Weidenbaum Center June Newsletter

June 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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Congratulations to our 2024 Weidenbaum Center Award for Excellence Recipient, Chancellor Andrew D. Martin!

The 2024 Weidenbaum Center Annual Reception

On May 16, we hosted our Spring 2024 Annual Reception. Chancellor Andrew D. Martin and Chancellor Emeritus Mark Wrighton were among the attendees, along with Feng Sheng Hu, Dean of Arts and Sciences, as well as faculty members and Center supporters. Chancellor Martin was this year's recipient of the Weidenbaum Center Award for Excellence. This award honors the Center's founder, Professor Murray Weidenbaum, and is given to a recipient who provides an exemplary model of his work and service, accomplishments, and achievements. When accepting the award, Chancellor Martin highlighted receiving a small grant from the Weidenbaum Center that provided seed funding for his research as a young professor at Washington University. This funding led to his receiving a large external grant that provided research for one of his top five cited articles on Google.

A tribute to long-time Weidenbaum Center supporter and friend Virginia Weldon

Dr. Virginia Weldon (Ginny), was an accomplished physician and scientist, and Senior Vice President in Public Policy for the Monsanto Company until she retired. She was a great friend to the Center, long-time major supporter, and close with Murray Weidenbaum and former executive-in-residence Richard Mahoney. Weidenbaum Center Resident Fellow Steve Fazzari says, "I worked with Ginny when she graciously agreed to direct the Center for the Study of American Business (former name of the Weidenbaum Center), during a challenging leadership transition. I appreciated her good sense and cooperative style. She was a great citizen of Washington University and the entire St. Louis region and will be missed." Former Center Director Steven Smith says, "In my nearly 20 years as director, Ginny was a good friend. She was a tremendous supporter of the Center. She contributed in so many ways - offering timely, useful advice based on her wide range of experience in medicine, business, and community organizations. She loved our events and enjoyed sharing her thoughts on both national and local affairs. I miss her." To honor Ginny's work and memory, you can give at the link below, continuing her mission to build the Weidenbaum Center, Washington University, and the St. Louis Community.

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External Grant Awards

Weidenbaum Center staff work with the faculty in the Departments of Economics, Political Science, and Sociology to identify sources of external funding and to prepare and submit applications for external funding

More information on External Grants

Recipients: Daniel Butler, Political Science, Washington University in St. Louis; Sarah Anderson, Environmental Politics, the University of California-Santa Barbara; and Laurel Harbridge-Yong, Political Science, Northwestern University

Awarding entity: Unite America PROJECT TITLE: THE 2024 PRIMARY ELECTION STUDY. The Primary Election Study (PES) was first funded by a SPEED Grant from the School of Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis. Unite America, a philanthropic venture fund that invests in nonpartisan election reform to foster a more representative and functional government, awarded Professor Butler and his colleagues additional funding to allow them to lead a collaborative study on how voters made decisions during the U.S. Senate primary elections in 2024. PES is studying primaries in California, Nevada, and Michigan in 2024. The survey will allow the researchers to better understand why some people vote in primaries and others don't, and what factors affect their decision-making in primary elections.

Recipient: Jake Rosenfeld, Sociology, Weidenbaum Center Resident Fellow, Washington University in St. Louis

Awarding entity: Washington Center for Equitable Growth PROJECT TITLE: JANUS AND THE FUTURE OF PUBLIC SECTOR WORKER POWER. Research centers on two related questions: Investigating what accounts for the stability in public sector unionization rates in the aftermath of the 2018 Supreme Court Case, Janus v. AFSCME (right to work laws). And examining potential pathways to greater union power in the private sector. Union density rates in the public sector far surpass those in the private sector, but they remain well below public sector density rates in peer nations.

Recipient: Matthew Gabel, Political Science, Washington University in St. Louis

Awarding entity: National Science Foundation PROJECT TITLE: SEGREGATION, SUBURBANIZATION, AND REPRESENTATION. Research explores the conditions under which descriptive and substantive minority representation can be achieved in the context of ongoing Black suburbanization, paying special attention to two of the most important electoral systems used for local governance in the United States: multi-seat at-large and single-member district plurality.

Julia created social media postings and assisted at events during her time at the Center. She enjoyed learning from the distinguished guests who delivered talks and engaged in discussion with her post-event. Julia says, “My time working at the Weidenbaum Center has made me more confident working with different forms of media and made me more eager to engage in academic work that positively impacts local communities.”

Julia Robbins

May 2024 Washington University Graduate and former Weidenbaum Center Undergraduate Affiliate. We wish her the best in her future endeavors!

Jongwoo studies identity politics within the context of political polarization in American Politics. Jongwoo says, "Being a member of the Weidenbaum Center gives me a strong sense of pride, as if I were a former alumnus. As a junior scholar, the academic and career advice I have received from Weidenbaum Center affiliated scholars has been crucial in setting research questions and paths that are more important and meaningful. My two years in the center will remain as one of my best memories for the course of my career as a researcher and person."

Jongwoo Jeong

Weidenbaum Center Postdoctoral Research Fellow. Jongwoo will be starting this fall as an assistant professor in the Department of Political Science at Georgia State University. We wish him the best in his new role!

Exciting Upcoming Fall 2024 events!

On September 12, we will be hosting a special Immigration forum with panelists from the fields of sociology, law, journalism, and local city government. Our September policy lunch will feature Sean Trende, the founder of RealClearPolitics and nonresident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. In October, the Weidenbaum Center and the Brookings institution will co-host an exciting virtual conversation featuring key economic advisers to President Biden and former President Trump. In November, our Weidenbaum Center Director Andrew Reeves will be providing his commentary following the 2024 election results, and in December, we look forward to seeing all of you at our annual holiday party!

Fall 2024 Events