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The Brookings Cafeteria

by The Brookings Institution

From 2013–2022, the Brookings Cafeteria podcast presented experts, ideas, and solutions across a range of policy topics. You can listen to past episodes at brookings.edu/BCP. The Brookings Podcast Network produces other policy-oriented shows that may interest you. Learn more at brookings.edu/podcasts. Follow on Twitter @policypodcasts.

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Episodes

  1. Brookings President John R. Allen on Russia, Ukraine, China, and leading the Institution forward

    In this final episode of the Brookings Cafeteria podcast, John R. Allen, president of the Brookings Institution, offers his views on Russia's war on Ukraine—including the February 4 joint statement between Russia and China; on China's continued ambitions for global leadership; and on the role of...

  2. More than ever, cities and metro areas matter for America's future

    Amy Liu, vice president and director of Brookings Metro, says that more than ever, cities and metro areas matter for America's future. They are at the forefront of demographic change, innovation, competitiveness, adaptation to climate change, and more. Show notes and transcript:...

  3. Political polarization in America is worse than ever, and what we can do about it

    Darrell West, vice president and director of Governance Studies, says the forces that have fueled political polarization and extremism in the U.S. even since the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol are worsening. He offers insights about why, and what citizens and government can do about it....

  4. Challenges in the post-COVID global economic recovery

    Brahima Sangafowa Coulibaly, vice president and director of the Global Economy and Development program at Brookings, addresses the divergent paths between wealthy countries and the developing world in the post-COVID-19 economic recovery. Show notes and transcript: https://brook.gs/3IyadxX Follow...

  5. The state of jobs and the US labor market

    Stephanie Aaronson, vice president and director of Economic Studies at Brookings, discusses the state of jobs and the U.S. labor market. Show notes and transcript: https://brook.gs/3scx8sU Follow Brookings podcasts on Apple or Google podcasts, or on Spotify. Send feedback email to...

  6. Iran's nuclear aspirations

    Suzanne Maloney, vice president and director of Foreign Policy at Brookings, discusses the state of negotiations aimed at reviving the Iran nuclear deal, U.S.-Iran relations, and prospects for Iranian moderation in the future. Show notes and transcript: https://brook.gs/3H0fVXD Follow Brookings...

  7. How to fix America's broken housing systems

    On this episode of the Brookings Cafeteria, an expert on housing policy discusses her new book that addresses America's housing challenges and proposes practical changes to make more housing available and affordable for all Americans. Jenny Schuetz is a senior fellow in Brookings Metro and author...

  8. Valuing Black assets in Black communities

    Andre Perry, a senior fellow in Brookings Metro and author of "Know Your Price: Valuing Black Lives and Property in America's Black Cities," published in 2020 by Brookings Institution Press, talks about a new partnership with the NAACP that focuses on the strengths and assets of Black majority...

  9. Invest in brain health to combat America's crisis of despair

    Carol Graham, the Leo Pasvolsky Senior Fellow and director of research in Global Economy and Development, who is an expert on a range of issues related to happiness, the economics of well-being, and America's crisis of despair, talks about her new research on brain health and its connection to…

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  10. Russia, China, and beyond: Key U.S. foreign policy challenges

    Senior Fellow Michael O'Hanlon discusses some of the most challenging foreign policy issues facing the United States today, from Russia to China, from Afghanistan to the Middle East. Show notes and transcript: https://brook.gs/359XUsH Follow Brookings podcasts on Apple or Google podcasts, or on...

  11. Is American democracy failing?

    Is America's democracy failing and putting the U.S. economic system at risk? That's the question in the title of a new report from Governance Studies at Brookings and the States United Democracy Center, co-authored by Brookings senior fellows Bill Galston and Elaine Kamarck. To discuss the…

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  12. The top economic issues in 2022

    This is the Brookings Cafeteria podcast's seventh annual look at the top economic issues of the coming year. And discussing the state of the U.S. economy, inflation expectations, and more is David Wessel, senior fellow and director of the Hutchins Center on Fiscal and Monetary Policy at…

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  13. Best of the Brookings Cafeteria podcast in 2021

    To celebrate the closing of another tumultuous year, this episode features our favorite clips from past 12 months. We hope you enjoy it, take the opportunity to download full episodes that interest you, and share the show with friends. Show notes and transcript: https://brook.gs/3EyN4si Follow...

