is Opinion Editor at Scientific American. He has written more than 50 Time magazine cover stories on science, and has written for National Geographic, The New Yorker and other publications.  This interview will be co-hosted by both Tiger and Brian Kraus. Brian is a graduate student in Princeton and the host of “These Vibes Are Too Cosmic,” a talk radio program at Princeton’s WPRB 103.3 FM where experts share cutting-edge science research with listeners on and off campus. It’s truly a pleasure for Policy

Where does the future lie for Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria? Should President Trump pull U.S. troops out of Afghanistan or not? What should policy makers think about when considering whether to intervene in another country’s affairs and exporting democracy? Is the U.S. retreating itself from the global order? Has the Trump administration done any damage to the foreign services system? … Here to answer those questions is one of the most respected career ambassadors within the U.S. Foreign Service and a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom –– Ambassador Ryan Crocker. He has served as United States Ambassador to Afghanistan (2011–2012), Iraq (2007–2009), Pakistan (2004–2007), Syria (1998–2001), Kuwait (1994– 1997), and Lebanon (1990–1993). A few punchlines? - Before President Trump further withdrew troops, where we were in Afghanistan was adequate. It's not great, but it's not awful either. And we are helping the Afghans maintain a rough stability where they are neither losing nor gaining considera

It’s been ten years since the 2008 financial crisis, and scholars and policy makers are still reflecting on its causes and effects. The world has gone through a series of tightening regulations and de-risking; the transparency and interdependence of the financial sector have improved… But is the crisis truly over? In 2018, 10 years after the crisis, a compelling analysis of what really happened was published –– "Crashed: How a Decade of Financial Crises Changed the World." Prof. Tooze teaches and researches widely in the fields of twentieth-century and contemporary history. From a start in modern German history with a special focus on the history of economics and economic history his interests have widened to take in a range of themes in political, intellectual and military history, across a canvass stretching from Europe across the Atlantic. A few punchlines? Using the national economic paradigm from the 20th century to explain the financial crisis is outdated. The “macrofinancial” revolution tries to re

In our last episode, Dr. Celeste Wallander discussed Putin’s Revisionist vision, Russia’s micro-aggression in Eastern Europe, the effect of American sanctions, and the possibility of a nuclear escalation among many other topics… In this episode, we continue our conversation with her. She will explain why military technology could be a "human construct," how the current discourse on Russia is too politicized, and how policy making differs from academia... Dr. Wallander is the President of the U.S.-Russian Foundation and former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Russia/Ukraine/Eurasia (2009-2012). She served as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Russia/Eurasia on the National Security Council (2013-2017), professor at American University (2009-2013), visiting professor at Georgetown University (2006-2008), Director for Russia/Eurasia at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (2001-2006), Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations (2000- 2001), and professor

US-Russia Relations After the Mueller Report: Revisionism, Salami Tactics, and Nuclear Escalation On March 24th, special counsel Robert Mueller released his report that the Trump campaign did not collude with Russia during the 2016 election. Russia is now urging President Trump to reset relations, but will the two countries ever return to a more normalized dynamic? Here to provide her insights on US-Russia relations is Dr. Celeste Wallander, President of the U.S.-Russian Foundation and former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Russia/Ukraine/Eurasia (2009-2012). She will discuss Putin’s Revisionist vision, Russia’s micro-aggression in Eastern Europe, the effect of American sanctions, and the possibility of a nuclear escalation among many other topics… Dr. Wallander served as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Russia/Eurasia on the National Security Council (2013-2017), professor at American University (2009-2013), visiting professor at Georgetown University (2006-2008), Dir

“Cautiously optimistic” — that’s the punchline Deutsche Bank Chief Economist Torsten Slok gave for the world economic outlook. Why is there so much angst for a potential recession? How should we react to all the different opinions and reach our own thesis on the economy? How do investment bank economists produce their forecasts?…… All those questions will be answered in this interview. Dr. Slok joined Deutsche Bank Securities in the fall of 2005. Dr. Slok’s Economics team has been top-ranked by Institutional Investor in fixed income and equities for the past five years. Dr. Slok currently serves as a member of the Economic Club of New York. Prior to joining the firm, Dr. Slok worked at the OECD in Paris in the Money and Finance Division and the Structural Policy Analysis Division. Before joining the OECD he worked for four years at the IMF in the Division responsible for writing the World Economic Outlook and the Division responsible for China, Hong Kong, and Mongolia. Dr. Slok studied at University of C

What's the next step for North Korea's denuclearization after President Trump and Kim Jong Un failed to reach a deal in Vietnam? Would the U.N. Security Council be a viable approach for finding solutions? How does the Security Council work and how do different major players exert their influences? As a real expert on the U.N., China, and global security issues, Prof. Courtney Fung is here to answer those questions. She’s an Assistant Professor of International Relations in the Department of Politics and Public Administration at the University of Hong Kong. Her forthcoming book, “China and Intervention at the UN Security Council: Reconciling Status”, will be published by Oxford University Press in fall 2019. We’d like to especially thank Princeton’s Center on Contemporary China for sponsoring this episode and for connecting us with Prof. Fung.

From the Treasury Department to Citi, from W.H. to Mastercard, Amb. Michael Froman has truly had such a diverse range of work experiences across the public and private sectors. In this episode, we continue our conversation with Amb. Froman and focus more on his career after W.H. Amb. Froman served in President Barack Obama’s cabinet as the U.S. trade representative from June 2013 to January 2017. He is a distinguished fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations; vice chairman and president, strategic growth, at Mastercard; and James R. Schlesinger distinguished professor at the University of Virginia's Miller Center of Public Affairs. He worked to open foreign markets for U.S. goods and services, enforce America’s rights in the global trading system, and foster development through trade. We also made a short video of the interview that highlights some of the most fascinating ideas Amb. Froman talked about, so make sure to check it out in addition to our full audio episode! Please visit youtu.be/ykeVmYrW6DA.

