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Frederick W. Mayer, Professor of Sanford School of Public Policy and Political Science and Director of the Program on Global Policy and Governance and Director of the Center for Political Leadership, Innovation and Service and Associate of the Duke Initiative for Science & Society  

Office Location: 124 Rubenstein Hall, Sanford Institute of Public Policy, Durham, NC 27708-0243
Office Phone: (919) 613-9209
Duke Box: 90245
Email Address: fmayer@duke.edu
Web Page: http://thepoliticalnarrative.com/
Web Page: https://polis.sanford.duke.edu/

Areas of Expertise

climate change, globalization and governance, international trade, media and politics,

  • Environment, Energy, Climate Change
  • International
    • Global Governance
    • Trade Policy

Education:
Ph.D.,  Harvard University, 1988
MPP, Harvard University, 1984
A.B. in History and Literature, Harvard University, 1978

Research Categories: Negotiation Analysis, International, and Domestic

Research Description: Research: Narrative politics; globalization and governance; international trade policy; climate politics; international negotiations; political analysis

Typical Courses Taught:

  • Pubpol 501, Pol. econ. of pubpol
  • Pubpol 320, Globalization/governance
  • Pubpol 502, Ethics of pubpol

Recent Publications   (More Publications)

  1. Mayer, FW; Phillips, N. "Global inequality and the Trump administration." Review of International Studies 45.3 (July, 2019): 502-510. [doi]  [abs]
  2. Pechar, E; Bernauer, T; Mayer, F. "Beyond Political Ideology: The Impact of Attitudes Towards Government and Corporations on Trust in Science." Science Communication 40.3 (June, 2018): 291-313. [doi]  [abs]
  3. Mayer, FW; Phillips, N; Posthuma, AC. "The political economy of governance in a ‘global value chain world’." New Political Economy 22.2 (March, 2017): 129-133. [doi]  [abs]
  4. Mayer, FW; Phillips, N. "Outsourcing governance: states and the politics of a ‘global value chain world’." New Political Economy 22.2 (March, 2017): 134-152. [doi]  [abs]
  5. Mayer, FW. "The story of risk: How narratives shape risk communication, perception, and policy." Policy Shock: Recalibrating Risk and Regulation after Oil Spills, Nuclear Accidents and Financial Crises. Cambridge University Press, January, 2017: 129-148. [doi]  [abs]

Highlight:

Frederick "Fritz" Mayer is Professor of Public Policy at Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy and a Professor of Political Science and Environment. He teaches courses on the political economy of public policy, globalization and governance, political analysis, and leadership. In addition, Professor Mayer is the director of POLIS: The Center for Political Leadership, Innovation and Service.

Mayer's research concerns the role of stories in politics. His book Narrative Politics: Stories and Collective Action (Oxford University Press, 2014) argues that shared stories are essential tools for enabling communities to overcome free riding and other obstacles to collective action. He is particularly interested in the role of narrative in global environmental politics. Mayer’s second line of research addresses globalization and its effects, with particular emphasis on the labor and environmental impacts of economic integration. His book Interpreting NAFTA: The Art and Science of Political Analysis (Columbia University Press, 1998) chronicled the history of NAFTA and explores the nature of the political processes that created NAFTA. Recent work has involved exploring the policy implications of a world in which most international trade is conducted within "global value chains," and in which a relatively few large firms enjoy considerable power in defining the terms of trade.

In addition to his academic experience, Mayer served as senior international trade and foreign policy advisor to former U. S. Sen. Bill Bradley from 1992 to 1993. In previous stints in Washington, Mayer served as an aide to Congressman Sander Levin, as a policy analyst at the U.S. Environment Protection Agency, and as editor at the Close Up Foundation, an educational non-profit organization. From 1997 to 2000, he was director of Duke’s Center for North American Studies.

Mayer received an A.B. in history and literature from Harvard College, and an M.P.P. and a Ph.D. in public policy, both from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

Bio/Profile
Frederick "Fritz" Mayer is Professor of Public Policy, Political Science, and Environment at Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy. Mayer teaches courses on the political economy of public policy, globalization and governance, political analysis, and leadership.

Mayer’s research is in three broad areas. The first focuses on globalization and its effects, with particular emphasis on the labor and environmental impacts of economic integration. Recent work has involved exploring the policy implications of a world in which most international trade is conducted within "global value chains," and in which a relatively few large firms enjoy considerable power in defining the terms of trade. His book Interpreting NAFTA: The Art and Science of Political Analysis (Columbia University Press, 1998) chronicled the history of NAFTA and explores the nature of the political processes that created NAFTA, both within and among Mexico, Canada and the United States .

Mayer's second line of research concerns the role of stories in politics. His forthcoming book Narrative and Collective Action (Oxford University Press, 2014) argues that shared stories are essential tools for enabling communities to overcome free riding and other obstacles to collective action. Most recently, Mayer has begun working on the politics of climate change. A Harvard Shorenstein Center Working Paper documented how the story of climate change told in American media shifted from 2001 to 2010, likely leading to a decline in support for taking action, and a recent report issued by the Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions summarized American public attitudes about climate change and climate change policy, In addition to his academic experience, Mayer served as senior international trade and foreign policy advisor to former U. S. Sen. Bill Bradley from 1992 to 1993. In previous stints in Washington, Mayer served as an aide to Congressman Sander Levin, as a policy analyst at the U.S. Environment Protection Agency, and as editor at the Close Up Foundation, an educational non-profit organization. From 1997 to 2000, he was director of Duke’s Center for North American Studies.

Mayer received an A.B. in history and literature from Harvard College, and an M.P.P. and a Ph.D. in public policy, both from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

Other Information
Professor Mayer also directs the Program on Global Policy and Governance, a summer program in Geneva that places professional masters students in 12 week internships in Geneva-based international organizations and offers short courses on such topics as global health, humanitarian action, environment and energy, and trade and economic development. Now in its 13th year, the program has nearly 500 alumni.

Frederick W. Mayer