Events

The AI boom and energy transition are jointly shaping the next phase of U.S. economic growth. Whether this moment delivers equitable economic growth and shared prosperity or exacerbates inequality and affordability pressures depends on how policy aligns AI-driven demand with clean energy deployment,…

We rely on the federal government for vital social insurance programs, invaluable data on the state of the U.S. economy, and to guarantee the rights and safety of workers and consumers, among many other critical functions. The current administration is radically transforming public services through…

The Washington Center for Equitable Growth hosted a virtual event called “Evaluating the Economic Policy Stakes for 2025” on Monday, September 9, 2024, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. In the final months of the presidential campaign, a great deal of focus will be on how candidates describe their own pol…

This in-person event featured Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and other tax policy experts discussing how evidence-backed changes to the tax code can buck recent regressive trends and instead spur strong, stable, and broad-based economic growth. The debate next year on what to do with certain expiring…

The Washington Center for Equitable Growth on May 21 hosted its marquee event, “Research on Tap: Three Forces Shaping the 2024 Economy,” at the National Union Building in Washington, DC. Guests showed up for drinks, dialogue, and debate, as a panel of experts discussed how the forces of climate chan…

In early 2021, Equitable Growth invested in new research exploring the role that Families First and other paid leave laws played in the COVID-19 pandemic. Particularly, this research looked at how new or existing paid leave laws impacted leave-taking behavior, economic and personal well-being, and s…

The exercise of American Indian tribal sovereignty over the past 30 years resulted in more economic growth and improved well-being for American Indians than during any other point in the more than 500-year history since contact with European colonists and settlers. Increased self-governance over tri…

Over the past four decades, geographic inequality between regions of the United States has grown dramatically. A handful of metropolitan areas, largely along the coasts, have become some of the richest economic regions in world history, while elsewhere, large swaths of the country have been trapped…

The large observed racial divides in income, wealth, employment, and other markers of economic well-being between households is a well-known characteristic of the U.S. economy. These divides have a tragic human cost, but they are also a drag on our economy. Pay discrimination, barriers to wealth acc…

The COVID-19 pandemic that led to record unemployment also devastated state and local government revenues across the country. With governments still facing extraordinary budget deficits, this fiscal crisis makes it even more difficult for state and local labor enforcement agencies to respond to labo…

One reason U.S. workers’ wages are stagnating is that large firms shifted from doing many activities in-house to buying goods and services from a complex web of other companies. Sometimes this restructuring can lead to innovation if supplier firms specialize in producing complex technologies or proc…

Research shows that the Great Recession prolonged long-term scarring for many workers and their families, in part because U.S. policymakers failed to see an economic recovery through to its conclusion. In the decade following the Great Recession, wages stagnated and working and middle-class families…

The Washington Center for Equitable Growth held a virtual conference on November 19 to discuss the release of Equitable Growth’s antitrust transition report. An emerging bipartisan consensus warns that antitrust enforcement has failed to protect the competitiveness of the U.S. economy, as underscore…

The Washington Center for Equitable Growth announced its new book, Vision 2020: Evidence for a Stronger Economy, at a breakfast event on February 18, 2020. Authored by leading scholars across the country, this compilation of 21 essays highlights a range of new ideas and the research behind them. We…

The Washington Center for Equitable Growth hosted a reception during the ASSA Annual Meeting on Friday, January 3, 2020, at 8:00 p.m. The reception was a chance to connect with other scholars, Equitable Growth staff, and our academic advisors to learn more about our research, grantmaking, academic p…

On July 9, the Washington Center for Equitable Growth hosted a conversation on wage gaps for women and people of color, and what we can do about it. Wage stagnation and falling economic mobility are endemic economic problems in the United States. Their effects fall most severely on communities of co…

On May 29, Equitable Growth hosted Fiona Scott Morton and Jonathan B. Baker, academic experts on competition and former antitrust enforcers, for a conversation on what we know about rising market power in the U.S. economy and how we can fix it. The discussion focused on critical questions at the int…

The Washington Center for Equitable Growth hosted a seminar by Christina Patterson, resident scholar at Equitable Growth and Ph.D. candidate in economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Patterson presented new research on the amplification of recessions through the unequal incidence of…

A Hamilton Project and Washington Center for Equitable Growth policy forum Identifying the most effective policy responses to mitigate the damaging effects of a recession can pose significant challenges for policymakers, who are often operating under intense time constraints and political pressure a…