Matthew Johnson

What if a single contract clause could shape wages and mobility across the economy? Noncompete agreements (NCAs), often quietly tucked in the middle of employment contracts, restrict workers from joining competitors, and their enforceability varies across states. Using a new panel dataset covering 1991–2014, Matthew Johnson and co-authors found that making NCAs more easily enforceable lowers earnings and job mobility, with effects spilling across state borders. The mechanism is reduced outside options, which weakens workers’ ability to secure raises or move to better jobs. Women and racial minorities are hit hardest, widening existing pay gaps. The authors challenge the view that NCAs reflect a freedom to contract that benefits all, showing they impose negative externalities on labor markets. They estimate that banning NCA enforceability nationwide could boost average earnings by 3.5–13.7 percent.

Christina Gibson-Davis, Lisa Gennetian, and Shuyi Qiu

When Americans talk about poverty, the focus usually falls on income. But new studies led by Sanford’s Christina Gibson-Davis reveal that children are America’s poorest age group when measured by wealth — and that this “net worth poverty” has lasting consequences. Using decades of national data, Gibson-Davis and colleagues show that about 40 percent of households with children have so little wealth they cannot cover basic needs, a rate more than double that of income poverty. In related work, Gibson-Davis, Sanford’s Lisa Gennetian and Shuyi Qiu, and Duke sociologist Lisa Keister link persistent childhood exposure to net worth poverty with lower rates of high school graduation and college attendance. The research underscores that wealth, not just income, shapes children’s opportunities. The findings also highlight the role of policy: pandemic-era programs such as stimulus payments and the expanded Child Tax Credit coincided with significant reductions in child household net worth poverty, suggesting that targeted interventions can shift trajectories.

Manoj Mohanan

Why do so many children in India receive antibiotics for diarrhea when guidelines call for oral rehydration salts instead? A new study, co-authored by Manoj Mohanan, finds that the main culprit is not a lack of knowledge, financial incentives, or shortages of recommended treatments. Rather, it is a persistent “know-do gap”: providers know the guidelines but prescribe differently because they mistakenly believe parents expect antibiotics. In a sample of more than 2,200 providers across 253 towns, 70 percent prescribed antibiotics even without signs of bacterial infection, and among those who knew antibiotics were inappropriate, 62 percent still prescribed them. Randomized experiments showed that when patients expressed a clear preference for oral rehydration salts, antibiotic use dropped by 17 percentage points, especially in pharmacies. The findings highlight how communication and perception — not profit motives — drive misuse. Mohanan notes that empowering caregivers to voice preferences or running public campaigns to correct misperceptions could significantly curb inappropriate prescribing and strengthen global efforts to fight antibiotic resistance.

John Hillen

What does it really mean to think strategically? In a new article, Sanford’s John Hillen, a decorated veteran, former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State, corporate CEO, and award-winning professor, draws on his diverse experience to unpack this elusive yet essential leadership skill. Hillen argues that strategic thinking is more than problem-solving. It requires looking beyond immediate crises to long-term challenges, seeing patterns across complex systems, and aligning vision with coherent action. He outlines 16 concrete benefits of adopting a strategic mindset, from clarifying mission and priorities to recognizing trade-offs and sequencing resources effectively. Through vivid examples from business, government, and the nonprofit sector, Hillen demonstrates why strategic thinking distinguishes effective leaders from skilled managers and why cultivating it is essential for those preparing to assume top leadership roles.

Rafia Zaman

Bangladesh’s TR/Kabita program distributed more than a million off-grid solar home systems before it ended in 2021, expanding energy access to underserved communities. But a new study co-authored by Sanford researcher Rafia Zaman finds that local political incentives strongly shaped who received these systems. The research shows that allocation patterns reflected political influence rather than just household need, raising concerns about equity in programs meant to achieve universal energy access. Zaman and her co-author call for stronger safeguards, such as transparent eligibility criteria, public disclosure of beneficiary lists, and independent policy audits, to ensure resources reach the families most in need. Their findings underscore that even well-intentioned development programs can fall short without accountability measures and community participation.

This new group of core Sanford faculty members comprises experts in social policy, energy and environmental policy, and technology policy. We are proud to welcome CJ Appleton, Celina Scott-Buechler, and Anne Washington. 

Read more about Sanford's 2025-2026 new faculty. 

Now serving as an Executive in Residence at Duke with a joint appointment at the Sanford School of Public Policy and the Pratt School of Engineering, Brown has broken barriers throughout his career. He was the Air Force’s first Black commander of the Pacific Air Forces, and later its first Black Chief of Staff, making him the first African American to lead any branch of the U.S. military.

In conversation with Peter Feaver, Professor of Political Science and Public Policy, and hosted by Duke’s Program in American Grand Strategy, Brown reflected on leadership, innovation, and trust.

Read more about this conversation.

“I am not discouraged, and I want to argue that you should not be either. I believe that we have a chance not only to emerge from the madness of this moment, but to fashion something dramatically better than any of us lived to see.”

That was Pete Buttigieg’s message to the Duke community, as he urged them to hold on to hope, to resist the pull of polarization, and to practice the kind of politics rooted in humanity and dialogue.

Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, a 2020 Democratic presidential candidate, and U.S. Secretary of Transportation under President Joe Biden, came to Duke as the featured speaker for the David M. Rubenstein Distinguished Lecture. The series, established by Duke alumnus and former trustee chair David M. Rubenstein, brings prominent thought leaders and policymakers to campus each year for dialogue on pressing issues.

Read more about Buttigieg's lecture and fireside chat.

Deondra Rose, Duke Sanford professor and author of “The Power of Black Excellence,” has been awarded the 2025 American Political Science Association (APSA) Race, Ethnicity and Politics (REP) section award for the Best Book on Race and Political Change. 

Presented during the 2025 APSA Annual Meeting, the award recognizes the best research exploring the multiple junctures between politics and issues of race, ethnicity, immigration, and indigeneity, as well as their intersections with other axes of identity and marginalization.

Read more about Rose's award.

Sanford Professor Nicholas Carnes has co-edited a new book examining the surprising intersections of politics and pop culture: The Politics of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Volume 2. Building on the success of the first volume, this new collection explores the political messages, cultural debates, and real-world implications of Marvel’s Phase 4 films and series.

Learn more about the newest volume. 

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