Weidenbaum Center Highlights September 2023

September 2023

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About our 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. 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. 

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New publication from Weidenbaum Center Grant Recipient Caitlyn Collins

Congratulations to Professor Caitlyn Collins, Associate Professor of Sociology and Gender Equity Fellow at the Office of the Provost, whose paper "Covid-19 and the role of gender, earnings, and telecommuting in parents' employment," was published in the Journal of Marriage and Family! The paper resulted, in part, from findings from initial research funded by the Weidenbaum Center. In addition, the Center helped Professor Collins apply for a grant, later awarded by the Russell Sage Foundation, for additional project funding. The paper looks at how married mothers' and fathers' earnings, and ability to telecommute, structured their employment throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

New study from Weidenbaum Center Interdisciplinary Workshop Series Speaker Elizabeth Korver-Glenn

“Federally subsidized public housing is the most cost-effective and efficient way to ensure millions of Americans have access to affordable, safe housing — it is an essential safety net in the United States,” said Elizabeth Korver-Glenn, an assistant professor of sociology in Arts & Sciences at Washington University, and research co-author. A new study from Korver-Glenn and other researchers at Washington University in St. Louis as well as other institutions, is the first in decades to investigate racial inequality in the subsidized housing market. Using restricted 2017 American Housing Survey data provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), researchers found quantitative evidence of widespread racial inequities in unit safety, total cost, affordability and segregation.

Grant Awardee & Public Policy Meeting Summary

Recipient: Jake Rosenfeld, Sociology

Awarding entity: Washington Center for Equitable Growth. PROJECT TITLE: JANUS AND THE FUTURE OF PUBLIC SECTION WORKER POWER. This project explores the causes and implications of the resilience of public-sector unions after the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Janus v. AFSCME, which effectively made the entire public sector right-to-work.

September Public Policy Meeting Summary

The Weidenbaum Center on the Economy, Government, and Public Policy hosted a public policy luncheon with three Washington University professors on Wednesday, September 6. Gregory Magarian, Professor of Law, and Andrea Katz, Associate Professor of Law, discussed the legal and social implications of recent Supreme Court decisions. Steven Fazzari, Professor of Economics and Sociology, discussed economic disruption, inflation, and monetary policy in the past two decades.

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