  14. Brookings Metro at 25: Building a more prosperous, just, and resilient future

    Last month, Brookings Metro, formerly the Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program, turned 25. Since Brookings Metro's conception in 1996, America's cities and urban communities have changed dramatically. On this episode of the Brookings Cafeteria podcast, you'll hear from metropolitan experts on…

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  15. Ten commitments to save democracy

    The two-day, virtual Summit for Democracy convened by President Biden and that wrapped up on December 10 aimed to rally nations around the world against growing authoritarianism. The podcast's two guests in this episode have long been involved in the work of supporting democracy and thwarting...

  16. 17 Rooms, a new podcast for the Sustainable Development Goals

    This is a rebroadcast of the first episode of a new show from the Brookings Podcast Network—"17 Rooms," a podcast about actions, insights, and community for the Sustainable Development Goals (or SDGs) and the people driving them. In "17 Rooms," co-hosts John McArthur—who directs the Center for...

  17. When is a public policy racist?

    Jim Crow laws that prevented Black citizens from voting are clearly racist, as are redlining practices that excluded Black homebuyers from white neighborhoods. But what about laws and regulations that don't rely on disparate treatment based on race? Can such policies still be racist? Bill Gale...

  18. Computer science education builds skills for life

    Computer science education in K-12 schools matters, not because it's about training the next generation of computer programmers, but because computer science education builds skills for life, say the guests on this episode. Emiliana Vegas, senior fellow and co-director of the Center for Universal...

  19. Putin, Trump, and the road to authoritarianism

    On this episode, a discussion with experts Fiona Hill and Angela Stent on Russia's re-emergence as a great power after the Cold War ended, under the leadership of Vladimir Putin, and also more broadly on how economic change, deindustrialization, and other forces open doors for populist leaders to...

  20. Cyberbullying and bystander intervention

    Seventy percent of people report that they have done something abusive to someone else online, and a majority report being cyberbullied themselves. Nearly 90 percent of teenagers report witnessing online bullying. In a new report published by Brookings, "Bystander intervention on social media:...

  21. What does success at the Glasgow climate conference (COP26) look like?

    Global leaders are gathering in Glasgow in the coming weeks as the United Kingdom hosts the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties, known as COP26. As global temperatures continue to rise, the calls for action on addressing the climate change threat rise as well. On this...

  22. Ending the state and local taxes (SALT) deduction

    Millions of American taxpayers itemize their deductions, one of which is for state and local taxes, or the SALT deduction. Most of these filers are at the upper end of the income distribution and live in high-income urban areas. On this episode, Senior Fellow Richard Reeves, director of the…

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  23. Politics and the pandemic in Latino and Native American communities

    This episode features an interview with an expert who calls immigration and the Latino vote a golden opportunity for Democrats in 2022. Gabriel Sanchez is a David M. Rubenstein Fellow in Governance Studies at Brookings and a professor of political science at the University of New Mexico. In the...

  24. Unpacking Opportunity Zones tax havens

    David Wessel, a senior fellow and director of the Hutchins Center on Fiscal and Monetary Policy at Brookings, is author of the new book "Only the Rich Can Play: How Washington Works in the New Gilded Age," published by Public Affairs, which tells the story of how a Silicon Valley entrepreneur...

  25. White decline and increased diversity in America's aging population

    America's white population is declining and aging, while the share of Latinos or Hispanics, Asians, and people who identify as two are more races is increasing. These are some of the findings in new analysis from Brookings Senior Fellow Bill Frey, who joins the Brookings Cafeteria to talk about...

  26. Jordan and America's decades-long friendship

    For over 70 years, Jordan has been an important ally in the Middle East for the United States, a connection built largely on the relationships between two Jordanian monarchs of the Hashemite family—King Hussein and King Abdullah—and American presidents from Eisenhower to Biden. In his new book...

