Legislators shape social policy impacting millions–but often with incomplete knowledge. This Friday, David Brady uncovers what lawmakers actually know, what they get wrong, and why it matters for real-world policy. Join us → bit.ly/4q0E6f4

We rarely think of economics as scandalous, but maybe we should. Sam Bowles, in conversation with @durlauf.bsky.social & Ethan Bueno de Mesquita, argues that a core assumption in the field impedes moral reasoning about wealth redistribution. Watch "Why Economic Inequalities Endure"→ bit.ly/3Yj4F3B

Studying the macroeconomic effects of neighborhood-specific policies in a general equilibrium model of a city with endogenous residential sorting and educational investment, from Alessandra Fogli, Veronica Guerrieri, Mark Ponder, and Marta Prato www.nber.org/papers/w34754

The relationship between childbirth & women's careers is central to understanding gender inequality. In a new paper, Gallen et al. examine unplanned pregnancies & find that childbirth can lead to a 25% long-term earnings penalty, with even larger results for younger women. Read now → bit.ly/4a9QCTG

Last month, the Stone Center convened social scientists, statisticians, and philosophers for our conference, "Integrating Normative Considerations into Inequality Measurement." Together, we examined how ideas of fairness, opportunity, and reward shape the way we measure disparity and discrimination.

What can the history of global capitalism reveal about today’s rising inequality? On this week’s Inequality Podcast, @svenbeckert.bsky.social joins @durlauf.bsky.social to trace capitalism’s rise to its expected demise. 🎧 Listen → bit.ly/45vFkaP

Catch Steven Durlauf (@durlauf.bsky.social) on @france24.com discussing the United States' rapidly evolving tariff policies and their geopolitical implications. www.france24.com/en/tv-shows/...

🌍📉 In a @cnn.com analysis of new tariff threats, @durlauf.bsky.social of @ucstonecenter.bsky.social underscores how policy uncertainty itself can chill investment and economic activity — even before any tariffs take effect. "Uncertainty is the enemy of growth." https://har.rs/4q7kHt7

Right-to-work laws promise economic growth, but do they deliver? This Friday, Professor Tom VanHeuvelen will examine 75 years of U.S. county data to uncover which policies actually drive local economic dynamism. Register here to join the conversation → bit.ly/3Nfaj4L

“Uncertainty is the enemy of growth.” A powerful point from @durlauf.bsky.social as he speaks to @cnn.com about the United States' declining credibility and its implications for the world economy.

Building your 2026 reading list? 📚 @durlauf.bsky.social shares five books guaranteed to shape your economic thinking → bit.ly/3Lu5XGl

Wealth inequality has persisted for over 10,000 years–but why? Renowned economist Sam Bowles joined the Stone Center to explore its origins, from the ox and plow to the rise of power concentrations and the lasting effects of slavery. Watch the full lecture here → bit.ly/4pqxM0V

Podcast series spotlight: Across three episodes of The Inequality Pod, Harris scholars examine education policy, opportunity “bottlenecks,” and women’s economic progress—showing how inequality is shaped by interconnected systems. Listen: https://har.rs/48JS7IG

“Economics needs history, [and] history needs economics just as much.” Hear Jonathan Levy in conversation with @durlauf.bsky.social about why bridging these disciplines leads to stronger findings and better research on this week’s episode of the podcast. Listen now → bit.ly/4pBJt4c

Congratulations to @gtwodtke.bsky.social, Associate Director of the Stone Center, on the upcoming release of Causal Mediation Analysis (with @Xiang Zhou), published by @universitypress.cambridge.org. 📚Now available for pre-order→ bit.ly/4stOfU9

New year, new workshops! 💥 The Inequality Workshop is back for 2026 💥 From politics and poverty to prejudice and power, this speaker series offers new ways of thinking about the big issues of our time. Register now to save your in-person seat → lnkd.in/gRPKGj9e

📊 Inequality, Reconsidered was a week-long series of @ucstonecenter.bsky.social events to rethink how we study and address inequality. Led by insights from Samuel Bowles and @durlauf.bsky.social, the series emphasized power, institutions, and lived experience alongside data. https://har.rs/4baRCc2

Happy Holidays from the Stone Center! Thank you to our community of researchers, staff, and partners for your continued support this past year. We wish you a joyful season and look forward to resuming our programs in 2026.

