Steven Durlauf

Steven Durlauf

@durlauf.bsky.social

Professor, Harris School of Public Policy, Director, Stone Center for Research on Wealth Inequality and Mobility, University of Chicago

3.1K followers799 following279 posts

Steven Durlauf
@durlauf.bsky.social

1/ Delighted that this conversation with Philip Kitcher, an intellectual hero, has posted. The podcast focuses on two recent books.

UChicago | Stone Center on Wealth Inequality & Mobility@ucstonecenter.bsky.social

What happens when efficiency becomes the goal of policy? Philosopher Philip Kitcher (@columbiauniversity.bsky.social) argues prioritizing productivity has crowded out ethics, contributing to an "erosion of kindness." Listen to his full conversation with @durlauf.bsky.social here → bit.ly/4a03FI1

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Steven Durlauf
@durlauf.bsky.social

6/ The book is important because of its (I would argue decisive) rebuttal of various challenges to the meaning and fact of scientific progress, challenges that may be found in various arguments in philosophy and sociology (the so-called Sociology of Scientific Knowledge).

Steven Durlauf
@durlauf.bsky.social

1/ Delighted that this conversation with Philip Kitcher, an intellectual hero, has posted. The podcast focuses on two recent books.

UChicago | Stone Center on Wealth Inequality & Mobility@ucstonecenter.bsky.social

What happens when efficiency becomes the goal of policy? Philosopher Philip Kitcher (@columbiauniversity.bsky.social) argues prioritizing productivity has crowded out ethics, contributing to an "erosion of kindness." Listen to his full conversation with @durlauf.bsky.social here → bit.ly/4a03FI1

View full thread
Steven Durlauf
@durlauf.bsky.social

4/ While not the focus of our conversation, I highly recommend two other Kitcher books. On John Stuart Mill is based on Kitcher's lectures in the Columbia core and presents a pragmatic view of Mill and emphasizes Mill's profoundly humane vision of a good society.

Steven Durlauf
@durlauf.bsky.social

5/ The Advancement of Science: Science without Legend, Objectivity without Illusions is a modern classic in the philosophy of science. The book develops a systemic analysis of how scientific progress can occur by emphasizing how scientific communities evolve.

Steven Durlauf
@durlauf.bsky.social

1/ Delighted that this conversation with Philip Kitcher, an intellectual hero, has posted. The podcast focuses on two recent books.

UChicago | Stone Center on Wealth Inequality & Mobility@ucstonecenter.bsky.social

What happens when efficiency becomes the goal of policy? Philosopher Philip Kitcher (@columbiauniversity.bsky.social) argues prioritizing productivity has crowded out ethics, contributing to an "erosion of kindness." Listen to his full conversation with @durlauf.bsky.social here → bit.ly/4a03FI1

Steven Durlauf
@durlauf.bsky.social

2/ The Rich & The Poor represents a call to arms about the ways public policy and academia think about inequality and destitution. The book calls for a reinvigoration of both with ethical considerations in identifying questions and in conceptualizing policy objectives.

Steven Durlauf
@durlauf.bsky.social

3/ The Main Enterprise of the World: Rethinking Education develops a rich vision of education as integral to what constitutes a good society, with deep implications for its organization. Kitcher follows John Dewey in focusing on education as forming "fundamental dispositions" of the citizenry.

Steven Durlauf
@durlauf.bsky.social

Delighted that this paper with Kristina Butaeva @butaevak.bsky.social and Alexander Shapoval is now public.

NBER@nber.org

Intergenerational class mobility in the late Qing era is studied, with changes in dynamics, notably a collapse in upward mobility, revealing the footprints of late imperial crises, from Kristina Butaeva, @durlauf.bsky.social, and Alexander Shapoval www.nber.org/papers/w35313

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Steven Durlauf
@durlauf.bsky.social

In contrast, the second epoch, beginning around 1850, exhibits unstable intergenerational class dynamics that persist until the dynasty’s collapse. This epoch reveals a collapse of upward mobility for the late empire.

Steven Durlauf
@durlauf.bsky.social

Interestingly, the transition between epochs coincides with the Opium Wars and Taiping Rebellion, demonstrating how the footprints of major crises in the late Qing era appear in the mobility dynamics.

Steven Durlauf
@durlauf.bsky.social

Delighted that this paper with Kristina Butaeva @butaevak.bsky.social and Alexander Shapoval is now public.

NBER@nber.org

Intergenerational class mobility in the late Qing era is studied, with changes in dynamics, notably a collapse in upward mobility, revealing the footprints of late imperial crises, from Kristina Butaeva, @durlauf.bsky.social, and Alexander Shapoval www.nber.org/papers/w35313

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Steven Durlauf
@durlauf.bsky.social

These data allow us to estimate a nonhomogeneous Markov transition matrix for mobility and study how mobility evolved. We employ novel intergenerational mobility measures deriving from alternative mobility concepts-persistence of class origin across generations and intergenerational class movement.

Steven Durlauf
@durlauf.bsky.social

While each generation possesses a specific mobility structure, we identify two epochs that characterize them. Before 1850, the generation-specific transition matrices appear to exhibit convergence toward a steady state.

