Restoring the American Dream

In his 2023 IPR Distinguished Public Policy Lecture, Harvard economist Raj Chetty discussed his research to systematically trace "the dramatic fading of the American Dream" by pairing big data with innovative models and methodology.

Chetty said his recent research indicates viable policy solutions to promote upward mobility by reducing segregation, investing in places, and recognizing the role of universities and colleges.

IPR is featured in a new video series detailing Northwestern’s vibrant ecosystem of 35 University-wide institutes and centers that are solving complex problems in innovative ways. “These hubs are the engines of our cross-disciplinary work and attract the best minds from across our schools to take on the biggest challenges, using insights and methods at the intersection of different fields,” said Northwestern’s Vice President for Research Milan Mrksich. Discover more about their society-wide impact and how they are transforming research, as well as IPR’s pioneering work to address real-world policy issues. 

A new survey by IPR political scientist James Druckman and PhD student Jonathan Schulman finds that the mental health crisis among America’s young adults persists, despite the return of social life.

Behavioral scientist and IPR associate Linda Teplin was elected a 2022 fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in recognition of her distinguished contributions to public health policy. 

IPR anthropologist Sera Young and synthetic biologist Julius Lucks have developed a new low-cost test to trace toxic levels of fluoride that can be easily used outside of a lab and accurately interpreted by non-experts.

New research from IPR faculty explores trends in racial and ethnic discrimination in hiring, how wealth and parenthood are connected, if brokers increase Medicaid enrollment, and how White parents communicate messages about race and racism to their teenage children.

"Economists can tally the wealth gap between Black and White families created by centuries of racist policies in the U.S. The stark health inequities caused by systemic racism are harder to put a dollar value on, but they are another historic injustice that merits reparations."

—Christopher Kuzawa
Opinion: The Overlooked Reason Reparations
Make Sense in California and Elsewhere
Los Angeles Times