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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The 2024 Elections in Historic Perspective

Our September Public Policy Lunch featured speaker Sean Trende who offered a deep dive into the unprecedented dynamics of the 2024 election. He provided historical context and shared his unique perspective on the current state of American politics. Dr. Trende, renowned for his expertise in elections and polling data, is a Senior Elections Analyst for RealClearPolitics and a nonresident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. His work focuses on elections, American political trends, voting patterns, and demographics. Click on the Past Event Video button in the "About the Center" section above to watch the event recording.

The Divine Nine and Black voter support for Kamala Harris

Professor Michael Strawbridge, new Political Science faculty member, co-authored an article on the Good Authority website on Kamala Harris' presidential campaign and the role of Black Fraternities and Sororities. He used Weidenbaum Center Survey data in the piece. Good Authority is the successor to The Monkey Cage, a site that was founded in 2007 and published at the Washington Post from 2013-2022.

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Benefiting from perspectives of individuals from all backgrounds

John Inazu is the Sally D. Danforth Distinguished Professor of Law and Religion and was recently profiled in the "Building Trust & Community” section of the August 2024 issue of Washington Magazine, The Magazine of WashU. His most recent book, "Learning to Disagree: The Surprising Path to Navigating Differences With Empathy and Respect," reveals the surprising path to learning how to disagree in ways that build new bridges with our neighbors, coworkers, and loved ones--and help us find better ways to live joyfully in a complex society. Professor Inazu will be discussing his book at a book tour event at the Weidenbaum Center on October 11.

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Welcome New Faculty!

Read about new faculty members in our affiliated WashU Departments: Economics, Political Science, and Sociology

Philipp Grϋbener

Assistant Professor, Department of Economics Research interests: understanding earnings dynamics, insurance against income risk, and the design of the tax-and-transfer system.

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Martin Garcia-Vazquez

Assistant Professor, Department of Economics Research interests: labor economics, public economics, macroeconomics, and econometrics; focus on policies related to early childhood development and health economics.

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Christina L. Boyd

Professor, Department of Political Science and WashU School of Law Research interests: judicial politics, public law, women and politics, judicial diversity, American politics, and the intersection of courts and the bureaucracy in American politics.

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Lee Epstein

Ethan A.H. Shepley Distinguished University Professor Research interests: law and legal institutions and behavior of judges.

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Jaclyn Kaslovsky

Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science and Weidenbaum Center Resident Fellow Research interests: Congress, representation, and women in politics.

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Michael Strawbridge

Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science Research interests: American politics and quantitative methodology with an emphasis on developing novel empirical ways to assess and understand the political behavior of racial and ethnic minorities.

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Darwin Baluran

Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology Research interests: intersection of race, health, and criminology/criminal justice.

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Yannick Coenders

Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology Research interests: race, urban space, and colonialism.

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Samuel Kye

Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology Research interests: race & ethnicity, community and urban sociology, demography, and asian americans.

Congratulations to Alana Bame for receiving the Arts & Sciences Staff Service Award! This award honors a staff member who demonstrates exceptional initiative and outstanding execution in efforts that help advance the mission of Arts & Sciences. Pictured with Feng Sheng Hu, Richard G. Engelsmann Dean of Arts & Sciences

Alana Bame

Weidenbaum Center Administrative Coordinator

Congratulations to Andrew Reeves for his recent appointment as Visiting Fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University!

Andrew Reeves

Weidenbaum Center Director

Exciting Upcoming Fall 2024 events!

Our Fall event lineup continues with more great programs! Late September events include: The Annual Constitution Day event featuring a SCOTUS review by prominent WashU law professors. Private Enterprise at Olin will feature a conversation about ownership transitions called the "sliver tsunami." And on Sept. 27, co-authors Jeff Spinner-Haley and Elizabeth Theiss-Morse will discuss their recent book "Respect and Loathing in American Democracy." Check out our event page for all of our upcoming events!

Fall 2024 Events