Past Event Recordings & Summaries
May 2024
05/01/24, A Virtual Fireside Chat with Steve Fazzari. Due to technical issues, Andrew Reeve's introduction of Steve was not recorded. The interview with Steve is recorded in its entirety. Professor Steve Fazzari, Bert A. and Jeannette L. Lynch Distinguished Professor of Economics and Professor of Sociology, Weidenbaum Center Resident Fellow, and past Weidenbaum Center Director, sits down with current Weidenbaum Center Director Andrew Reeves. Discussion surrounds Professor Fazzari's 42 year career at Washington University and includes his teaching history, many varied research endeavors, and the administrative leadership roles he has held while at the university.
April 2024
04/19/24, St. Louis Policy Initiative Kickoff Conference. This was the inaugural conference of the St. Louis Policy Initiative. The all-day event brought together academics and practitioners to discuss public policy in the St. Louis Region. Objectives included discussing public policy challenges and opportunities, introducing new tools for research and teaching, and facilitating research collaborations between academics and community partners, all with a focus on the St. Louis region. Discussion additionally surrounded the St. Louis Data Dashboard project which integrates data from diverse sources into a geospatial or mapping platform, providing users with the capability to visually analyze and compare data pertaining to St. Louis City and County. This event was not recorded.
04/15/24, Higher Education Today: A Conversation with Dr. Mark S. Wrighton, James & Mary Wertsch Distinguished University Professor and Chancellor Emeritus. Dr. Wrighton gave a talk surrounding the state of higher education today, politics in higher education, donor implications, and issues around freedom of speech on campus. His talk was followed by a lively Q &A session with attendees. This was a special event for our Weidenbaum Center Eliot Society donors and their invited guests. This event was not recorded.
04/11/24, How to Hold Artificial Intelligence Accountable. Hilke Schellmann, an Emmy award winning journalist, assistant professor of journalism at New York University, and a Pulitzer Center Grantee/2022 AI Accountability Fellow, lectured on artificial intelligence and its impact on businesses, hiring, and firing. Her lecture was followed by a Q&A session with the audience. Copies of her recent book, The Algorithm: How AI Decides Who Gets Hired, Monitored, Promoted, and Fired, And Why We Need To Fight Back were on sale following the lecture.
04/03/24, The Outlook for the U.S. Economy and Monetary Policy: A Conversation with Governor of the Federal Reserve Board, Adriana D. Kugler. Dr. Kugler provided her thoughts on the current state of the economy and the Federal Reserve's role. Her lecture was followed by a Q&A session with Weidenbaum Center Director Andrew Reeves.
March 2024
03/05/24, Education Policy Forum. Education Policy experts Jerome Ellis Morris, E. Desmond Lee Endowed Professor of Urban Education at the University of Missouri-St. Louis (in conjunction with St. Louis Public Schools), and Nadirah Farah Foley, Assistant Professor of Education at Washington University in St. Louis, presented their work on bridging the urban-surburban binary in black education, and suburban inequality and what it means for schools. Each presentation was followed by a lively question and answer session from those in attendance.
February 2024
02/23/24, National Science Foundation Grants (NSF) Conference. NSF Program Officers Lee Walker from the Division of Social and Economic Sciences (SES) and May Yuan from the Division of Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences (BCS), came to Washington University to provide faculty and research administration staff from Washington University and other institutions, important information connected with the grant proposal submission process and related research activites with the NSF. Topics covered included an overview of the grant process and programs, writing a competitive proposal, and different types of grant opportunities. Participants in-person included those from Washington University and other local institutions including the University of Missouri-St. Louis, Harris-Stowe, and St. Louis University. Virtual participants included those from Northwestern University, the University of Illinois-Urbana/Champaign, the University of Illinois-Chicago, the University of Missouri-Columbia, Maryville University, and Webster University. Academics from many disciplines and departments participated including but not limited to Economics, Business, Political Science, Sociology, History, Nursing, Psychological & Brain Sciences, Radiology, and Earth Environmental & Planetary Sciences. Following are links to all three slidedecks presented at the conference: Session 1, Session 2, and Session 3. The day before the conference, the NSF program officers met faculty and research administrators from Washington University in 30 minute one-on-one sessions.
