David H. Schanzer
Professor of the Practice in the Sanford School of Public Policy
David Schanzer is a professor of the practice at the Duke Sanford School of Public Policy University and director of the Triangle Center on Terrorism and Homeland Security. He teaches courses, conducts research and engages in public dialogue on counterterrorism strategy, counterterrorism law and homeland security.
Schanzer is the lead author of two National Institute of Justice studies: The Promise and The Challenge and Promise of Using Community Policing Strategies to Prevent Violent Extremism (2016) and Anti-Terror Lessons of Muslim Americans (2010). He has served a member of the Countering Violent Extremism Leadership Forum and has been a Research Fellow for the National Intelligence Council.
Prior to his academic appointments, Schanzer was the Democratic staff director for the House of Representatives Committee on Homeland Security from 2003 to 2005. He previously served as the legislative director for Sen. Jean Carnahan (2001-2002), counsel to Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr. (1996-1998), and counsel to Sen. William S. Cohen (1994-1996).
His positions in the executive branch include special counsel, Office of General Counsel, Department of Defense (1998-2001) and trial attorney, United States Department of Justice (1992-94). Schanzer was a clerk for U.S. District Judge Norma L. Shapiro and in the Office of the Solicitor General of the United States.
Schanzer is a graduate of Harvard College where he received an A.B. cum laude in government in 1985 and of Harvard Law School, where he served as an editor of the Harvard Law Review from 1987-1989. Schanzer has appeared on international, national and local radio and television discussing terrorism and homeland security and is the author of more than 70 op-ed articles on these subjects that have appeared in newspapers around the country and on-line.
Schanzer is the lead author of two National Institute of Justice studies: The Promise and The Challenge and Promise of Using Community Policing Strategies to Prevent Violent Extremism (2016) and Anti-Terror Lessons of Muslim Americans (2010). He has served a member of the Countering Violent Extremism Leadership Forum and has been a Research Fellow for the National Intelligence Council.
Prior to his academic appointments, Schanzer was the Democratic staff director for the House of Representatives Committee on Homeland Security from 2003 to 2005. He previously served as the legislative director for Sen. Jean Carnahan (2001-2002), counsel to Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr. (1996-1998), and counsel to Sen. William S. Cohen (1994-1996).
His positions in the executive branch include special counsel, Office of General Counsel, Department of Defense (1998-2001) and trial attorney, United States Department of Justice (1992-94). Schanzer was a clerk for U.S. District Judge Norma L. Shapiro and in the Office of the Solicitor General of the United States.
Schanzer is a graduate of Harvard College where he received an A.B. cum laude in government in 1985 and of Harvard Law School, where he served as an editor of the Harvard Law Review from 1987-1989. Schanzer has appeared on international, national and local radio and television discussing terrorism and homeland security and is the author of more than 70 op-ed articles on these subjects that have appeared in newspapers around the country and on-line.