Meritocracy remains controversial yet increasingly central to policy debates. Evaluating it requires care: we must first define “merit” relative to social objectives, whether prospectively or retrospectively. @durlauf.bsky.social's latest essay offers ways to think about these issues→ bit.ly/3Y283jj

How does women’s status within family structures shape economies and states? Lena Edlund traces gender and marriage norms to unpack these dynamics alongside @durlauf.bsky.social on this week’s episode of the Inequality Podcast. Listen now → bit.ly/4j2QGbD

We’re proud to share that our Associate Director, @nomadj1s.bsky.social, has been named a 2025 Evidence Champion by J-PAL. His leadership advances research quality to better understand systemic forces and intentionally amplifies voices across the field. A well-deserved recognition if you ask us!

🧵1/3 J-PAL North America is thrilled to announce our 2025 #EvidenceChampion awardees! Both @nomadj1s.bsky.social and Dr. Owen Garrick have dedicated their careers to advancing racial equity and evidence-based policymaking. Learn more 👇

Stone Center Director @durlauf.bsky.social joined @lseinequalities.bsky.social for their 10th-anniversary conference. During a panel, Durlauf shared two suggestions for the future of inequality research. Watch to hear his take on trajectories, meritocracy, and their evolving roles → bit.ly/4iRQ8W3

Regular health screenings are a critical component of preventive care. In a multi-wave field experiment, @nomadj1s.bsky.social, David Molitor, and Julian Reif find that financial incentives increase participation in screenings both immediately and long term. Read their research → bit.ly/48OD13A

Children face many challenges after a family separation. Moving homes? That can make it even harder, especially on academic outcomes. This Friday, Lucienne Disch discusses how residential stability may help keep kids test scores on track. Register here → bit.ly/47z4qWg

When kids are ready to learn, Stephen Raudenbush thinks we should be ready to teach. On the latest Inequality Podcast, Raudenbush joins @gtwodtke.bsky.social to discuss how teaching and school structure shape outcomes, and why organizational change might be needed. Listen → bit.ly/4rwytHh

What can 13 minutes teach us about inequality? A lot, it turns out. @durlauf.bsky.social and @jadenreports.bsky.social cover wealth, education, and capitalism in a recent interview. Zoe Cobb, Stone Center staffer and youth voice, captures the key insights in a must-read summary → bit.ly/43ZFVke

Shopping this Black Friday? Wondering how tariffs will affect prices? Steven Durlauf (@durlauf.bsky.social) tells KQ2 that while the impact might not hit consumers immediately, the long-term effects could be significant. www.kq2.com/news/u-s-tar...

Honored to introduce Samuel Bowles Public Lecture The Origin and Future of Inequality, part of 3 days organized by @ucstonecenter.bsky.social. Sam has been an inspiration, both intellectually and morally to me, as well as to so many in the profession. www.youtube.com/watch?v=lV-9...

We know family income matters, but new research reveals when it matters most for adult earnings. Using a low-assumption, trajectory-based approach, Chang et al. find the largest impacts in middle childhood & adolescence, and that income & family structure are complementary. Read now → bit.ly/48tPxX2

Stone Center affiliate Gregorio Caetano has a new paper out. In this latest work, the research team examines daily video consumption and its role in human capital development, an important but often underappreciated dimension of wealth accumulation.

Doug Downey wants to convince you that schools actually reduce inequality, not expand it. In his conversation with @gtwodtke.bsky.social, they examine how the education system likely compensates for SES gaps and why school reforms are a band-aid fix to root problems. Listen now → bit.ly/48nPLij

Billionaire wealth keeps climbing, but the gains don't seem to reach everyone else. Steven Durlauf (@durlauf.bsky.social) tells @marketplace.org that tax cuts for the wealthy don’t boost growth the way trickle-down theory promises.