02/05/24, Public Policy Lunch Meeting featuring faculty experts discussing the ongoing and unfolding situation in Israel. David Carter discusses the strategic conditions that led to the attack, Carly Wayne covers terrorist and counterrorist stratgies of the belligerents, and Krister Knapp covers the challenge the event and subsequent attacks and strikes throughout the region pose to Biden Administration's US national security strategy in the Middle East.
December 2023
12/13/23, Public Policy Lunch Meeting featuring Weidenbaum Center Director and Professor of Political Science Andrew Reeves. Professor Reeves dicusses his book, "No Blank Check" on concerns over presidential executive power. Drawing on data from original surveys, innovative experiments, historical polls, and context outside the United States, the book highlights Americans' skepticism towards presidential power.
November 2023
11/16/23, Public Policy Lunch Meeting featuring Weidenbaum Center grant recipients. Washington University Speakers: Brian Carpenter, Professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences and Interim Director of Clinical Training discusses his research on the 21st Century Cure Act; Caitlyn Collins, Associate Professor of Sociology, discusses childcare in the St. Louis region; Lucia Motolina, Assistant Professor of Political Science, disuses her research on political voting systems; Patrick Ishizuka, Assistant Professor of Sociology, discusses the gender housework gap; and Limor Golan, Lawrence H. Meyer Professor of Economics and Weidenbaum Center Research Fellow, discusses her research on inequality and statistical discrimination.
11/9/23, The Politics and Process of State Legislatures: What Makes Government Work. Fireside chat with Tom Bottern, Secretary of the Minnesota State Senate, and Professor Gregory Magarian, Thomas and Carole Green Professor of Law and Weidenbaum Center Research Fellow at Washington University in St. Louis. This event was hosted by the Public Interest Law & Policy Speaker series and co-sponsored by the Weidenbaum Center; the Gephardt Institute for Civic & Community Engagement; and the Political Science Department.
11/6/23, Patchwork Apartheid: Private Restriction, Racial Segregation, and Urban Inequality. Professor Colin Gordon of the University of Iowa, discusses his research connected with his upcoming book on this subject on the use of racial convenants in the Midwest, including St. Louis and St. Louis County. Moderated by Washington University Profesor Karen Tokarz, Charles Nagel Professor of Public Interest Law & Policy; Professor of African & African-American Studies (courtesy appointment); Director, Negotiation & Dispute Resolution Programs and Director, Civil Rights & Community Justice Clinic. This event was hosted by the Public Interest Law & Policy Speaker series and co-sponsored by the Weidenbaum Center; the Brown School; the Clark-Fox Policy Institute; the Gephardt Institute for Civic & Community Engagement; the Political Science Department; the Black Law Students Association; and the SBA DIversity & Inclusion Chair.
11/01/23, Women's Network Luncheon and Public Policy Event. Washington University Speakers: Taylor Carlson, Associate Professor of Political Science, presented her work on distorted democracy, focusing on the ins and outs of how people detect disagreement, as well as the potential social ramifications of the conversation; and Diana O'Brien, Bela Kornitzer Distinguished Professor and Professor of Political Science, discussed the multifaceted roles of women in politics, focusing on representation, voting, and behavior. This event was not recorded.
October 2023
10/12/23, Why Poverty and Inequality Undermine Justice in America, Washington University Speaker: Professor Mark Rank, Herbert S. Hadley Professor of Social Welfare at the Brown School of Social Work, with a joint appointment in the Department of Sociology. Author of "The Poverty Paradox: Understanding Economic Hardship Amid American Prosperity." Washington University Moderator: Professor Steven Fazzari, Bert A. and Jeanette L. Lynch Distinguished Professor of Economics and Sociology, and Former Weidenbaum Center Director. This event is hosted by the Public Interest Law & Policy Speaker series and co-sponsored by the Weidenbaum Center.