Steven Durlauf
@durlauf.bsky.social

Delighted that this paper with Kristina Butaeva @butaevak.bsky.social and Alexander Shapoval is now public.

NBER@nber.org

Intergenerational class mobility in the late Qing era is studied, with changes in dynamics, notably a collapse in upward mobility, revealing the footprints of late imperial crises, from Kristina Butaeva, @durlauf.bsky.social, and Alexander Shapoval www.nber.org/papers/w35313

Steven Durlauf
@durlauf.bsky.social

Before discussing the paper, it is important to note that Kristina, who is currently a postdoc at @UCStoneCenter, will be on the job market this year. She is an absolutely first-rate scholar whose presence would make any social science community in the world a more vibrant one.

Steven Durlauf
@durlauf.bsky.social

Our analysis uses a remarkable data set from the Liaoning province in Northeast China developed by James Lee and Cameron Campbell, which allows us to study the evolution for status mobility for six generations from the late 1700's to the end of Imperial China.

Steven Durlauf
@durlauf.bsky.social

Honored to give this lecture.

The Janeway Institute, Cambridge@janewayinstitute.bsky.social

Don't miss this important lecture, delivered by @durlauf.bsky.social - Director of the Stone Center for Research on Wealth Inequality and Mobility at the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy! @templetonrelig.bsky.social #econsky

Steven Durlauf reposted

UChicago | Stone Center on Wealth Inequality & Mobility
@ucstonecenter.bsky.social

With graduation season here, students are focused on their job prospects in the age of AI. @durlauf.bsky.social told @hechingerreport.org that AI's effects continue evolving and remain difficult to distinguish from the many economic disruptions of recent years. Read: bit.ly/4ejXK1L

bit.lyWhat it’s like to enter the job market in the middle of an AI revolution‘It’s not looking good’: The unemployment rate for recent grads is the highest in five years, but AI is not primarily to blame — at least not yet
Steven Durlauf
@durlauf.bsky.social

Delighted that this wonderful conversation with Michelle Jackson @mivich.bsky.social has now posted. Much of the conversation involves two fascinating books she has written: The Division of Rationalized Labor and Manifesto for A Dream: Inequality, Constraint, and Radical Reform.

UChicago | Stone Center on Wealth Inequality & Mobility@ucstonecenter.bsky.social

@mivich.bsky.social argues that inequality is too large a problem to be solved through incremental changes alone. In her episode of The Inequality Podcast, she applies that same structural lens to the changing nature of work, examining why job responsibilities keep expanding. Listen: bit.ly/4vtapq9

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Steven Durlauf
@durlauf.bsky.social

Michelle argues that rationalization of the economy facilitated by increased capacity to understand and measure how productivity of individuals and organizations is determined, underlies this evolution.

Steven Durlauf
@durlauf.bsky.social

This vision contains deep implications for labor market and intergenerational inequality. This is one of the best books on inequality I have read in the last several years. This is one of the best books on inequality I have read in the last several years.

Steven Durlauf
@durlauf.bsky.social

Delighted that this wonderful conversation with Michelle Jackson @mivich.bsky.social has now posted. Much of the conversation involves two fascinating books she has written: The Division of Rationalized Labor and Manifesto for A Dream: Inequality, Constraint, and Radical Reform.

UChicago | Stone Center on Wealth Inequality & Mobility@ucstonecenter.bsky.social

@mivich.bsky.social argues that inequality is too large a problem to be solved through incremental changes alone. In her episode of The Inequality Podcast, she applies that same structural lens to the changing nature of work, examining why job responsibilities keep expanding. Listen: bit.ly/4vtapq9

Steven Durlauf
@durlauf.bsky.social

The Division of Rationalized Labor is a remarkable analysis of the nature of modern jobs. The book argues that the modern economy has produced jobs of increasing complexity as a given position involves more complex and heterogeneous objectives.

Steven Durlauf reposted

Harris School of Public Policy
@harrispolicy.bsky.social

📊 In @thecentersquare.bsky.social, Professor @durlauf.bsky.social of @ucstonecenter.bsky.social says the latest labor numbers point to “stasis” in the job market: unemployment remains steady and jobs are growing, but wage growth is weak and gains are uneven. https://har.rs/4tRfS9b

har.rsLabor stats offer mixed bag for Illinois(The Center Square) – The Trump administration says the United States saw smashing job growth in April, but Illinois' story is a mixed bag.

Steven Durlauf reposted

Guido Alfani
@guidoalfani.bsky.social

Replying to @guidoalfani.bsky.social

The interdisciplinary team of lecturers includes Steven Durlauf @durlauf.bsky.social, Béatrice Cherrier, Ariel Kalil @arielkalil.bsky.social, Zachary Parolin @zparolin.bsky.social, Paola Profeta @paolaprofeta.bsky.social, and me. Details for applying here👇 email.harris.uchicago.edu/-temporary-s...

email.harris.uchicago.eduJoin Us in Milan: Applications Open for the Summer School on Socioeconomic Oppertunity & Inequality

Steven Durlauf reposted

Harris School of Public Policy
@harrispolicy.bsky.social

📊 Economist @durlauf.bsky.social of the @ucstonecenter.bsky.social tells @fox32chicago.bsky.social that the latest jobs report beat expectations, but flags warning signs ahead. https://har.rs/4siCtKK

har.rsMarch jobs report shows gains, but economist warns of deeper concerns | ChicagoLIVEUniversity of Chicago economist Steven Durlauf says the latest jobs numbers are better than expected, but weak wage growth, lower labor force participation and broader uncertainty still point to longer-term economic concerns.

