Weidenbaum Center Newsletter April 2024

April 2024

Table of Contents

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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SEE SUMMARIES OF OUR PAST EVENTS 

Weidenbaum Center hosts Governor of the Federal Reserve Board, Adriana D. Kugler

Governor of the Federal Reserve Board Adriana D. Kugler, presented a talk titled "The Outlook for the U.S. Economy and Monetary Policy," at the Washington University Law School. Kugler said she believes inflation will continue to fall this year as households and businesses trim spending and the supply of goods and services continues to improve. Kugler commented that if disinflation and labor market conditions proceed as expected, some lowering of the Fed's policy rate this year would be appropriate. Following her talk, Weidenbaum Center Director Andrew Reeves posed questions to the Governor from audience members and other experts. Governor Kugler's presentation was picked up in a number of national media outlets including: Bloomberg, Barrons, MarketWatch, Reuters, and CNBC. This event was presented in conjunction with Washington University's Department of Economics and School of Law.

Weidenbaum Center hosts Emmy award winning journalist Hilke Schellmann

Emmy award winning journalist, 2022 Artificial Intelligence Accountability Fellow at the Pulitzer Center for Crisis Reporting, and journalism professor at NYU Hilke Schellmann presented a talk titled "How to Hold AI Accountable: AI, Civil Rights, and the Workplace." The presentation surrounded much of the research connected with her book "The Algorithm: How AI Decides Who Gets Hired, Monitored, Promoted, & Fired, & Why We Need To Fight Back Now." Drawing on exclusive information from whistleblowers, internal documents, and real world tests, Professor Schellmann highlighted many of the algorithms making high stakes HR decisions are biased, racist, and do more harm than good. In addition to the talk, Professor Hilke met with Washington University student journalists, visited classes where she spoke about her research, and spoke at a private lunch with Weidenbaum Center supporters. This event was presented as part of the Campus Consortium partnership between the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting and the Weidenbaum Center.

The Dean's Medal honors a friend whose dedication and support have been exceptional and whose leadership, advice, and inspiration have served to place Arts & Sciences at the heart of one of the world's premier universities.

Weidenbaum Center supporter Richard Engelsmann (pictured left with Dean Feng Sheng Hu) awarded Dean's Medal at 2024 Distinguished Alumni Awards Ceremony

Weidenbaum Center Grant Recipient James L. Gibson and Weidenbaum Center Fellow Joseph Sutherland publish paper on self-censorship

Weidenbaum Center Grant Recipient and long-time collaborator James L. Gibson and Weidenbaum Center Fellow Joseph Sutherland published a new paper entitled "The Rise of Self-Censorship in America." This paper provides new data and analysis of the increasing trend of self-censorship among Americans from 1954 to 2023. Research in the paper highlights the significant implications of widespread self-censorship for the health of democracy in the United States, emphasizing the need to reduce the costs of expressing dissenting views to foster a more vibrant democracy. The paper also appears as a book chapter from "The Free Inquiry Papers," published by the American Enterprise Institute press. Surveys on which the paper and book chapter were partially based were funded in part by the Weidenbaum Center though the American Social Survey (TASS).

Weidenbaum Center Grant Recipient Christopher Lucas promoted to associate professor

Congratulations to Weidenbaum Center Grant Recipient Christopher Lucas on his recent promotion to associate professor in the Political Science department. Lucas and fellow Political Science professors Jacob Montgomery and Margit Tavits were awarded a large grant from the National Science Foundation in 2022 to study the rise of populist rhetoric on social media and its effects on democracies. The project developed from initial seed funding provided by the Weidenbaum Center.

Weidenbaum Center Internal Grant Awards

Congratulations to our 2024 Weidenbaum Center Internal Grant Awardees

Find out more about Weidenbaum Center Internal Grant Awards

Ian Fillmore, Department of Economics

Creating a Database of Foster Care System Policies, and Practices

Matt Gabel, Department of Political Science

"I Am Guilty": The Political Effects of Dissidents' Confessions

Patrick Hill, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences

Purpose, Activism, and the 2024 Presidential Election

Margot Moinester, Department of Sociology

Refugee Success: Developing Refugee-Grounded Definitions and Measurement

Lucia Motolinia Carballo, Department of Political Science

Unity through Particularism

Michael Olson, Department of Political Science

Stolen Representation: Legislative Politics and Black Disfranchisement in the American South

Jake Rosenfeld, Department of Sociology

The Future of Public Sector Worker Power

Kiara Wyndham-Douds, Department of Sociology

Book Workshop and Community Engagement Design

Upcoming Events

Join us for two exciting May 2024 Weidenbaum Center events. May 1 we are hosting a virtual fireside chat with Weidenbaum Center Resident Fellow and Past Director Steven Fazzari, and Weidenbaum Center Director Andrew Reeves, about Steve's 42 year tenure at Washington University. And May 16, make sure to join us for our annual reception where we will be honoring Chancellor Andrew D. Martin.

Listing of our events