Office Hours
Tuesdays, 9:00- 11:00
Current Appointments & Affiliations
- Professor of the Practice in the Sanford School of Public Policy, Sanford School of Public Policy, Duke University 2018
- Director of the Triangle Center on Terrorism and Homeland Security, Sanford School of Public Policy, Duke University 2014
Contact Information
- 136 Rubenstein Hall, Terry Sanford School of Public, Durham, NC 27708
- Box 90250, Durham, NC 27708-0250
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schanzer@duke.edu
- Background
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Education, Training, & Certifications
- J.D., Harvard University 1989
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Previous Appointments & Affiliations
- Associate Professor of the Practice in the Sanford School of Public Policy, Sanford School of Public Policy, Duke University 2009 - 2018
- Director of the Triangle Ctr on Terrorism and Homeland Sec in the Sanford School of Public Policy, Sanford School of Public Policy, Duke University 2008 - 2013
- Visiting Associate Professor, Sanford School of Public Policy, Duke University 2005 - 2009
- Director, Sanford School of Public Policy, Duke University 2005 - 2008
- Recognition
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In the News
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SEP 7, 2021 Georgetown Journal of International Affairs -
AUG 17, 2021 Duke Medium Page -
AUG 17, 2021 The Hill -
JUN 26, 2021 New Canaan Advertiser -
APR 22, 2021 The Hill -
MAR 9, 2021 Medium -
FEB 15, 2021 Sanford School Policy 360 Podcast -
JAN 20, 2021 Tampa Bay Times -
JAN 7, 2021 -
JAN 7, 2021 Medium -
APR 27, 2020 Government Relations -
APR 18, 2020 The Hill -
AUG 5, 2019 The Guardian -
MAY 2, 2019 The News & Observer -
NOV 19, 2018 WUNC -
NOV 14, 2018 Duke Chronicle -
NOV 4, 2018 The Globe Post -
OCT 30, 2018 KQED Radio -
OCT 25, 2018 The Boston Herald -
OCT 25, 2018 ABCNews11 -
OCT 25, 2018 The World Today -
OCT 24, 2018 Duke Today -
AUG 9, 2018 The News & Observer -
AUG 15, 2017 The Guardian -
AUG 14, 2017 -
JUN 14, 2017 Sanford School of Public Policy -
MAY 24, 2017 Sanford School 'Ways & Means' Podcast -
APR 19, 2017 Sanford School podcast -
MAR 24, 2017 -
FEB 3, 2017 Sanford School of Public Policy -
SEP 21, 2016 Cleveland Plain Dealer -
SEP 12, 2016 The News & Observer -
JUL 27, 2016 The Washington Post -
JUL 18, 2016 Charlotte Observer -
JUL 18, 2016 WTVD -
JUL 15, 2016 WWL-New Orleans “First News" -
JUL 15, 2016 -
JUL 15, 2016 -
JUL 13, 2016 -
JUN 27, 2016 The Miami Herald, AP -
JUN 22, 2016 Huffington Post -
JUN 21, 2016 -
JUN 15, 2016 Bergen Record -
JUN 14, 2016 KQED’s “Forum” -
JUN 14, 2016 Deutsche Welle -
APR 15, 2016 -
MAR 29, 2016 -
MAR 23, 2016 -
MAR 22, 2016 -
FEB 4, 2016 The Washington Post, Religion News Service -
JAN 24, 2016 the Huffington Post -
JAN 22, 2016 The Christian Science Monitor -
JAN 21, 2016 -
JAN 19, 2016 C-SPAN -
JAN 15, 2016 National Journal -
JAN 15, 2016 The Washington Post, Religion News Service -
JAN 12, 2016 -
JAN 6, 2016 The Atlantic -
JAN 5, 2016 The Christian Science Monitor -
DEC 22, 2015 WRAL’s “On the Record" -
DEC 21, 2015 Fortune -
DEC 21, 2015 Fortune -
DEC 11, 2015 KPCC -
DEC 9, 2015 Deutsche Welle -
DEC 9, 2015 ABC News, AP -
DEC 7, 2015 “PBS NewsHour Weekend” -
DEC 4, 2015 The Washington Post -
NOV 25, 2015 WRAL -
NOV 19, 2015 Raleigh News & Observer -
NOV 19, 2015 The News & Observer -
NOV 18, 2015 -
NOV 17, 2015 The Christian Science Monitor -
NOV 16, 2015 CNN -
NOV 11, 2015 The Christian Science Monitor -
NOV 2, 2015 WPTF-Raleigh -
OCT 19, 2015 The Philadelphia Inquirer -
SEP 8, 2015 -
AUG 17, 2015 The Huffington Post -
AUG 17, 2015 the Huffington Post -
JUL 24, 2015 The New York Times -
JUL 22, 2015 Atlanta Journal Constitution -
JUL 20, 2015 The Washington Times -
JUN 26, 2015 The Huffington Post -
JUN 25, 2015
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- Expertise
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Subject Headings
- Research
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Selected Grants
- Evaluating the Federal CVE Initiative awarded by US Department of Justice 2014 - 2017
- Community Policing Strategies To Counter Violent Extremism awarded by US Department of Justice 2013 - 2016
- Anti-Terror Lessons of American Muslim Communities awarded by National Institute Of Justice 2007 - 2009
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Fellowships, Supported Research, & Other Grants
- Seed Grant: Building a Community at Duke to Engage in Constructive Dialogue on the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict awarded by Duke Office of Faculty Advancement 2019
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External Relationships
- RAND Corporation
- RAND Corporation
- US State Department
- Publications & Artistic Works
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Selected Publications
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Academic Articles
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Schanzer, D. H. “No Easy Day: Government Roadblocks and the Unsolvable Problem of Political Violence: A Response to Marc Sageman's "The Stagnation in Terrorism Research".” Terrorism and Political Violence 26, no. 4 (January 1, 2014): 596–600. https://doi.org/10.1080/09546553.2014.895652.Full Text
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Williams, J. “Staying Of the Snowden Bandwagon,” December 17, 2013.Open Access Copy
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Schanzer, D. H. “Continental Security - A Skeptic’s View.” Homeland Security Affairs, 2012.
