September 2025
Trump administration has proven no friend to organized labor, from attacking federal unions to paralyzing the National Labor Relations Board.
Missouri Special Session begins as GOP eyes another US House seat.
Professor Kastor explains the collapse of the French government and why the US hasn't experienced a similar issue
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. Led by Weidenbaum Center Director Andrew Reeves (pictured), 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.
The Weidenbaum Center provides significant research support for faculty in the departments of Economics, Political Science, and Sociology. This support allows a wide array of faculty members to participate in a variety of impactful research, and is of particular importance to our younger faculty who are just starting their research careers. Research efforts contribute to work that addresses key social issues locally, nationally, and globally, and enhances the prominence of Washington University in the academic and policy world. Donations fund our grant programs which support this research. We could not support nearly as much research without this generosity.
Chancellor Andrew D. Martin's recorded remarks opened the event announcing the official launch of WashU’s Ordered Liberty Project—a university-wide initiative affirming that institutions of higher education must actively steward the free exchange of ideas. The Weidenbaum Center is proud to advance the project’s core values of ordered liberty: empirically grounded research, open dialogue across difference, and deep engagement with democratic institutions and public life.
American Enterprise Institute President Robert Doar (pictured) delivered opening remarks before joining AEI Senior Fellow Benjamin Storey and Weidenbaum Center Director Andrew Reeves in a conversation on how universities can cultivate civic knowledge, foster viewpoint diversity, protect free speech, and prepare students to engage across profound political and social differences. Watch the full event, with the Chancellor's announcement, at the Weidenbaum Center's YouTube Channel.
Professor Strawbridge argues that Black political socialization has retained its influence and adapted to the times by expanding into digital spaces, such as Black Twitter.
Medicaid expansion offers a faster path than disability enrollment
Alex Avery is a fifth-year Ph.D. candidate in Political Science at Washington University in St. Louis. Her research examines the intersections of gender, conflict, and political behavior, with particular attention to how identity-based violence shapes women’s lives and decision-making. Her current dissertation project, “Reproducing Identity: Ethnic Conflict and Women’s Fertility,” investigates how ethnic conflict politicizes reproduction as a strategy for group survival. She earned her B.A. degrees in Political Science and International Studies–Cultural Affairs from Arkansas Tech University.
Hwayong Shin studies how public opinion is shaped as individuals engage with politics both indirectly—through information—and directly—through experience. Her research agenda focuses on two core themes: first, how trust in news sources is formed and how trusted information shapes public opinion and policy outcomes; and second, how personal and collective experiences influence political attitudes and participation through emotional pathways. Before joining Washington University in St. Louis, she was a postdoctoral associate at Dartmouth College’s Rockefeller Center for Public Policy. She received her B.A. and M.A. from Seoul National University and her Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Michigan.
WashU Vice Chancellor for Government Affairs & Community Relations J.D. Burton at event
Event Attendees during Q&A session
Chancellor Andrew D. Martin addressing audience with opening recorded remarks
Event panelists Benjamin Storey (AEI), Andrew Reeves (Weidenbaum Center), and Robert Doar (AEI)
Read about new faculty members in our affiliated WashU Departments: Economics, Political Science, and Sociology
Read more hereAssociate Professor, Department of Sociology Research interests: Medical sociology, law, organizations, qualitative methods
Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science Research interest: climate policy and lobbying
Professor, Department of Sociology Research interests: Civic engagement, religion, social networks, political sociology, public opinion
Professor, Department of Economics Research Interests: Empirical Industrial Organization
Associate Professor, Department of Economics Research interests: Industrial Organization, Productivity, Economics of Crime, Applied Econometrics, Applied Microeconomics
Senior Lecturer, Department of Economics Research interests: Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, Urban Economics
Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science
Research interest: public policy and governance
Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology Research interests: Medical sociology, economic sociology, science and technology studies, mental health, morality
Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science Research interest: feminism and liberalism
Assistant Professor, Department of Economics Research interests: econometrics and microeconomic theory
Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science Research interest: formal theory, comparative politics
Join us for two important events that you don't want to miss!
On September 29, don’t miss a landmark discussion featuring the current President and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, alongside two former presidents of the Bank. Together, they will explore the Fed’s evolving role in shaping the U.S. economy.
On October 16, Investigative Journalist and AI Expert Karen Hao will provide a rare insider's look at the global power struggle behind AI's rapid rise.
