Evan Charney

{{short description|American political scientist}}

{{Infobox scientist

| honorific_prefix =

| name = Evan Charney

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| nationality = American

| fields = Political science

| workplaces = Duke University

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| education = CUNY Hunter College
Harvard University

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| thesis_title = Taking pluralism seriously

| thesis_url = https://philpapers.org/rec/CHATPS-6

| thesis_year = 2000

| doctoral_advisors = Dennis F. Thompson
Arthur Applbaum
Russell Muirhead

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| known_for = Criticism of genopolitics

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| website = {{URL|https://sites.duke.edu/evancharney/}}

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Evan Charney is an American political scientist and associate professor of the practice in the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University. He is also an affiliate of the Duke Initiative for Science & Society and a faculty network member of the Duke Institute for Brain Sciences.{{Cite web |url=https://sanford.duke.edu/people/faculty/charney-evan |title=Charney, Evan |website=Duke University Sanford School of Public Policy |language=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151002080227/https://sanford.duke.edu/people/faculty/charney-evan |archive-date=2015-10-02 |access-date=2018-06-03}} He originally joined the Sanford School faculty in 1999, while he was still a Ph.D. student.{{Cite web |url=http://news.sanford.duke.edu/sites/news.sanford.duke.edu/files/newsletters/dpn/fall99/newfaculty.html |title=Six Scholars Join Faculty |date=Fall 1999 |website=Duke Policy News |access-date=2018-07-09}} His research focuses on the intersection between public policy and neuroscience.{{Cite news |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/better/wellness/donald-trump-appealing-fear-will-it-win-him-votes-n615186 |title=Donald Trump Is Appealing to Fear — Will it Win Him Votes? |last=Fox |first=Maggie |date=2016-07-23 |work=NBC News |access-date=2018-06-03 |language=en-US}} He is known for his criticism of genopolitics and the assumptions on which such research is based.{{Cite web |url=http://www.slate.com/articles/life/twins/2011/08/double_inanity.html |title=Double Inanity |last=Palmer |first=Brian |date=2011-08-24 |website=Slate |language=en-US |access-date=2018-06-03}}{{Cite magazine |url=https://newrepublic.com/article/119794/genopolitics-social-science-and-origin-political-beliefs |title=Are Political Beliefs Predetermined at Birth? |last=Judis |first=John B. |date=2014-10-25 |magazine=The New Republic |access-date=2018-06-03 |language=en-US}} He has compared studies linking human genetic variants to political beliefs to phrenology, arguing, "The truth of the matter is so much more complicated. The problem is that people don’t like complicated stories."{{Cite magazine |url=https://healthland.time.com/2010/12/21/the-biology-of-politics-what-makes-a-liberal-or-conservative/ |title=Is There Any Biology Behind Our Political Affiliations? |last=Steinmetz |first=Katy |date=2010-12-21 |magazine=Time |access-date=2018-06-03 |language=en-US |issn=0040-781X}}

In 2018, the Sanford School announced it would not renew Charney's contract after some of his students alleged that his classes reproduce and reinforce racial, gender, and class inequality. In response to this decision, a group of 101 current and former Duke students signed on to a letter to Sally Kornbluth, the provost of Duke University, urging her to reconsider her decision. The letter was published in the Duke Chronicle on May 8, 2018.{{Cite news |url=http://www.dukechronicle.com/article/2018/05/in-defense-of-professor-evan-charney |title=In defense of Professor Evan Charney |last=Khab |first=Aateen |date=2018-05-08 |work=The Chronicle |access-date=2018-06-03}} Despite this letter, Kornbluth rejected Charney's appeal on May 23, 2018.{{Cite news |url=https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2018/06/02/duke_erodes_liberal_education_137167.html |title=Duke Erodes Liberal Education |last=Berkowitz |first=Peter |date=2018-06-02 |work=RealClearPolitics |access-date=2018-06-03}}