New research from Stone Center Affiliate Ellora Derenoncourt (@princetonecon.bsky.social) just dropped👇

Decades of research on gender disparities, one fascinating conversation. Nicole Fortin (@stone-centre-ubc.bsky.social) joins @durlauf.bsky.social to discuss decomposition methods, women’s underrepresentation in economics, & shifting views on minimum wage. Listen now → bit.ly/49MQU48

The right time to have a baby isn't just personal – it's economic. This Friday, Professor Yana Gallen explores how the timing of motherhood can influence women's career trajectories and why delay is often a strategic choice. Register here → bit.ly/47z4qWg

Textbooks can meaningfully shape children's worldviews. Using computational methods, @aadukia.bsky.social & Emileigh Harrison find that while Texas and California public school texts are similar, religious versions depict fewer women, lighter skin, and more faith content. Read more → bit.ly/43pvNRC

Tonight at Harris School of Public Policy: Why Economic Inequalities Endure. For decades, Sam Bowles has challenged how we think about economics, democracy, and inequality. Ahead of his talk, hear him compare capitalism and democracy on The Inequality Podcast. Listen → bit.ly/43Qi8mz

Sam Bowles is a dedicated collaborator across the Stone Center network. Between his work with @stoneeconucl.bsky.social, @coreecon.bsky.social, and his own groundbreaking research, he joins us in Chicago to discuss "Why Economic Inequalities Endure," happening tomorrow. RSVP → cvent.me/aWXMPqa

Inequality Reconsidered: A Week with the Stone Center begins today! Missed the registration window for our Nov. 4 lecture with Sam Bowles? Don’t worry, you can still join “Why Economic Inequalities Endure” on Thursday, Nov. 6. Seats are limited, don't wait → cvent.me/aWXMPq

Research trio @durlauf.bsky.social, Andros Kourtellos, and Chih Ming Tan reunited at the Stone Center this past summer to continue their collaborative efforts on refining measures of inequality. Learn more about their joint work and its reach→ stonecenter.uchicago.edu/news-insight...

Steven Durlauf (@durlauf.bsky.social) joins rising voice Jaden Jefferson (@jadenreports.bsky.social) to discuss how wealth inequality influences the U.S. economy through disparities in education, taxation, and opportunity.

Steven Durlauf (@durlauf.bsky.social) speaks to @thehill.com on the Trump Administration’s college compact, emphasizing that debates over diversity should take place within institutions themselves. thehill.com/homenews/edu...

In under two weeks, Inequality Reconsidered: A Week with the Stone Center begins. Join Samuel Bowles & Steven Durlauf at the Harris School of Public Policy on November 4th and 6th to unpack why economic inequalities endure. Reserve your seat → cvent.me/aWXMPq

Join Professor Joe Soss on Friday morning to hear about the legal plunder of the justice system. Soss will discuss the origins, operations, and consequences of revenue shifts from communities to governments and corporations. Join us by registering here → zurl.co/LbUc5

Damon Jones, Associate Director of the Stone Center, joins the Million Bazillion podcast to explain how insurance protects against unexpected financial burdens and why it’s an essential part of the financial system.

It’s not every day we interview one of our own directors on the Podcast, but when we do, it’s worth a listen. @durlauf.bsky.social talks with @nomadj1s.bsky.social about household finance, UBI, editing a special issue of the JEL, and what an individualistic perspective might omit. 🎧→ bit.ly/4qlcFOt

Criminal justice institutions generate billions—but who benefits? This Friday, join Professor Joe Soss to discuss racial capitalism, legal plunder, and political resistance. Register here to join the conversation → forms.gle/bbnp8ZgfBxE7NAJC8

Inequality persists not by accident, but by architecture. Join Samuel Bowles & @durlauf.bsky.social for Inequality Reconsidered: A Week with the Stone Center featuring insightful exchanges on research, policy, and the path forward. Systems won't change themselves. Be a Part of It → cvent.me/aWXMPq

Discussions about student loans are in the news more than ever. This Friday, we’ll hear from an expert who's using administrative credit bureau data to study the effects of loan forgiveness. Register now to be part of the conversation → zurl.co/sZ9VG