September 2023
9/26/23, Aryn Baker Forum Event. This event was not recorded but read more about the event here.
9/6/23, Public Policy Lunch Meeting. Washington University Speakers: Gregory Magarian, Thomas and Karole Green Professor of Law, discusses race and the Supreme Court's 2022 term; Andrea Katz, Associate Professor of Law, examines the Supreme Court's student loan decision; and Steven Fazzari, Bert A. and Jeanette L. Lynch Distinguished Professor of Economics and Professor of Sociology, speaks on economic disruption, inflation, and monetary policy.
Read more about the September Public Policy lunch here
2/16/23, Public Policy Lunch Meeting. Washington University Speakers: John D. Inazu, Sally D. Danforth Distinguished Professor of Law and Religion, and Professor of Political Science (courtesy), discusses navigating deep differences, and Anna Wilke, Assistant Professor of Political Science, speakes on her research on vigilantism and policing in South Africa.
2/10/23, The $100 Billion Open Secret: How Politicians Use Economic Development Subsidies to Win Reelection. This event is a presentation by Professor Nathan Jensen, Professor in the Department of Government at the University of Texas-Austin, and former professor in the Department of Political Science at Washington University in St. Louis, on how government uses incentives to spur economic development. Professor Jensen previously received support from the Weidenbaum Center which initially helped him to pursue the beginnings of this research.
January 2023
1/25/23, Hoover Fellow and Presidential Campaign Advisor: A Conversation with Lanhee J. Chen. This event is a question & answer forum between Weidenbaum Center Director Andrew Reeves and Lanhee J. Chen, David and Diane Steffy Fellow in American Public Policy Studies at the Hoover Institution, Director of Domestic Policy Studies in the Public Policy Program, and an Affiliate of the Freeman-Spogli Institute for International Studies at Stanford University. The discussion covers a wide range of topics including: the state of partisan politics in the US, the current GOP climate, the 2024 presidential election, running for statewide office in California, and other public policy issues.
December 2022
12/06/22, Public Policy Lunch Meeting. Washington University Speakers: Michael Olson, Assistant Professor of Political Science, speaks on voting rights in american history and the 2022 midterms and Timothy McBride, Bernard Brown Professor at the Brown School, and Co-Director, Center for Health Economics and Policy, Institute for Public Health, looks back at the past year of Medicaid expansion in Missouri.
November 2022
11/17/22, Forum on Midterm Elections, Washington University Moderator: Andrew Reeves, Director of the Weidenbaum Center and Professor of Political Science. Washington University Panelists: Travis Crum, Asssociate Professor of Law; Matthew Hayes, Associate Professor of Political Science; Andrea Katz; Associate Professor of Law; and Michael Olson, Assistant Professor of Political Science.
11/10/22, Public Policy Lunch Meeting. Washington University Speakers: Ben Noble, PhD candidate in Political Science, provides a very brief summary of his project, "When Do Presidents Persuade with Facts vs Mobilize iwth Feeling," which recently won the Dean's Award for Graduate Research Excellence in Arts & Sciences; Ariela Schachter, Associate Director of the Weidenbaum Center, Associate Professor of Sociology, and Faculty Affiliate in Asian America Studies, evaluates the Biden administration's record on immigration; and Steven S. Smith, Former Director of the Weidenbaum Center, Weidenbaum Center Resident Fellow, and Kate M. Gregg Distinguished Professor of Social Science and Professor of Political Science, provides an overview on the midterms and the new Congress.
October 2022
10/10/22, Public Policy Lunch Meeting. Washington University Speakers: Monica Eppinger, Associate Professor and Co-Director of the Center for International and Comparative Law at the St. Louis University School of Law, gave an update on Ukraine and recent developments; Jake Rosenfeld, Professor of Sociology, Director of Graduate Studies in Sociology, and Weidenbaum Center Resident Fellow, discussed pay transparency in the U.S; and Andrew Reeves, Director of the Wieenbaum Center and Professor of Political Science, provided a brief forecast of the upcoming mid-term elections.