  27. Rule the waves, rule the world

    Oceans are at the center of global competition, climate, and trade. In his new book, "To Rule the Waves: How Control of the World's Oceans Shapes the fate of the Superpowers," published by Scribner, Brookings Senior Fellow Bruce Jones takes readers on a fascinating voyage through this water world...

  28. How 9/11 changed the policy world

    Twenty years after the 9/11 attacks, six Brookings scholars reflect on their personal experiences of that terrible day, and offer expert insights into how 9/11 changed policy and what the anniversary suggests for policy moving forward. Show notes and transcript: https://brook.gs/3neP83J Follow...

  29. Challenges to early childhood education in the wake of COVID-19

    As students return to schools across the country, this episode of the Brookings Cafeteria features a rebroadcast of a recent online event from the Brown Center on Education Policy at Brookings on the present and future of early childhood education in the U.S. in the context of the COVID-19...

  30. Why high unemployment persists for Black workers

    Disparities between Black workers and white workers in employment and labor force participation existed long before the coronavirus pandemic, and the economic recovery following easing of COVID-19 restrictions has been felt unevenly, especially for Black teens. On this episode, expert Kristen...

  31. The Taliban takes Afghanistan

    On this episode, in the wake of the Taliban's rapid takeover of Afghanistan, a discussion of the forces and issues that have shaped Afghanistan over the last two decades and will continue to do so with Vanda Felbab-Brown, a senior fellow in Foreign Policy and the Center for Security, Strategy…

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  32. Why it's harder for American workers to get ahead, and what we can do about it

    On this 400th episode of the Brookings Cafeteria podcast, Marcela Escobari, a senior fellow in Global Economy and Development at Brookings, talks about her new report on how to tackle the worker mobility crisis in the U.S. economy. In the face of rising inequality, stagnating wages, a shrinking...

  33. How to make retirement income more accessible for all Americans

    Millions of households have built financial security through pensions and retirement saving plans, but millions more remain unable to access these wealth accumulation vehicles. In a new book from the Brookings Institution Press, "Wealth After Work: Innovative Reforms to Expand Retirement…

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  34. After the COVID-19 lockdowns, how to fix benefit delivery tech for workers

    The COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020 caused a tidal wave of displaced workers who applied for unemployment insurance, or UI. But states, hampered by limited staff and outdated systems, struggled to get relief to these workers quickly and to implement expanded UI programs under the CARES Act. On this...

  35. A plan for marijuana policy reform

    An interview with Brookings Senior Fellow John Hudak about his new paper, "Reversing the War on Drugs: A five-point plan," in which he lays out a series of policy actions the Biden administration could take short of full federal legalization to promote justice and equity and to help reverse some…

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  36. The Trump Organization tax fraud charges

    Just days before tax fraud, larceny, and other charges against the Trump Organization and one of its top executives were filed in New York, Brookings published a report by four leading experts titled "New York State's Trump Investigation: An analysis of the reported facts and applicable law." On...

  37. Global China's growing role in the world

    China is no longer just a rising power; it is now a truly global actor, economically and militarily. In a new book from the Brookings Institution Press, a collection of experts provides a broad assessment of the implications of China's role as a world power. The book, "Global China: Assessing...

  38. Dirty money in offshore banks

    Billions of dollars and other currencies are in tax havens outside the owner's country of origin, allowing individuals and corporations to evade taxation by their home governments. Since many of these offshore accounts are secret, it's difficult to trace what's legal and what is not. In new...