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Kurzman, C., D. Schanzer, and E. Moosa. “Muslim American terrorism since 9/11: Why so rare?” Muslim World 101, no. 3 (2011): 464–83. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1478-1913.2011.01388.x.Full Text
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Schanzer, D. H., and J. E. Eyerman. “Improving Strategic Risk Management at the Department of Homeland Security.” Ibm Center for the Business of Government, 2010.
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Schanzer, D. H. “Book Review: "Open Target: Where America Is Vulnerable to Terrorist Attack by Clark Kent Ervin".” Survival 48, no. 2 (July 2006): 165–72.Open Access Copy
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“Book reviews.” Survival 48, no. 2 (June 2006): 165–72. https://doi.org/10.1080/00396330600765633.Full Text
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Schanzer, D. H. “Hurricane Katrina: Anatomy of a Disaster.” The Optimist 1, no. 7 (January 2006).Open Access Copy
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Schanzer, D. H. “The War on Terror: A Fifth Year Status Report.” Carolina Banker, December 2005.Open Access Copy
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“filler: Georgetown Journal of International affairs.” Orbis 47, no. 1 (December 2003): II–II. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0030-4387(02)00201-6.Full Text
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Schanzer, D. H. “Case Note: Supreme Court - Leading Cases: Lyng v. UAW.” Harvard L. Rev. 242 (1988).
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Book Sections
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Schanzer, D. H. “Terrorism as tactic.” In Constructions of Terrorism: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Research and Policy, 38–52, 2017.
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Other Articles
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Schanzer, D. H., and Jay Sullivan. “Cancel the Midterms.” The New York Times on the Web. New York Times Company, November 2, 2014.Link to Item
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Schanzer, D. H., and Timothy Nichols. “Take a Deep Breath and Build a Coalition to Confront ISIS.” Huffington Post, September 10, 2014.Link to Item
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Schanzer, D. H. “Israel Can’t Afford to Lose Jews Like Me.” Huffington Post, August 6, 2014.Link to Item
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Schanzer, D. H. “Iraq Is Not a ‘Terrorism’ Problem.” Huffington Post, June 17, 2014.Link to Item
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Schanzer, D. H. “9/11 Museum Should Not Conflate Islam and Terrorism.” Huffington Post. Public Scholarship on Islam & The Muslim Experience, May 15, 2014.Open Access Copy
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Schanzer, D. H. “Homegrown terrorism threat was overhyped,” April 14, 2014.Open Access Copy
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Schanzer, D. H. “Time for Full Disclosure of CIA Interrorgations,” March 14, 2014.Open Access Copy
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Schanzer, D. H. “Staying Off the Snowden Bandwagon,” December 17, 2013.