September 2022
9/8/22, Public Policy Lunch Meeting. Washington University Speakers: Steven Fazzari, Former Director of the Weidenbaum Center and Weidenbaum Center Resident Fellow, Bert A. and Jeanette L. Lynch Distinguished Professor of Economics, and Professor of Economics and Sociology, provides an update on the future of inflation. Susan Frelich Appleton, Lemma Barkeloo & Phoebe Couzins Professor of Law, and Professor of Women, Gender, & Sexuality Studies (courtesy), provides a legal analysis of the Dobbs decision.
May 2022
5/12/22, The Weidenbaum Center Honors: A Celebration. The Center was honored to host a very special event celebrating our return to in-person events and to give special recognition to the following honorees for their years of service and dedication to the Weidenbaum Center: James Schiele, Chairman, Eliot Society Commitee, AB'52, MLA'85, AM'11, DLA'15; Steven S. Smith, Former Director of the Weienbaum Center, Kate M. Gregg Distinguished Professor of Social Science, and Professor of Political Science; and Steven Fazzari, Director of the Weidenbaum Center, Bert A. and Jeanette L. Lynch Distinguished Professor of Economics, and Professor of Sociology. The event also welcomed Andrew Reeves, Incoming Director of the Weidenbaum Center, Associate Chair in Political Science, and Professor of Political Science.
April 2022
4/20/22, Public Policy Lunch Meeting. Speakers: Sunita Parikh, Associate Professor of Political Science, Washington University in St. Louis, discussing the politics of India, particularly how India is navigating the challenges of the war in Ukraine; Steven S. Smith, Former Director of the Weidenbaum Center, Kate M. Gregg Distguished Professor of Soical Science and Professor of Political Science Washington University in St. Louis, commenting on the current state of American politics; and Steven Fazzari, Director of the Weidenbaum Center, Bert A. and Jeanette L. Lynch Distinguished Professor of Economics, and Professor of Sociology, Washington University in St. Louis, and Tara M. Sinclair, Professor of Economics and International Affairs, George Washington Univeristy, providing commentary on inflation and monetary policy in the US economy.
4/13/22, Tale of Two Subsidies: Why the Afghan army did not fight and the Ukrainian army did Speaker: David K. Levine, Professor of Economics and Joint Chair of the Robert Schuman Center for Advanced Study at the European University Institute, and John H. Biggs Distinguished Professor Emeritus at Washington University's Department of Economics. The Center presents this event in conjunction with Washington University's Department of Economics.
March 2022
3/28/22, Public Policy Lunch Meeting, Washington University Speakers: Krister Knapp, Teaching Professor and Minor Adviser, and Coordinator of Crisis & Conflict in Historical Perspective, Department of History, discusses the unfolding situation in Russia and Ukraine, as well as global implications. Lee Epstein, Ethan A.H. Shepley Distinguished University Professor at the School of Law, discusses the implications of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson's nomination to the Supreme Court.
3/8/22, Fiscal Policy in an Era of Low Interest Rates. Professor Olivier Blanchard, C. Fred Bergsten Senior Fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, shares his ideas on rethinking how government spending and taxation affect economic growth, employment, financial markets, and inflation. The event includes a special presentation to Professor Blanchard of the Murray Weidenbaum Medal for Excellence, named in honor of one of Washington University's most distinguished economists and public servants.
February 2022
2/23/22, Women's Virtual Networking and Public Policy Event. This event included a virtual networking session with attendees and public policy presentations. The recorded presentation portion features Washington University experts Margit Tavits, Chair in Political Science and William Taussig Professor of Arts & Sciences, and Margot Moinester, Assistant Professor of Sociology. Professor Tavits discusses the effect of parental leave for fathers on gender equal attitudes, and Professor Moinester discusses the changes in immigration enforcement policies and levels between the Trump and Biden Administration. The event is moderated by Elizabeth Larson, Associate Directr of Research & Administration at the Weidenbaum Center.
