UChicago | Stone Center on Wealth Inequality & Mobility
@ucstonecenter.bsky.social
The Stone Center for Research on Wealth Inequality and Mobility advances interdisciplinary research on the origins and nature of contemporary inequalities.
Reposted by UChicago | Stone Center on Wealth Inequality & Mobility
📊 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
Inequality Reconsidered: The Stone Center's Distinctive Approach
When it was established in 2022, the Stone Center for Research on Wealth Inequality and Mobility at the Harris School of Public Policy set out to advance groundbreaking, interdisciplinary research on the origins and nature of contemporary inequalities.
har.rs
January 5, 2026 at 6:10 PM
📊 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.
December 22, 2025 at 3:30 PM
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
Meritocracy and Its Discontents
<p>In this essay, I outline some ways to think about meritocracy. I interpret <span>meritocracy as a constellation of claims about who deserves certain thi
bit.ly
December 18, 2025 at 4:11 PM
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
December 17, 2025 at 5:57 PM
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!
2/3 Our researcher #EvidenceChampion, @nomadj1s.bsky.social, serves as J-PAL North America’s Scientific Advisor for Racial Equity and has contributed to making research investigating racial equity more rigorous, accessible, and inclusive. Read more j-p.al/Damon-Jones
Researcher Spotlight: Damon Jones on better understanding racial equity through rigorous research
In this Evidence Champion series, J-PAL North America is recognizing individuals in our network who have made extraordinary contributions to the field of evidence-based policymaking. This year's resea...
j-p.al
December 16, 2025 at 4:01 PM
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!
Reposted by UChicago | Stone Center on Wealth Inequality & Mobility
🧵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 👇
December 15, 2025 at 7:53 PM
🧵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
LSE III Event | New directions in inequality research
YouTube video by LSE International Inequalities Institute
www.youtube.com
December 10, 2025 at 5:29 PM
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
Read their research → bit.ly/48OD13A
December 8, 2025 at 6:12 PM
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
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
Register here → bit.ly/47z4qWg
December 3, 2025 at 6:54 PM
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
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
Listen → bit.ly/4rwytHh
December 2, 2025 at 8:58 PM
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
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
Wealth Inequality and the U.S. Economy: Steven Durlauf with Youth Journalist, Jaden Jefferson - Stone Center
Stone Center Director Steven Durlauf sits down with award-winning youth journalist Jaden Jefferson to dive into a conversation about wealth inequality, educational attainment, and American capitalism....
bit.ly
December 1, 2025 at 5:30 PM
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...
www.kq2.com/news/u-s-tar...
U.S. tariffs could cast shadow over holiday shopping season
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — The busiest time of year for U.S. shoppers and retail consumers is right around the corner.
www.kq2.com
November 25, 2025 at 6:28 PM
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...
www.kq2.com/news/u-s-tar...
Reposted by UChicago | Stone Center on Wealth Inequality & Mobility
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...
@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...
UChicago Stone Center | The Origin and Future of Economic Inequality by Samuel Bowles
YouTube video by Harris Public Policy
www.youtube.com
November 22, 2025 at 9:22 PM
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...
@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
Read now → bit.ly/48tPxX2
November 21, 2025 at 5:39 PM
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
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.
Documenting video consumption among school-aged children in the US and exploring its impact on human capital development, from Carolina Caetano, Gregorio S. Caetano, Débora Mazetto, and Meghan Skira www.nber.org/papers/w34466
November 20, 2025 at 4:04 PM
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
Listen now → bit.ly/48nPLij
November 19, 2025 at 5:40 PM
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
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.
Tax cuts for the wealthy are, in theory, supposed to stimulate economic growth. So why don’t those benefits trickle down?
Why doesn’t trickle-down economics work in practice?
The very rich have 1,000 times more wealth than the poorest households, according to a new report. That wealth is not improving the livelihoods of other people in the economy.
www.marketplace.org
November 17, 2025 at 5:11 PM
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👇
Minimum wages in Brazil substantially raised wages for informal workers, and effects of the policy on reallocation out of formal employment were limited, from Ellora Derenoncourt, François Gerard, Lorenzo Lagos, and Claire Montialoux www.nber.org/papers/w34445
November 14, 2025 at 6:49 PM
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
Listen now → bit.ly/49MQU48
November 13, 2025 at 4:50 PM
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
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
Register here → bit.ly/47z4qWg
November 12, 2025 at 4:00 PM
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
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
November 11, 2025 at 9:53 PM
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
Listen → bit.ly/43Qi8mz
November 6, 2025 at 6:11 PM
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
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
November 5, 2025 at 6:44 PM
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
Seats are limited, don't wait → cvent.me/aWXMPq
November 3, 2025 at 3:28 PM
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
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...
Long-time Collaborators Reunite at the Stone Center - Stone Center
Where Ideas on Economic Growth and Intergenerational Mobility Converge Andros Kourtellos and Chih Ming Tan have been researching inequality for nearly two decades. Initially drawn to cross-country dif...
stonecenter.uchicago.edu
October 30, 2025 at 4:52 PM
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...