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Schanzer, D. H. “Commemorating 9/11.” Huffington Post, September 2, 2013.Open Access Copy
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Schanzer, D. H. “Obama Makes the Case, But Has No Realistic Plan to Close GITMO.” Islamic Commentary, May 24, 2013.Open Access Copy
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Schanzer, D. H. “Don’t Forget: Leakers of Classified Information Are Criminals.” Huff Post Media, May 2013.
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Schanzer, D. H. “Guantanamo’s Collapse.” Huff Post, May 2013.
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Schanzer, D. H. “Beware of Easy Answers to the 'Who Dropped the Ball?' Question.” Huff Post, May 2013.
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Schanzer, D. H. “Interrogate Boston Bomber for Intelligence & Then Prosecute Him.” Huff Post, May 2013.
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Schanzer, D. H., and D. H. , Eyerman, J. “Immigration Reform: Don’t Rush to Build Biometric Exit System.” Huff Post, May 2013.
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Schanzer, D. H. “Boston Bombing Suspects Raise New Terrorism Questions.” National Geographic Daily News, April 2013.
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Schanzer, D. H. “Mostly Quiet on the Western Front.” Foreign Policy, April 2013.
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Schanzer, D. H. “The Big Question Raised by the Bradley Manning Case.” Islamicommentary, March 2013.
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Schanzer, D. H. “Acting Like Americans on Ramadan.” Huffington Post, July 20, 2012.Open Access Copy
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Schanzer, D. H. “Time to Reset Police-Muslim Relations.” Huffington Post, March 20, 2012.Open Access Copy
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Schanzer, D. H. “National Security and the 2012 Elections.” C Span, 2012.
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Schanzer, D. H. “Our troubled path to greater security.” Raleigh News and Observer, September 11, 2011.Open Access Copy
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Schanzer, D. H. “It’s time to confront the ‘counterjihadists’.” The Globe and Mail, July 28, 2011.Open Access Copy
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Schanzer, D. H. “In the aftermath of Abbottabad.” News and Observer, May 8, 2011.Open Access Copy
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Schanzer, D. H. “King Hearings: A Polarized Flop.” Government Security News, March 20, 2011.Open Access Copy
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Schanzer, D. H. “King Hearings: A Polarized Flop, Government Security News,” March 2011.
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Schanzer, D. H. “A sensible debate about radical Islam.” Atlanta Journal Constitution, February 10, 2011.Open Access Copy
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Schanzer, D. H. “Islamophobia is threatening America.” Pittsburgh Post Gazette, August 25, 2010.Open Access Copy
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Schanzer, D. H. “"Islamaphobia is threatening America," Pittsburgh Post Gazette,” August 2010.
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Schanzer, D. H. “Time for intelligence interrogations.” Raleigh News and Observer, May 23, 2010.Open Access Copy
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Schanzer, D. H. “Policy on terror trials in need of an overhaul.” Philadelphia Inquirer, March 11, 2010.Open Access Copy
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Schanzer, D. H. “We must work with Muslim-Americans.” St. Petersburg Times, January 11, 2010.Open Access Copy
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Schanzer, D. H. “Take a hard look before investing billions in security technology.” Durham Herald Sun, January 2, 2010.Open Access Copy
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“Winning the War on Terror,” 2010.
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Schanzer, D. H. “Shedding light, not heat, on torture.” Raleigh News and Observer, May 3, 2009.Open Access Copy
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Schanzer, D. H. “Cheney's misfiring security critique.” Raleigh News and Observer, April 5, 2009.Open Access Copy
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Schanzer, D. H. “Closing the Doors on GITMO.” Philadelphia Inquirer, October 28, 2008.Open Access Copy
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Schanzer, D. H. “"Closing the Doors on Gitmo".” Philadelphia Inquirer,. Atlanta Journal Constitution, Nov. 11, October 2008.