Steven Durlauf reposted

UChicago | Stone Center on Wealth Inequality & Mobility
@ucstonecenter.bsky.social

Sam Bowles has spent decades reshaping how economics is taught. In a new feature, Stone Center Director @durlauf.bsky.social highlights five resources that reflect Bowles’s lasting contributions to pedagogy. Among them is the widely acclaimed @coreecon.bsky.social. Read it now→ bit.ly/4st33ly

bit.lySamuel Bowles' Revolutionary Contributions to Economic Education - Stone CenterSamuel Bowles’ six-decade career has fundamentally reshaped how economists think about institutions, behavior, and inequality. In Fall 2025. Bowles joined the Stone Center for the inaugural Stone Lect...

Steven Durlauf reposted

LSE Inequalities
@lseinequalities.bsky.social

Coming up this Wednesday! @durlauf.bsky.social of @ucstonecenter.bsky.social will discuss intergenerational mobility in China for two distinct epochs: the last 120 years of the Qing Dynasty and the last 30 years for modern China. Register here ⬇️ events.ticketleap.com/tickets/iiil...

events.ticketleap.comStatus mobility in China: past and presentStatus mobility in China: past and present LSE Centre Building 2.06 and on Zoom  Speaker:Professor Steven Durlauf, Frank P. Hixon Distinguished Service Professor and Director of the Stone Center for R...
Steven Durlauf
@durlauf.bsky.social

An extremely valuable synthesis of evidence on the effects of Head Start by @chloergibbs.bsky.social. Recommended!

NBER@nber.org

Several decades of Head Start early childhood care and education research provide insight into variation in program effectiveness, over time, across communities, and by child and family characteristics, from @chloergibbs.bsky.social www.nber.org/papers/w34812

Steven Durlauf
@durlauf.bsky.social

1/ Tommaso Giommoni, Gabriel Loumeau, and Marco Tabellini have written a fascinating paper on the forces influencing the dynamics of the French Revolution, ranging from The Great Fear to the decision to execute Louis XVI.

NBER@nber.org

Spatially unequal taxation fueled the French Revolution, amplifying popular revolts and pushing legislators in high-tax areas to oppose the ancien régime, from Tommaso Giommoni, Gabriel Loumeau, and Marco Tabellini www.nber.org/papers/w34816

Steven Durlauf
@durlauf.bsky.social

2/ The paper is a stunning integration of data ranging from spatial tax differences to analysis of the speeches of deputies in the National Assembly. The paper further explores the interplay of economic factors (tax burden) with measures reflecting differences in diffusion of Enlightenment ideas.

Steven Durlauf
@durlauf.bsky.social

3/ As such, the authors move beyond debates about the "cause" of the French Revolution to understanding the interplay of proximate and deeper factors. A remarkable achievement.

Steven Durlauf
@durlauf.bsky.social

1/ Delighted that this paper with my coauthors extraordinaire, @gtwodtke.bsky.social, Weiqi Wang, and Kristina Butaeva has been released. I want to highlight two of my coauthors. (Geoff Wodtke is a star sociologist and needs no introduction!)

NBER@nber.org

New Markov chain methods reveal how, for the US, the last half century is associated with decreased mobility for the upper and lower classes, and greater mobility for the middle, from Geoffrey Wodtke, Weiqi Wang, Kristina Butaeva, and @durlauf.bsky.social www.nber.org/papers/w34800

Steven Durlauf
@durlauf.bsky.social

2/ Kristina Butaeva is a wonderful postdoc at the UChicago Stone Center, with papers on inequality and mobility that range from the US to Russia to China. She makes any social science department or research center deeper and more interesting.

Steven Durlauf
@durlauf.bsky.social

3/ Weiqi Wang is a predoc at the Center, developing great work on college admissions in China in addition to her work on intergenerational mobility. Every Economics PhD program in the world should be competing to attract her when she applies.

Steven Durlauf
@durlauf.bsky.social

I am delighted that this great conversation with Ran Abramitzky and Leah Boustan has posted. Their extraordinary work on intergenerational mobility and immigrants speaks to essential dimensions of the extent of equality of opportunity and of the process of assimilation.

UChicago | Stone Center on Wealth Inequality & Mobility@ucstonecenter.bsky.social

Ran Abramitzky and Leah Boustan are using economic history to understand immigration. On The Inequality Podcast, they examine patterns of upward mobility and preview new research on the tone of modern political speeches. Listen to their conversation with @durlauf.bsky.social → bit.ly/4txjJsL