  39. Defending truth from the war on facts

    Truth is contested ground. Facts are under attack. From disinformation to conspiracy theories, from social media pile-ons to campus intolerance, Americans are facing an epistemic crisis in their ability to distinguish fact from fiction and truth from falsehood. This episode features the author of…

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  40. A public reckoning on racial injustice and inequality

    As the nation observes Juneteenth, we are still grappling with serious issues around civil rights, economic and political inequality, and unfairness in the criminal justice system. Now, a year after widespread protests in the wake of the murder of George Floyd by a police officer once again…

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  41. The race gap in multigenerational poverty; Census 2020 findings

    On this two-part episode, Senior Fellow William Frey from the Metropolitan Policy Program answers a few questions about recent and upcoming 2020 Census data. Also, Brookings scholar Richard Reeves and AEI scholar Scott Winship discuss the new AEI-Brookings report, "Long shadows: The Black-white…

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  42. The art of war in an age of peace

    The world is in an age of peace, relatively speaking. Great powers are not fighting each other and haven't for a long time. But, the expert guest on this episode says, the United States must stay good at the art of war. Senior Fellow Michael O'Hanlon talks about his new book, "The Art of War in…

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  43. Regulating markets most efficiently

    On this episode, an interview with Sanjay Patnaik, director of the Center on Regulation and Markets at Brookings and the Bernard L. Schwartz Chair in Economic Policy Development. He discusses the mission of the center, and also talks about his own research on topics like climate resilience and...

  44. China's middle class in dynamic Shanghai

    In his new book, "Middle Class Shanghai: Reshaping U.S.-China Engagement," Brookings expert Cheng Li, who directs the John L. Thornton China Center at Brookings, argues that American policymakers should not overlook the dynamism and diversity in present-day China, exemplified by the city of...

  45. Bipartisan criminal justice reform

    A discussion on criminal justice reform with Rashawn Ray, a David M. Rubenstein Fellow in Governance Studies at Brookings, and Brent Orrell, a resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, who led the Brookings-AEI Working Group on Criminal Justice Reform. The working group issued the...

  46. How mothers spend their time

    More than one in ten mothers of young children left their jobs due to child-care responsibilities at some point in 2020. That's one of ten facts in a new report from The Hamilton Project at Brookings titled, "Ten economic facts on how mothers spend their time," which is the theme of this Mother's...

  47. Girls' education is key to climate change solutions

    Three people involved in addressing climate change through girls' and gender-equal education share their insights and policy ideas about how a green learning agenda can help address the climate crisis through education. Christina Kwauk is a nonresident fellow in the Center for Universal Education...

  48. Can Taiwan have security AND the good life?

    Richard Bush, whose experience with Taiwan spans decades, discusses his new book, "Difficult Choices: Taiwan's quest for security and the good life," just published by the Brookings Institution Press. Also, David Wessel offers his thoughts on the Federal Reserve's approach to inflation, calling…

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  49. Betting on the future with infrastructure

    Infrastructure is front and center in the Washington DC policy debate, and with President Biden's 2.3 trillion dollar proposal on the table, this won't be another so-called infrastructure week that comes and goes with a chuckle but no action. On this episode of the Brookings Cafeteria, Adie…

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  50. What online forum discussions reveal about segregation in DC public schools about segregation in DC public schools

    How does an online community, dominated by privileged parents, discuss its local school system? In a new report titled "We all want what's best for our kids: Discussions of D.C. public school options in an online forum," Brookings researchers examined thousands of messages on the D.C. Urban Moms...

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ABOUT THIS SHOW

From 2013–2022, the Brookings Cafeteria podcast presented experts, ideas, and solutions across a range of policy topics. You can listen to past episodes at brookings.edu/BCP. The Brookings Podcast Network produces other policy-oriented shows that may interest you. Learn more at brookings.edu/podcasts. Follow on Twitter @policypodcasts.

HOSTED BY

The Brookings Institution

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does The Brookings Cafeteria have?

The Brookings Cafeteria currently has 434 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.

What is The Brookings Cafeteria about?

From 2013–2022, the Brookings Cafeteria podcast presented experts, ideas, and solutions across a range of policy topics. You can listen to past episodes at brookings.edu/BCP. The Brookings Podcast Network produces other policy-oriented shows that may interest you. Learn more at...

How often does The Brookings Cafeteria release new episodes?

The Brookings Cafeteria publishes regularly with 434 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.

Where can I listen to The Brookings Cafeteria?

You can listen to The Brookings Cafeteria on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.

Who hosts The Brookings Cafeteria?

The Brookings Cafeteria is created and hosted by The Brookings Institution.
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