Mar. 1 was the deadline for U.S.-China trade negotiations, making it so timely for us to discuss trade issues and policies. It's an honor for Policy Punchline to present our interview with Amb. Michael Froman, who will explain how trade negotiations happen, the advantages of multi-lateral trade deals, prospects of U.S.-China relations, Pres. Trump's underlying philosophy for trade... Amb. Froman served in President Barack Obama’s cabinet as the U.S. trade representative from June 2013 to January 2017. He is a distinguished fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations; vice chairman and president, strategic growth, at Mastercard; and James R. Schlesinger distinguished professor at the University of Virginia's Miller Center of Public Affairs. He worked to open foreign markets for U.S. goods and services, enforce America’s rights in the global trading system, and foster development through trade. We also made a short video of the interview that highlights some of the most fascinating ideas Amb. Froman talked ab

Prof. Glen Weyl from Princeton University discusses ideas in his new book "Radical Markets: Uprooting Capitalism and Democracy for a Just Society." The book was just listed in “The Economist’s books of the year” among many other praises. In this interview, Prof. Weyl explains how his vision could be a unique solution to many of our problems today, the role of blockchain technology in social change, and the future of Liberalism among other topics. Prof. Weyl is now a Principal Researcher at Microsoft and the founder of the RadicalxChange movement. He graduated from Princeton in 2007 as the valedictorian of his undergraduate class, and he received his PhD degree in economics at Princeton in the following year of 2008. Prof. Weyl is hosting the 8th Annual Conference for Julis-Rabinowitz Center for Public Policy and Finance from Feb. 21 to 22. The conference is titled "Radical Mechanisms 10 Years After the Financial Crisis." This conference explores new ideas and mechanism designs aimed at addressing some of

Prof. Matthias Thiemann discusses post-financial-crisis regulations in Europe and the U.S. He will introduce the shadow banking industry, explain the danger of “regulatory competition,” and provide some clarity for the future of the European Union. Prof. Thiemann visited us at Princeton from Sciences Po, also known as the Paris Institute of Political Studies. He is both a political economist and a sociologist, and he primarily researches on post-crisis regulatory changes in the U.S. and Europe and the regulators’ attempts to control risk taking behaviors in the financial industry. Prof. Thiemann gave a lecture at Princeton titled “The Regulation of Finance in Europe after the Euro Crisis,” which will be presented in this episode as well. Prof. Thiemann’s book "The Growth of Shadow Banking: A Comparative Institutional Analysis" was just released in May, 2018, which you may purchase on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Growth-Shadow-Banking-Comparative-Institutional/dp/1107161983.

As the U.S. and China engage in a trade war, what’s future for the business interactions between the two countries? How have the financial industries in the two countries responded to the changes that took place in the past few months? In this episode, Mr. David Willard will discuss the cross-border M&A activities in U.S. and China, the outlook and challenges ahead, and his take on the trade war. David Willard is the Founder, CEO & Managing Partner of 52 Capital Partners. The firm is an independent advisory firm that provides strategic advisory services on matters of transactions and acquisitions, especially China-related cross-border Mergers & Acquisitions transactions. Mr. Willard is responsible for all major aspects of the firm’s executive management, strategy, client development and investment process. During his career, Mr. Willard has executed and participated in landmark M&A transactions and other transformational corporate matters in the United States, Europe and Asia, including at Goldman, Sach

Dr. Bill Janeway presents his book "Doing Capitalism in the Innovation Economy: Markets, Speculation, and the State." He touches on topics such as venture capital investment, tech bubbles, government regulation, cryptocurrency & blockchain, and the future of AI… Dr. Janeway is praised by many as a “theorist-practitioner.” He has been an active venture capital investor for more than 40 years. He built and led the technology investment team at private equity firm Warburg Pincus, and his team provided financial backing to a series of critical contributions to the internet economy. On the theory and academia side, Dr. Janeway taught at various capacities across famous academic and research institutions like Princeton and Cambridge University. Dr. Janeway graduated from Princeton in 1965 as the Valedictorian of his class; he then received a Ph.D in Economics from Cambridge University where he was a Marshall Scholar.

Dr. Christopher Marks discusses the current investment outlook and political environment in Africa, as well as his experience supporting economic development in Africa as a public finance specialist and investment banker. Dr. Marks is Managing Director, Head of Emerging Markets EMEA, at the Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG). Prior to his current role, Dr. Marks served as Senior Advisor at the African Development Bank, responsible for the origination, structuring, and execution of synthetic structured finance and capital markets transactions for the AfDB’s balance sheet and African sovereign and quasi-sovereign clients. He was previously Global Head of Debt Capital Markets at BNP Paribas in London, and has worked for the World Bank, OECD, Price Waterhouse International Privatization Group, and as a three-year resident US Government Advisor to Poland's Ministry of Finance.

Dr. Christopher Marks of Mitsubishi Financial Group discusses how innovations in development finance such as new risk management tools are now “crowding in” private investments into emerging markets like Africa. As the flow of overseas development assistance shrinks, governments and development banks in emerging markets are increasingly seeking out new, private investors. In this context, risk management tools –– from balance sheet readjustment, to project cofinancing, and risk guarantees –– have become critical for attracting and retaining investment. Dr. Marks is Managing Director, Head of Emerging Markets EMEA, at the Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG). Prior to his current role, Dr. Marks served as Senior Advisor at the African Development Bank, responsible for the origination, structuring, and execution of synthetic structured finance and capital markets transactions for the AfDB’s balance sheet and African sovereign and quasi-sovereign clients. He was previously Global Head of Debt Capital Markets