1/26/22, Cost Benefit Analysis for the 21st Century, Michael A. Livermore, Edward F. Howrey Professor of Law and Director of the Program in Law, Communities and Environment (PLACE) at the University of Virginia School of Law, discusses his recent book, co-authored with Richard Revesz, Reviving Rationality: Saving Cost-Benefit Analysis for the Sake of the Environment and Our Health. The Center presents this event with Washington University's School of Law Public Interest Law & Policy Speaker Series and Department of Economics.
January 2022
1/26/22, Public Policy Lunch Meeting, Washington University Speakers: Andrew Reeves, Professor and Associate Chair in the Dept. of Political Science, discusses public opinion and President Biden and Ian Fillmore, Assistant Professor in the Dept. of Economics at Washington University, speaks on college pricing and antitrust policy. Saint Louis University Speaker: Monica Eppinger, Associate Professor and Co-Director of the Center for International and Comparative Law at the School of Law at Saint Louis University, examines the recent developments in the Ukraine-Russia Conflict.
November 2021
11/16/21, Democracy in Danger: Former Congressmen Carnahan and Coleman Launch Bi-Partisan Call to Action. A very special discussion on voting rights and American democracy. Speakers: Tom Coleman, a Washington University School of Law Graduate, Coleman served as an Assistant Attorney General of Missouri and state representative prior to be elected to 8 terms as a Member of Congress from northwest Missouri. More recent he was an adjunct professor at NYU and American University. He serves as an Advisor to Protect Democracy; and Russ Carnahan, a former Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Carnahan also served in the Missouri House of Representatives and is currently a Senior Policy Advisor at Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner. The Center presented this event with Washington University's School of Law Public Interest Law & Policy Speaker Series and the Gephardt Institute for Civic and Community Engagement.
October 2021
11/1/21, Rage of Innocence: How America Criminalizes Black Youth, Speaker: Kristen Henning, The Blume Professor of Law and Director, Juvenile Justice Clinic & Initiative at Georgetown Law, discusses her book that explores the long-term consequences of racism that Black teenagers experience at the hands of the police and their vigilante surrogates. Washington University Moderator: Daniel Harawa, Associate Professor and Director, Appellate Clinic, School of Law. This event is presented by the Washington University School of Law Public Interest & Policy Speaker Series; the Department of African & African-American Studies; the Center for the Study of Race, Ethnicity & Equity; the Brown School; Clark-Fox Policy Institute; Weidenbaum Center on the Economy, Government, and Public Policy; the Black Law Students Association; and the Women of Color Law Society.
10/14/21, The Economic Consequences of the Biden Agenda (program recording starts at 1 minute 35 seconds into video) A roundtable discussion with Steve Fazzari, Bert A. and Jeannette L. Lynch Distinguished Professor of Economics; Professor of Economics and Sociology; and Director of the Weidenbaum Center; Laurence H. Meyer, President, Monetary Policy Analytics Inc. and Former Governor of the Federal Reserve Board; and Steven S. Smith, Kate M. Gregg Distinguished Professor of Social Sciences, Professor of Political Science, and Former Director of the Weidenbaum Center. The panelists take a multifaceted look at the issues, fiscal policies, and potential outcomes of President Biden's economic and social agenda. Topics covered include inflation, interest rates, the President's proposed tax plan, federal government finances and the potential impact of his social agenda. This event is presented by Washington University's Eliot Society Speaker Series and Robert S. Brookings Partners.
10/7/12, An Evening with Danielle Allen. Danielle Allen, James Bryant Conant University Professor at Harvard University and Director of Harvard's Edmond. J Safra Center for Ethics, gave a talk that challenged common assumptions about both the founding of the United States and the implications of the Declaration of Independence. This short clip is excerpted from her entire presentation. This event was presented in connection with the Center for the Study of Race, Ethnicity, & Equity.
10/5/21, Fear of the Muslim Planet: Global Islamophobia in the New World Order Arsalan Iftikhar, Author, Fear of the Muslim Planet; Founder, the Muslim Guy; and Senior Editor of The Islamic Monthly will present work connected with his book, Fear of the Muslim Planet. This event is presented by the Washington University School of Law Public Interest & Policy Speaker Series, in conjunction with the Weidenbaum Center on the Economy, Government, and Public Policy and the Whitney R. Harris World Law Institute, and John C. Danforth Center for Religion & Politics.
