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Reposted by Beatrice Magistro

Melissa Baker @melissabaker.bsky.social · Jul 18

It’s been two years since I’ve seen @beamagistro.bsky.social in person but tomorrow we are changing that and I couldn’t be more excited. This is news the internet needs.

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Reposted by Beatrice Magistro

LCSSP at Caltech @caltechlcssp.bsky.social · Jul 14

Listen to our latest LCSSP video as Co-Director @rmichaelalvarez.bsky.social visits with @caltech.edu post-doc scholar @beamagistro.bsky.social, Research Associate in Computational Social Science, about their joint work, her research in AI and Climate change & her new book!
youtu.be/6kkSNTesvXM?...

A Conversation with Beatrice Magistro: AI, Climate Change, & her book, Who Thinks Like an Economist

YouTube video by Linde Center for Science, Society, and Policy

youtu.be

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Reposted by Beatrice Magistro

PLOS Climate @plosclimate.org · Jun 27

New research by @beamagistro.bsky.social and colleagues suggests that increasing public awareness of solar geoengineering could foster bipartisan engagement with climate policy in the US

journals.plos.org/climate/arti...

@rd545.bsky.social @paulowennberg.bsky.social @rmichaelalvarez.bsky.social

Political ideology and views toward solar geoengineering in the United States

Political polarization remains a significant barrier to effective climate action in the United States. Conservatives often express skepticism toward climate change policies emphasizing government inte...

journals.plos.org

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Beatrice Magistro @beamagistro.bsky.social · May 5

13/ Full introduction and ToC available here 👉 beatricemagistro.com/research/boo... stay tuned for the book and happy to share any chapters 🙂

Book Project

Who Thinks Like an Economist? How the Economist Mental Model Shapes Political DecisionsForthcoming at Cambridge University Press Introduction Available HereRecent populist waves—from Donald Trump’s…

beatricemagistro.com

Beatrice Magistro @beamagistro.bsky.social · May 5

12/ You can't beat zero-sum populism with fact-checks alone. Where the EMM is scarce, zero-sum narratives and economic populist appeals find more fertile ground.

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Beatrice Magistro @beamagistro.bsky.social · May 5

11/ Individuals who think like economists are 1) more likely to favor welfare-enhancing policies (like trade and immigration), 2) far less zero-sum, and 3) responsive to economic information: they update when cost-benefit data change, while AMM voters stick to partisan cues.

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Beatrice Magistro @beamagistro.bsky.social · May 5

10/ I build new indices of economic knowledge that identify who's using the EMM (it's more than just education). Then I test them with surveys, conjoint experiments, and a classroom study across Italy, the UK, and the US, spanning trade, immigration, price controls, and AI. 🌍

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Beatrice Magistro @beamagistro.bsky.social · May 5

9/ This divergence in mental models—how we think, not what we value—drives wildly different readings of political events and policy choices.

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Beatrice Magistro @beamagistro.bsky.social · May 5

8/ The EMM toolkit helps people look past zero-sum assumptions, stretch the time horizon, and ask how "losers" can be compensated. They systematically evaluate trade-offs, weigh long-run gains over quick relief, and support policies that maximize aggregate welfare.

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Beatrice Magistro @beamagistro.bsky.social · May 5

7/ Some citizens use the Economist Mental Model (EMM): weighing costs and benefits, opportunity costs, thinking at the margin. Others rely on Alternative Mental Models (AMMs), defaulting to heuristics, partisan cues, or zero-sum thinking.

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Beatrice Magistro @beamagistro.bsky.social · May 5

6/ The answer, I argue, lies not merely in differences in material or non-material values but in the underlying mental models (the cognitive frameworks) that people use to evaluate trade-offs and predict policy outcomes.

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Beatrice Magistro @beamagistro.bsky.social · May 5

5/ Puzzle: why do so many people support policies that reduce aggregate welfare?

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Beatrice Magistro @beamagistro.bsky.social · May 5

4/ These episodes are classic economic populism: zero-sum framings of economic interactions, oversimplication or neglect of trade-offs, shortsighted fixes that reliably backfire.

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Beatrice Magistro @beamagistro.bsky.social · May 5

3/ 2016. Economists warn "Brexit will hurt". Voters shrug. Same year in the US: experts decry tariffs; "America First" wins.

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Beatrice Magistro @beamagistro.bsky.social · May 5

2/ Italy, November 2011. Markets panic, pensions at risk. Politics is paralyzed. Economist-turned-minister Elsa Fornero pushes a quick, tough pension reform. Voters revolt.

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Beatrice Magistro @beamagistro.bsky.social · May 5

🧵 Who Thinks Like an Economist?
Thrilled to announce I've signed my first book contract with Cambridge University Press!
My book "Who Thinks Like an Economist? How the Economist Mental Model Shapes Political Decisions" is forthcoming. Here's a sneak peek 👇

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Beatrice Magistro @beamagistro.bsky.social · Apr 5

thanks Rachel 💜

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Beatrice Magistro @beamagistro.bsky.social · Apr 5

I am beyond excited for what's next at Northeastern, hit me up if you’re in Boston!

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Beatrice Magistro @beamagistro.bsky.social · Apr 5

Finally, to my family in Italy and my host family in Seattle, especially to Edo and Winston, this moment is as much yours as mine. And to my niece, Rania: I hope you’ll achieve all this and much more one day.

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Beatrice Magistro @beamagistro.bsky.social · Apr 5

Leaving LA will be bittersweet. A huge shoutout to my Juventus Official Fan Club Hollywood friends: you’ve my been family here, especially during the fires, and made LA unforgettable. I’ll miss you deeply.

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Beatrice Magistro @beamagistro.bsky.social · Apr 5

Special thanks to the many colleagues, students, postdocs, and friends I’ve had the privilege to work with at Bocconi, Edinburgh, Collegio Carlo Alberto, UW, the PEARL lab at UofT, and the Alvarez lab at Caltech. You’ve each made a difference in my journey and I promise to pay it forward.

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Beatrice Magistro @beamagistro.bsky.social · Apr 5

And to the amazing women who inspire and support me every day, you’re truly making academia a better place: Caitlin Ainsley, @breebangjensen.bsky.social , @melissabaker.bsky.social , @sborwein.bsky.social, Megan Erickson, @melinamuch.bsky.social , and Clareta Treger.

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Beatrice Magistro @beamagistro.bsky.social · Apr 5

I’m incredibly grateful to my mentors: @rmichaelalvarez.bsky.social, Peter Loewen and Victor Menaldo, who supported, guided, and believed in me every step of the way, especially when I didn’t.

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Beatrice Magistro @beamagistro.bsky.social · Apr 5

Joining Northeastern genuinely feels like coming home. The warmth, enthusiasm, and kindness I experienced during my visit confirmed immediately that this was exactly where I was meant to be. I can’t wait to start this next chapter in Boston!

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Beatrice Magistro @beamagistro.bsky.social · Apr 5

From one Husky family to another 🐾! I’m thrilled to announce that in the fall I’ll be joining @northeasternu.bsky.social as Assistant Professor in AI Governance. After five long and challenging job markets, this moment feels incredibly special.

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