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Schanzer, D. H. “The distorted ethics of kiss and tell.” Durham Herald Sun, June 6, 2008.Open Access Copy
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Schanzer, D. H. “Words for the evildoers.” Raleigh News and Observer, May 6, 2008.Open Access Copy
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Schanzer, D. H. “The Meddling Media.” Raleigh News and Observer, January 13, 2008.Open Access Copy
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Schanzer, D. H. “Capture won't snuff al-Qaeda.” Raleigh News and Observer, September 9, 2007.Open Access Copy
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Schanzer, D. H. “Why America is losing to al-Qaida,” September 9, 2007.Open Access Copy
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Schanzer, D. H. “"Why America Is Losing to al-Qaida,".” Baltimore Herald Sun, July 2007.
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Schanzer, D. H. “Blunt threat now a credible option.” Raleigh News and Observer, December 17, 2006.Open Access Copy
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Schanzer, D. H. “Strategies for the Struggle Against Terror.” Raleigh News & Observer, (Also Published in Newark Star Ledger, Fort Lauderdale Sun Sentinel, and Quoted in Detroit Free Press), September 2006.
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Schanzer, D. H. “Data Analysis With Safeguards.” South Florida Sun Sentinel, New Jersey Star Ledger, June 2006.Open Access Copy
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Schanzer, D. H. “"Data Analysis With Safeguards,".” News & Observer, June 2006.
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Schanzer, D. H. “"FEMA’s Home,".” Raleigh News & Observer, May 2006.
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Schanzer, D. H. “FEMA's home.” Raleigh News & Observer, April 2006.Open Access Copy
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Schanzer, D. H. “If we were serious about ports' security.” Raleigh News and Observer, February 28, 2006.Open Access Copy
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Schanzer, D. H., and Col David Hayden. “A Force To Deal With Disasters.” Raleigh News & Observer, 2006.
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Schanzer, D. H. “Detect bombs, not scissors.” Raleigh News and Observer, December 20, 2005.Open Access Copy
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Schanzer, D. H. “The War on Terror: A Fifth Year Status Report.” Carolina Banker, December 2005.
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Schanzer, D. H. “The Forgotten Bioterror Anniversary.” St. Paul Pioneer Press, October 14, 2005.Open Access Copy
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Schanzer, D. H. “Homeland Security must learn from this.” Raleigh News and Observer, September 4, 2005.Open Access Copy
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Schanzer, D. H. “Oct. 15, The Forgotten Bioterror Anniversary.” St. Paul Pioneer Press, 2005.
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Schanzer, D. H. “The Bogus Defense of 'Enhanced Interrogations'.” Huffington Post, n.d.Link to Item
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Schanzer, D. H. “The odd French declaration of war in response to Charlie Hebdo attack.” Raleigh News and Observer, n.d.Link to Item
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Schanzer, D. H. “Why Not Joe?” Huffington Post, n.d.Link to Item
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Schanzer, D. H. “More and More U.S. Military Power Not Answer to ISIS Threat.” Islamicommentary, n.d.Link to Item
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Schanzer, D. H. “Barring Syrian refugees from NC gives ISIS exactly what it seeks.” Edited by R. Kirk. Raleigh News and Observer, n.d.Link to Item
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Schanzer, D. H. “To Prevent Another San Bernardino, Muslims Could Partner with the Police.” Huffington Post, n.d.Link to Item
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Schanzer, D. H. “15 Years after 9/11, US stuck in the forever war.” Raleigh News and Observer, n.d.Link to Item
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Schanzer, D. H. “Donald Trump dangerously wrong on how to counter Islamic State.” Cleveland Plain Dealer, n.d.Link to Item
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Schanzer, D. H. “Research in Brief: The Challenge and Promise of Using Community Policing Strategies to Prevent Violent Extremism.” Police Chief Magazine, n.d.Link to Item