September 2021
9/21/21, Constitution Day: U.S. Supreme Court Review/Preview. Speakers: Susan Appleton, Washington University Lemma Barkeloo & Phoebe Couzins Professor of Law; Lee Epstein, Washington University Ethan A. H. Shepley Distinguished Professor and Weidenbaum Center Faculty Research Fellow; Adam Liptik, Journalist, New York Times; and Gregory Magarian, Washington University Thomas & Karole Green Professor of Law and Weidenbaum Center Faculty Research Fellow. Host: Karen Tokarz, Washington University Charles Nagel Professor of Public Interest & Policy; Professor of African-American Studies; Director, Negotiation & Dispute Resolution Program; and Director, Civil Rights, Community Development and Mediation Clinic. This event is presented by the Washington University School of Law Public Interest & Policy Speaker Series, in conjunction with the Gephardt Institute for Community Engagement, US Arbitration & Mediation, the American Constitution Society, and the Weidenbaum Center.
9/1/21, Covid-19, the Abraham Accords, and the 2021 Election - Israel's Politics in an Uncertain World. Former Washington University Professor of Political Science, current Dean of the Gershon H. Gordon Faculty of Social Sciences, and Founding Head of the Boris Mints Institute for Strategic Policy Solutions to Global Challenges, Itai Sened, discusses the current state of Israeli Politics. The Weidenbaum Center presents this even with Washington University's School of Law Public Interest Law & Policy Speaker Series and Whitney R. Harris World Law Institute.
June 2021
6/14/21, Public Policy Lunch Meeting, Washington University Panel Speakers: Steve Fazzari, Director of the Weidenbaum Center, Bert A. and Jeanette L. Lynch Distinguished Professor of Economics, and Professor of Economics and Sociology, Steven S. Smith, Former Director of the Weidenbaum Center, Kate M. Gregg Distinguished Professor of Social Science, and Professor of Political Science, and Guillermo Rosas, Associate Director of the Weidenbaum Center and Professor of Political Science, assessing the successes, failures, and much that is to come following the "first 100 days" of the Biden Administration.
May 2021
5/19/21, After the Storm: Racial Differences in Veneration for America's Democracy, Annual Supporter Celebration talk by James L. Gibson, Sidney M. Souers Professor of Government in the Department of Political Science at Washington University and Extraordinary Professor in Political Science at Stellenbosch University in South Africa. Professor Gibson speaks on racial differences in veneration of America's Democracy.
5/6/21, The Frontlines of Peace, Public Policy talk by Severine Autesserre, award-winning author, peacebuilder, and researcher, as well as a Professor of Political Science at Barnard College, Columbia University. Professor Autesserre speaks about her new book The Frontlines of Peace: An Insider's Guide to Changing the World which draws upon in-depth field research in twelve different conflict zones to challenge popular beliefs and scholarly ideas about the war, peace, and conflict resolution. This event is co-sponsored with the French Connexions Cultural Center, the School of Law's Public Interest Law & Policy Speaker Series, and the Assembly Series at Washington University.
April 2021
4/5/21, Is 'Direct Democracy' Good for Democracy? Public Policy talk by Dr. Susan Stokes, Tiffany and Margaret Blake Distinguished Service Professor in the Department of Political Science and Faculty Chair of the Chicago Center on Democracy at the University of Chicago. This event is cosponsored with the Washington University School of Law's Public Interest Law & Policy Speaker Series and the Assembly Series.
March 2021
3/2/21, Murray Weidenbaum Tribute Lecture: The Pandemic and Election, The Three R's, and Economics, Public Policy talk by Dr. Glenn Hubbard, Dean Emeritus and Russell L. Carson Professor of Finance and Economics at Columbia Business School. Dr. Hubbard shares his thoughts on the economic recover, reform, and renewal following the 2020 election.
