Aaron Hedlund, Chief Economist at the Council of Economic Advisers at the White House, speaking on the current state of the economy.

Margot Moinester, Trevor Gardner, Elizabeth Larson, and Ariela Schachter at Rapid Response event on interior immigration enforcement.

Steve Knight, Adia Wingfield, Clarissa Hayward, Elizabeth Larson, Molly Cline, and Andrew Reeves at 8th Annual Women's event.

Professor Krister Knapp speaking to attendees at Rapid Response event on Venezuela and the Monroe Doctrine.

Chancellor Andrew D. Martin, Alberto Musalem, Thomas C. Melzer, Andrew Reeves, James Bullard, Karen Branding, and Elizabeth Larson at Federal Reserve event.

About the Center

The Weidenbaum Center is a research institute at Washington University in St. Louis that supports social scientific research in the fields of public policy, economics, political science, and sociology. The Center funds faculty research, provides administrative support for research activities, and sponsors a wide range of public affairs programs. In doing so, the Center serves as a bridge between scholars, policymakers, and the general public. Through unbiased empirical research and events, the Center addresses many of the pressing public policy issues facing America and the world today.

Spring 2026 Events Flyer 

Learn more about the Weidenbaum Center 

The Weidenbaum Center is located on the Washington University Danforth Campus in Seigle Hall, Suite 170. Click here for campus map & closest parking 

 

Featured event: The Triumph of Economic Freedom with Former U.S. Senator Phil Gramm

Click here for more info and to RSVP!

Join us on April 9 to hear Former United States Senator Phil Gramm discuss his new book "The Triumph of Economic Freedom: Debunking the Seven Great Myths of American Capitalism." The book argues capitalism has driven rising incomes, improved health and expanded opportunity since the Industrial Revolution. The event is cosponsored by Washington University's Olin Business School.

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David T Konig Lecture: "What Would the Constitution's Framers Think About Today's Supreme Court?"

Moot Court Room

Stuart Banner, Norman Abrams Distinguished Professor of Law at UCLA

Perspectives in Public Leadership: A Mayoral Conversation

This mayoral panel brings together former St. Louis City Mayor Tishaura Jones and leaders of other cities for a wide-ranging conversation about governing in today’s complex civic landscape. This event is cosponsored by the Weidenbaum Center.

Civil Society Brunch: Somebody Should Do Something

Knight Center Room 210

Michael Brownstein (John Jay College of Criminal Justice), Daniel Kelly (Purdue University), and Alex Madva (California State Polytechnic University, Pomona)

8th Annual Women's Luncheon and Public Policy Event

90 women participated in this annual event, now in it's 8th year. The brainchild of event organizer Molly Cline, the event is a Weidenbaum Center tradition that connects women, ideas, and policy. Speakers this year were Professor of Political Science Clarissa Hayward who spoke on how shared values and different perspectives reshape politics, and Professor of Sociology Adia Wingfield who shared her research on how workplace dynamics maintain racial equality.

Governing Past Gridlock: Why Fiscal Responsibility Still Matters

Dr. Carolyn Bourdeaux, Executive Director of The Concord Coalition and former U.S. Representative for Georgia’s 7th Congressional District, offers a candid assessment of the fiscal and political challenges confronting the nation. She outlines ideas for how we can move beyond stalemate to restore stability, political trust, and long-term prosperity and explores what it will take to rebuild cooperation and strengthen America’s fiscal future. The event was cosponsored by Washington University's Olin Business School.

High Stakes Uncertain Gains Trump’s Economic Experiment So Far

A timely and engaging conversation on the impact of dramatic changes in economic policy during the first year of the second Trump Administration. Economists Steven Fazzari and Chris Varvares (pictured middle and right) assess what we know so far about the effect of these policies, exploring international trade, financial markets, tariffs, inflation and economic growth. Moderated by Weidenbaum Center Associate Director of Research & Administration Elizabeth Pippert Larson (pictured far left). Cosponsored by the Washington University Law Public Interest Law & Policy Speaker Series.

The Past, Present, and Future of the Federal Reserve

A conversation with Alberto Musalem, the current President & CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, and two past Presidents of the St. Louis Fed, James Bullard and Thomas Melzer. They explore the evolving role of the Federal Reserve in the U.S. economy. Moderated by Karen Branding, President & CEO of the Regional Business Council, with opening remarks by Andrew Martin, Chancellor of Washington University. The event was opened by Elizabeth Larson, Weidenbaum Center Associate Director of Research & Administration, with introductions and closing remarks by Weidenbaum Center Director Andrew Reeves.

I greatly appreciate the Weidenbaum Center, a vibrant and well-resourced intellectual space for social scientists at WashU, for the Graduate Fellowship and for the opportunity to engage with its many events, workshops, and networks. The Graduate Fellowship provides me with one year of stipend coverage, a roster of peer Fellows with ambitious research, and a roll-over research budget for my Dissertation, the generosity of which is unparalleled. I am currently using the resources and support of the Center to build my academic agenda, centered on applying computational methods to ask theoretically rich questions about the criminal-legal system, social control, and race relations. Research does not have to be an isolating endeavor, and the Weidenbaum Center exemplifies how a community of scholars can uplift itself in tremendous ways.

― Khoi Ngo Weidenbaum Center Graduate Fellow and third-year PhD student in Sociology. His current research project examines systematic inconsistencies in police data about stopped motorists’ races and dissects the epistemological grounds of administrative data.

Past event videos

Want to see videos of our past events? Check out our YouTube page at the link below.

Past event videos