Advertise on podcast: Public Policy and Society (Audio)

In an era of rapid political change, shifting global alliances, and deepening partisan divides, the Helen Edison Lecture Series is honored to welcome Ambassador Jeff Flake, former U.S. Senator from Arizona, U.S. Ambassador to Turkey, and author of "Conscience of a Conservative: A Rejection of Destructive Politics and a Return to Principle." Flake explores the challenges and opportunities of democratic governance in today’s volatile political climate. Hi career spanned pivotal moments in recent American history: navigating congressional gridlock, representing U.S. interests abroad amid global uncertainty, and advocating for principled leadership in the public square. His tenure offers a unique vantage point on the pressures within Washington and the larger questions of constitutional balance, institutional resilience, and civic trust. Moderated by Marco Werman, host and executive editor of "The World" and UC San Diego Journalist in Residence, this conversation invites reflection on how conviction, dialogue, and courage can restore civic trust and strengthen democracy. Series: "Helen Edison Lecture Series" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 40913]

What does it really mean to go zero waste? At UC Davis, the answer is both innovative and inspiring. Episode 4 of ‘Sustainably UC Davis’ explores how the university is moving toward a zero-waste future—from converting campus food scraps into renewable energy, to phasing out single-use plastics in food service. Featured in the episode are Joseph Yonkoski, Facilities Management superintendent of thermal infrastructure and former READ facility supervisor, Kelli O’Day, UC Davis Sustainability Assessment Program Manager, and Zero Waste Student Coordinators Grae Mordhorst and Sophie Fayet-Faber. Series: "UC Davis News" [Public Affairs] [Science] [Show ID: 41059]

Wine down with Chancellor May as he meets up with some of the students, staff and faculty from the Department of Viticulture and Enology — recognized as one of the best programs in the world. Chancellor May tours the winery and vineyard, learns about the winery's cutting-edge technology and sustainability practices, and even helps crush grapes before sampling the final product with his "partner in wine." Series: "UC Davis News" [Public Affairs] [Science] [Show ID: 41062]

At the UC Davis Student Farm, students bring sustainable food systems to life. In Episode 2 of 'Sustainably UC Davis', we explore student-led efforts in sustainable agriculture. Environmental and social sustainability remain central to the Student Farm’s mission, from organic practices to food justice. Hear about these topics and more from Colin Dixon, Director of the Student Farm, as well as staff and student leads from the Market Garden, Fresh Focus, and Green Fellowship programs. Series: "UC Davis News" [Public Affairs] [Science] [Agriculture] [Show ID: 41057]

From sourcing ingredients to sorting waste, sustainability is baked into every part of campus dining. Episode 3 of ‘Sustainably UC Davis’ highlights how Student Housing and Dining Services (SHDS) makes on-campus dining more sustainable—from procurement, to waste audits, to educational programming. Featured in the episode are Chamayo Yniguez, Director of Dining Operations; Samuel Orellana, Sustainability Specialist; and April Engelmeier, Sustainability Peer Educator. Series: "UC Davis News" [Public Affairs] [Science] [Show ID: 41058]

It's time for a new narrative for the ocean, one that reflects current scientific knowledge and acknowledges innovative new partnerships and solutions that center the ocean in our future. In this program, Jane Lubchenco, Professor of Marine Biology at Oregon State University and with expertise in the ocean, climate change, and interactions between the environment and human well-being, talks about the two current dominant narratives for the ocean are anchored in the past. The older one considers the ocean to be so vast, bountiful, and resilient that it is simply too big to fail. This first narrative drives pollution and over-exploitation of resources. A second, more recent narrative is that the ocean is now so depleted, polluted, and disrupted, and the drivers of those outcomes are so powerful and complex, that the ocean is simply too big to fix. A third, new narrative is emerging, based on scientific findings, existing solutions, and innovative partnerships and policies. This new narrative acknowledges that the ocean is central to a safe, clean, healthy, just, and prosperous future. This new narrative tells us that the ocean is neither too big to fail, nor is it too big to fix. But it is too important and too central to our future to ignore. Series: "UC Berkeley Graduate Lectures" [Public Affairs] [Science] [Show ID: 40427]

Three major global challenges – climate change, loss of biodiversity and its benefits, and inequality and inequity among people – are typically tackled within three separate silos. However, scientific knowledge tells us that the three are inextricably linked. If the problems are not considered together, solutions to one may undermine solutions to the others. Moreover, more holistic, integrated solutions can deliver multiple co-benefits. Success requires integrated solutions. Jane Lubchenco, Professor of Marine Biology at Oregon State University, talks about the historically ambitious, innovative policies implemented by the Biden-Harris Administration to achieve this integration. Lubchenco is a marine ecologist with expertise in the ocean, climate change, and interactions between the environment and human well-being. From 2021-2025, she served as Deputy Director for Climate and Environment in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. Series: "UC Berkeley Graduate Lectures" [Public Affairs] [Science] [Show ID: 40426]

