Urban theory and the 'hinterland' question: from agglomeration to climate colonialism
Neil Brenner, Professor of Urban Sociology, University of Chicago
Abstract: How are cities and urbanization connected to the crises associated with planetary climate change? How should the field of urban studies grapple with the brutally uneven planetary geographies and impacts of global warming, biodiversity loss, and the...
Consumer-Financed Fiscal Stimulus: Evidence from Digital Coupons in China
Matthew Notowidigdo, Professor of Economics, University of Chicago
Abstract: We study a new form of economic stimulus undertaken by municipalities across China starting in 2020: government-issued digital coupons designed to encourage spending in certain categories such as restaurants, groceries, and entertainment. Using unique account-level and transaction-level data...
The Unexpected Compression: Employment and Wage Trends Before and After the Pandemic
Arindrajit Dube, Professor of Economics, UMass Amherst
Abstract: We present evidence that labor market tightness following the pandemic led to an increase in labor market competition. Even though low-wage jobs were hit particularly hard during the...
Public Pensions and the Transformation of Local Government
Sarah Anzia, Associate Professor of Public Policy & Political Science, UC Berkeley
Abstract: In the last decade, some experts have sounded the alarm about rising public-employee pension costs in the United States, claiming that dramatic...