Courses at Duke University

I typically teach one course in the Fall semester on the Duke campus (and another two in the Spring through the Duke in DC program.)

In Spring 2010, students in my Women and Public Policy seminar conducted research and drafted policy recommendations on how Congress might update and improve the Violence Against Women Act. The teams went to Washington to present their findings to Vice President Biden’s senior aide for women’s issues and to the Feminist Majority Foundation leadership, including Eleanor Smeal and Kim Gandy (pictured here).

In Spring 2010, students in my Women and Public Policy seminar conducted research and drafted policy recommendations on how Congress might update and improve the Violence Against Women Act. The teams went to Washington to present their findings to Vice President Biden’s senior aide for women’s issues and to the Feminist Majority Foundation leadership, including Eleanor Smeal and Kim Gandy (pictured here).

Course I will be teaching in Fall 2026 at Duke University:

Political Analysis for Public Policy (PUBPOL 301 / POLSCI 310). This is the core politics course for Duke public policy majors. I emphasize applying theory to contemporary policy cases and on learning to write for policy audiences.

 

 

Courses that I have taught in the past and am likely to teach again:

Does Elite Philanthropy Serve Democracy? We hear a lot about the “top 1%” and their role in elections, but America’s wealthy have an arguably larger influence on society and public policy through their philanthropic giving and civic leadership. Through discussion and case studies, we explore the history of American philanthropy; study successful and failed strategies for giving away large sums of money; and debate the obligations and opportunities of wealth amid rising income inequality and threats to democratic governance. Working in teams, students also research, write, and present a philanthropic strategy for a “real world” donor. I teach a version of this course each Spring in the Duke in DC program.

Whose Democracy? Participation and Public Policy in America . This seminar provides an overview of theories of political participation, with case studies illustrating how they reflect and often perpetuate various dimensions of inequality. We also examine emerging modes of participation, such as social media, to assess whether they are leveling the playing field. And we discuss normative questions: What, if anything, should we do to enhance participatory democracy. Students in this course typically work with a community-based partner to produce a research project, video, or other “deliverable” that will help the organization better engage its constituencies.