Historian and political commentator Heather Cox Richardson joins UC Berkeley professor of law and history Dylan Penningroth in a timely conversation about the reshaping of the United States’ two major political parties. A professor of 19th century American history at Boston College, Richardson provides an incisive perspective on current politics to the more than three million readers of her nightly newsletter, Letters from an American. She has written for the Washington Post, the New York Times, and the Guardian, and is the author, most recently, of the best-selling book "Democracy Awakening: Notes on the State of America." Penningroth is the author of the award-winning "Before the Movement: The Hidden History of Black Civil Rights." Series: "UC Berkeley Graduate Lectures" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 40424]

Does giving cash up front improve the health and wellbeing of people in poor communities? In this program, Edward (Ted) Miguel, professor of economics and co-director of the Center for Effective Global Action at UC Berkeley, talks about his work in Kenya on the impact of cash transfers on infant mortality, leveraging a unique large-scale census of local households’ birth histories. The findings provide novel evidence on the broader impacts of cash transfers on wellbeing of a poor rural population, and illustrate the value of the experimental approach in development economics for public policy. Series: "UC Berkeley Graduate Lectures" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 40309]

What's behind the political and social transformation taking place in the U.S.? According to Mike Madrid, author, veteran political strategist and expert on Latino voting trends, it's digital technology and demographics. His latest book is "The Latino Century: How America’s Largest Minority Is Transforming Democracy." As part of the Helen Edison Lecture Series, Madrid covers a wide-range of topics, from the outcome of the 2024 election to the state of America's institutions to who he thinks will offer solutions to keep the idea of America alive for future generations. Madrid is joined by Zach Friend, policy and public affairs communication expert who worked in the Obama White House, to further explore current social and political trends. Series: "Helen Edison Lecture Series" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 40328]

David Hogg, co-founder of March For Our Lives and Leaders We Deserve, is a leading voice in the movement to end gun violence. After experiencing the 2018 school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, Hogg emerged from tragedy to become a national figure, advocating for morally just leadership and increased voter participation. As part of the Burke Lectureship, Hogg talks with Richard Madsen, Sociology Professor Emeritus at UC San Diego, about pushing for civic engagement, activism and social change for a safer, more equitable future. Series: "Burke Lectureship on Religion and Society" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 40242]

As voters prepare to head to the polls on Election Day, join the Goldman School of Public Policy and Cal Performances for a critical look at the moment we’re in, the issues that have shaped and led us to this year’s tumultuous election, and the future of American democracy. UC Berkeley experts from former presidential administrations—Janet Napolitano, former Secretary of Homeland Security under the Obama administration (2009-2013); Robert Reich, former Secretary of Labor under the Clinton administration (1993-1997); and Maria Echaveste, former Assistant to the President and Deputy White House Chief of Staff under the Clinton Administration (1998-2001)—as well as PolicyLink founder-in-residence and Chief Vision Officer for the Goldman School of Public Policy’s new Democracy Policy Initiative, Angela Glover Blackwell. Series: "The Goldman School - Berkeley Public Policy" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 40302]

How did Ronald Reagan’s vision of the American Dream lead to Donald Trump’s success? Looking back to 1983, Diane Winston, professor of journalism and communication at the University of Southern California, discusses how evangelical religion, the news media, and social turmoil culminated in MAGA’s Second Coming. Winston shows that many journalists uncritically adopted Reagan’s religious rhetoric and broadcast his otherwise unpopular evangelical ideas about limited government and individual responsibility. Winston’s lecture is based on her recent book, Righting the American Dream: How the Media Mainstreamed Reagan’s Evangelical Vision. Series: "Ethics, Religion and Public Life: Walter H. Capps Center Series" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 40173]

This program discusses humanist and scholar Walter Capps’ political career and the ongoing value of public service. The panel discussion features four people who have all worked as public servants: former U.S. Senator and Nebraska Governor Bob Kerrey; Lois Capps, former Congresswoman who served as a U.S. Representative from 1998-2017 representing Santa Barbara and the Central Coast, Laura Capps, the Second District Supervisor for Santa Barbara County; and Todd Capps, founding Executive Director of the Common Table Foundation. Series: "Ethics, Religion and Public Life: Walter H. Capps Center Series" [Public Affairs] [Humanities] [Show ID: 39721]

Across the United States, homelessness has been on the rise. In California, there have been over 181,000 people without a stable place to call home—about 30 percent of the nation’s homeless population. During the COVID-19 pandemic, those numbers continued to rise as earnings dropped and the housing affordability crisis worsened. What interventions have prevented people from becoming homeless? What lessons have we learned from local, regional, and statewide efforts to reduce unsheltered homelessness in the Bay Area and beyond? The Terner Center for Housing Innovation, the Goldman School of Public Policy, and a diverse panel of cross-sector experts and advocates collaborated for a discussion on reducing poverty and addressing homelessness in California. Series: "The Goldman School - Berkeley Public Policy" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 39849]