February 2021
2/16/21, Women's Networking and Policy Event (Zoom generated transcript), Washington University Moderator: Sunita Parikh, Associate Professor of Political Science and of Asian and American Studies (Affiliate) Washington University Speakers: Sanghmitra Gautam, Assistant Professor of Economics speaks on the role of education in female empowerment in India and the marriage market connection, and Carly Wayne, Assistant Professor of Political Science speaks on the micro-foundations of state responses to terror.
2/4/21, The First Amendment and the Mess We're In: From the Streets to the Cloud, The Center cosponsored this event with Washington University's School of Law Public Interest Law & Policy Speaker Series, the American Constitution Society, and the Gephardt Institute for Civic and Community Engagement. Washington University Professor of Law and Weidenbaum Center Faculty Research Fellow Gregory Magarian, discusses the complexities of the First Amendment and its effect on the current state of american political conflict.
January 2021
1/27/21, A Strategic Assessment of St. Louis: Growth and Equity, Public Policy talk by Henry S. Webber, Executive Vice Chancellor for Civic Affairs and Strategic Planning, and Professor of Practice at the Brown School and the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts at Washington University. Mr. Webber is leading a long-term study on the comparative performance of cities and regions on measures of growth and equity. He shares his latest findings on how St. Louis compares to peer regions and cities and what opportunities and conclusions he has drawn from this work.
December 2020
12/7/20, The Challenges of Carbon Capture and Sequestration, Public Policy talk by Sophia E. Hayes, Professor of Chemistry. Professor Sophia E. Hayes from Washington University's Department of Chemistry discusses the potential for science and engineering to impact greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. She will tell us about solutions being actively pursued by researchers and discuss some past "success stories" related to the environment.
October 2020
10/21/20, Economic Issues Related to the Upcoming Election. The Center cosponsored this event with the St. Louis Economics, IHS Markit; St. Louis Gateway Chapter of the National Association for Business Economics; and Washington University's School of Law Public Interest Law & Policy Speaker Series, Gephardt Institute for Civic & Community Engagement, and the Assembly Series. Panelists: Wendy Edelberg, PhD from University of Chicago; director of the Hamilton Project and senior fellow in economic studies at the Brooking Institution, former chief economist of the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, and former executive director of the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission, and former senior economist for Barack Obama's Council of Economic Advisers. Douglas Holtz-Eakin, PhD from Princeton University, President of the American Forum, former chief economist of George W. Bush's Council of Economic Advisers, former director of the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, and chief economic policy advisor to the 2008 presidential campaign of John McCain Moderator: Steve Fazzari, Director, Weidenbaum Center; Bert A. and Jeanette L. Lynch Distinguished Professor of Economics; and Professor of Sociology.
September 2020
9/16/20, Thinking Hard about Government Debt, Public Policy Breakfast talk by Steve Fazzari, Weidenbaum Center Director; Presentation slides. Center Director Steven Fazzari summarizes his research and teaching about U.S. federal government debt by answering six "big questions." His analysis shows that there are limits to how much government debt the U.S. economy should accumulate. But most "common sense" arguments about the dangers of federal government debt in a country like the U.S. are misleading because people confuse worries about private indebtedness with very different circumstances of federal government debt in a county that controls its own currency. Fazzari concludes that current levels of government debt present little concern and should not constrain desirable fiscal policy to address the Covid-19 econonmic crisis or provide support for needed national infrastructure.
July 2020
7/22/20, Economic Fallout from the Global Pandemic: Why it's Different this Time (program recording starts 5 minutes, 15 seconds into video) Drs. Langenfeld and Meyer discuss the remarkable economic events that have occurered since the outbreak of the Covid-19 public health crisis. The participants consider both macroeconomic and microeconomic perspectives. Moderator: Center Director Steven Fazzari. Participants: James Langenfeld: former Ph.D. student of Murray Weidenbaum and national expert on business competition and anti-trust law; Laurence Meyer: former professor and chair of the Department of Economics at Washington University and former member of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve.