Institute for Policy Research at Northwestern University
@ipratnu.bsky.social
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The Institute for Policy Research is a nonpartisan, interdisciplinary social science research institute at Northwestern. We conduct research to improve lives. [email protected]
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ipratnu.bsky.social
Meet IPR's faculty experts, who conduct rigorous, interdisciplinary social science research for the common good:
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polisciatnu.bsky.social
Professor Daniel Galvin's Alt-Labor and the New Politics of Workers' Rights @russellsagefdn.bsky.social named 2024 Noteworthy Books in Industrial Relations and Labor Economics by the Princeton University Industrial Relations Section @ipratnu.bsky.social irs.princeton.edu/post-notewor...
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Over the last half century, two major developments have transformed the nature of workers’ rights and altered the pathways available to low-wage workers to combat their exploitation. First, while national labor law, which regulates unionization and collective bargaining, has grown increasingly ineffective, employment laws establishing minimal workplace standards have proliferated at the state and local levels. Second, as labor unions have declined, a diversity of small, under-resourced nonprofit “alt-labor” groups have emerged in locations across the United States to organize and support marginalized workers. In Alt-Labor and the New Politics of Workers’ Rights, political scientist Daniel J. Galvin draws on rich data and extensive interviews to examine the links between these developments. With nuance and insight, Galvin explains how alt-labor groups are finding creative ways to help their members while navigating the many organizational challenges and structural constraints they face in this new context.
ipratnu.bsky.social
IPR events bring together researchers, policymakers, students, and community members to examine and discuss today’s most pressing social issues. Join us at one (or all!) of our events this fall! 🍂 spr.ly/63329AlEMN
Schedule of IPR events
ipratnu.bsky.social
This month’s new research examines how racial bias shaped dining patterns in COVID, how people make decisions about asking for help with basic needs, how computational tools can improve conservation, and how universal pre-K can boost economic growth. spr.ly/63323Ad5j3
Street in Chinatown
ipratnu.bsky.social
IPR's SURA program empowers undergraduates to turn their passions into purpose. Through mentorship and hands-on research, students like Annika Shah and Stacy Yoon are making real contributions to policy and social justice. Read more: spr.ly/63329Ad5VS
IPR’s 2025 summer undergraduate research assistants pause for a photo during their training session, with program director Christine Percheski (far right).
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ipratnu.bsky.social
IPR welcomed three new fellows this fall who are investigating power and opportunity in American life—from mass incarceration and political communication to clean energy and fair hiring. Click here to read more: spr.ly/63328Ad53y
IPR's new fellows (left to right): Chika Okafor, Elizabeth Thom, and Alexander Coppock
ipratnu.bsky.social
SURA student Christina Vargas worked with IPR health psychologist Edith Chen to investigate the impact of social environments on health and wellbeing. Read more about her summer experience: spr.ly/63320AdKqu
Graphic of Christina Vargas and a quote from her that says: I was excited to join a lab at Northwestern that conducts research relevant to the global context and our current society. The lab’s research is crucial as we navigate a world with increasing inequalities and negative health outcomes.
ipratnu.bsky.social
A new study by IPR's Greg Miller and his colleagues finds that children with high blood pressure at age 7 face a sharply increased risk of dying from heart disease by their mid-50s. Read more in @usnews.com: www.usnews.com/news/health-...
ipratnu.bsky.social
IPR events bring together researchers, policymakers, students, and community members to examine and discuss today’s most pressing social issues. Join us at one (or all!) of our events this fall! 🍂 spr.ly/63323AVzyb
Schedule of IPR events
ipratnu.bsky.social
Research by @drchikaokafor.bsky.social finds that minority groups receive fewer economic & social opportunities at work, even under “colorblind” policies. The research challenges assumptions that race-neutral approaches ensure fairness in professional settings. spr.ly/63326ATd7g
Minority groups receive fewer opportunities at work, despite ‘colorblind’ argument
Research highlights the important role of social networks in the labor markets
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ipratnu.bsky.social
Medicaid cuts could jeopardize maternal health gains. Melissa Simon told Forbes that while Latina maternal mortality is declining, reductions in Medicaid—which covers 60% of births to Hispanic women—pose serious risks. spr.ly/63324A3yDO
The Health Of Latinos And Its Socioeconomic Importance To The U.S.
A healthy Latino population is vital to social and economic fabric of the U.S. Continuation of these essential contributions is dependent on a healthy Latino population
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Reposted by Institute for Policy Research at Northwestern University
drchikaokafor.bsky.social
🚨🚨🚨 My new research, published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Law and Economics, challenges core assumptions about diversity and merit.

Full paper: www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/...

@ipratnu.bsky.social

#econsky #lawsky #blacksky
Seeing Through Color Blindness: Social Networks as a Mechanism for Discrimination | The Journal of Law and Economics: Vol 68, No 3
Abstract I study labor markets in which firms both hire via referrals and are race blind or color-blind. I develop an employment model showing that despite initial equality in ability, employment, wages, and network structure, minorities receive disproportionately fewer jobs through referrals and lower expected wages, simply because their social group is smaller. This discriminatory outcome, which I term “social network discrimination,” arises from homophily and falls outside the dominant economics discrimination models, which are taste based and statistical. I calibrate the model using a nationally representative sample of youth networks to estimate the lower bound welfare gap caused by social network discrimination, which also disadvantages black workers. This paper isolates a potential underlying mechanism for inequality, adding to the understanding of labor-market disparities that have been widely studied across the social sciences. In doing so, the paper disproves the proposition that color-blind policies inherently promote individual merit.
www.journals.uchicago.edu
Reposted by Institute for Policy Research at Northwestern University
contexts.org
🚨New sociology! In "How the Rich Turn Sludge into Money," @shdoron1.bsky.social (@ipratnu.bsky.social) keys in on the bureaucratic practices wealthy families use to fend off threats to resources and intergenerational wealth transfers--and how these tactics change families contexts.org/blog/sludge/
A screenshot of the homepage of contexts.org shows a blog post titled "How the Rich Turn Sludge Into Money," by Doron Shiffer-Sebba, illustrated by a photo of enormous stacks of paper.
ipratnu.bsky.social
Do U.S. elections have a primary problem?

@polisciatnu.bsky.social's Laurel Harbridge-Yong explains how low voter turnout in primaries gives more power to a small group of voters, which can skew representation. Read more: spr.ly/63327AKpFD
Voting stickers
ipratnu.bsky.social
Can you spot a fake image?

V.S. Subrahmanian told @rollingstone.com that AI-generated photos often slip up on shadows and object transitions. “We’re looking for things that are hard for a deep fake to get quite right,” he said. spr.ly/63323AyriV
The Best Tips and Tricks to Spot AI
Artificial intelligence image generators are getting better and better. Here are a few ways to stay ahead of them… for now.
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Reposted by Institute for Policy Research at Northwestern University
elijfinkel.bsky.social
📢 MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT 📢

@nourkteily.bsky.social and I are delighted to introduce the Litowitz Center for Enlightened Disagreement, supercharged by a $20M gift from Jennifer and Alec Litowitz.

The #LitowitzCenter helps people harness the power of difference.

www.chicagotribune.com/2025/09/03/n...
Northwestern trustee and husband gift $20 million to Center for Enlightened Disagreement
A Northwestern University trustee and her husband have donated $20 million to support the school’s Center for Enlightened Disagreement.
www.chicagotribune.com
ipratnu.bsky.social
How can schools protect teens from the lasting harm of bullying? New research co-authored by Nia Heard-Garris finds that teens who feel safe, included, and supported at school are less likely to experience depression linked to bullying. spr.ly/63321ffRAT
Bullied teens less likely to be depressed if they feel connected at school, study finds
'Every child deserves to begin the year feeling safe, supported and included'
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ipratnu.bsky.social
IPR faculty are tackling urgent challenges—from wage theft and water insecurity to sentencing reform and gun violence. In statehouses, courtrooms, city halls, and beyond, our experts ensure evidence guides policy decisions.

Read more: www.ipr.northwestern.edu/news/2025/bo...