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Schanzer, D. H., and C. Kurzman. “The Growing Right Wing Terror Threat.” The New York Times. New York Times Company, n.d.Link to Item
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Book Reviews
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Schanzer, D. H., and Timothy Nichols. “The Cost of the Knife: A Review of The Way of the Knife by Mark Mazzetti.” Georgetown Journal of International Affairs, 2015.Open Access Copy Link to Item
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Reports
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Schanzer, D. H., and Charles Kurzman. “Muslim-American Involvement with Violent Extremism, 2016.” Muslim-American Involvement with Violent Extremism, 2016. Triangle Center on Terrorism and Homeland Security, January 26, 2017.Link to Item
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Schanzer, D. H., Elizabeth Miller, and Jessica Toliver. “Promising Practices for Using Community Policing Strategies to Prevent Violent Extremism: How to Create and Implement a Community Outreach Program.” Promising Practices for Using Community Policing Strategies to Prevent Violent Extremism: How to Create and Implement a Community Outreach Program. Triangle Center on Terrorism and Homeland Security, December 2016.Open Access Copy Link to Item
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Schanzer, D. H., and Joe Eyerman. “United States Attorneys’ Community Outreach and Engagement Efforts to Counter Violent Extremism: Results from a Nationwide Survey.” United States Attorneys’ Community Outreach and Engagement Efforts to Counter Violent Extremism: Results from a Nationwide Survey. Triangle Center on Terrorism and Homeland Security, December 2016.Open Access Copy Link to Item
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Schanzer, D. H., and Charles Kurzman. “Law Enforcement Assessment of the Terrorist Threat.” Triangle Center on Terrorism and Homeland Security, June 25, 2015.Open Access Copy Link to Item
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Schanzer, D. H. “The Way Forward on Combating al Qai’da Inspired Violent Extremism in the United States: Suggestions for the Next Administration,” October 2012.
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Schanzer, D. H., and D. H. Eyerman, Joe. “Improving Strategic Risk Management at the Department of Homeland Security,” April 2010.Open Access Copy
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Schanzer, D. H., D. H. Kurzman, Charles, and D. H. Moosa, Ebrahim. “Anti-Terror Lessons of Muslim-Americans,” January 6, 2010.Open Access Copy
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Schanzer, D. H., S. Ludington, and W. Visscher. “Report of the Privacy Subject Matter Experts Panel on the Violent Intent Modeling and Simulation Program,” June 2009.
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Schanzer, D. H., Charles Kurzman, Jessica Toliver, and Elizabeth Miller. “The Challenge and Promise of Using Community Policing Strategies to Prevent Violent Extremism.” The Challenge and Promise of Using Community Policing Strategies to Prevent Violent Extremism. Triangle Center on Terrorism and Homeland Security, n.d.Open Access Copy Link to Item
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- Teaching & Mentoring
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Recent Courses
- PUBPOL 290: Selected Public Policy Topics 2023
- PUBPOL 390T: Bass Connections Selected Special Topics 2023
- PUBPOL 590T: Bass Connections Selected Special Topics 2023
- PUBPOL 803: Policy Analysis I 2023
- PUBPOL 290: Selected Public Policy Topics 2022
- PUBPOL 590-1: Advanced Topics in Public Policy 2022
- PUBPOL 590: Advanced Topics in Public Policy 2022
- PUBPOL 590T: Bass Connections Selected Special Topics 2022
- PUBPOL 803: Policy Analysis I 2022
- ISS 554: Privacy, Technology and National Security 2021
- POLSCI 554: Privacy, Technology and National Security 2021
- PUBPOL 550: Privacy, Technology and National Security 2021
- PUBPOL 590-1: Advanced Topics in Public Policy 2021
- PUBPOL 803: Policy Analysis I 2021
- Scholarly, Clinical, & Service Activities
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Outreach & Engaged Scholarship
- Bass Connections Team Leader. Measuring Democracy in America . 2022 - 2023 2022 - 2023
- Guest Curator. Post 9/11: The Evolution of American Law Enforcement. National Law Enforcement Museum. September 2021 2021
- Bass Connections Team Leader. Privacy Implications of COVID-19 Contact Tracing. 2020 - 2021 2020 - 2021
- Bass Connections Faculty Team Member . Networks of Cooperation and Conflict in the Middle East. August 2017 - May 2018 2017 - 2018
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