Washington Center for Equitable Growth

'Trump Accounts' could make inequality worse, economists say Despite claims that the accounts will “jumpstart the American Dream,” some economists say the initiative will actually exacerbate the wealth divide

"For the 10 million children living in poverty in the U.S., the promise of a Trump account won’t help their parents put dinner on the table,” says Megan Rivera, EG fellow for policy & advocacy.

More on why some economists say this initiative will exacerbate the wealth divide:

Why Federal Food Assistance Became Politically Polarizing—and What to Do About It By focusing on the facts and the program’s broad benefits, Americans can move past partisan divides and recognize the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for what it truly is.

The politicization of social welfare programs generated long-lasting shifts in voting behavior, writes Carlos Avenancio-Leon for @equitablegrowth.bsky.social.

Why federal food assistance became politically polarizing—and what to do about it Evidence that the politicization of social welfare programs such as federal food assistance generated long-lasting shifts in voting behavior and what to do about it.

New research looks at how the rollout of food stamps in the 1960s and 1970s affected political polarization and voting behavior.

The study also shows how nutrition assistance and other social insurance programs offer essential support to local economies.

More:

We have such a special team at @equitablegrowth.bsky.social —it was inspiring to have people together this week, reflecting, recharging, and planning for the important work ahead in 2026. Special thanks to @nwlc.org for hosting us in your beautiful space.

My time with @equitablegrowth.bsky.social as a Dissertation Scholar was among the most pivotal moments in my PhD career– so grateful this is continuing with the support of @russellsagefdn.bsky.social!

$15k in funding for dissertation candidates available: www.russellsage.org/apply/grants...

States Target AI That Tells Companies How Much to Pay Workers The nascent practice of deciding workers’ wages via algorithms has caught the attention of advocates and state lawmakers who are pushing for regulation aimed at preventing discrimination and pay…

AI tools are increasingly influencing how much workers are getting paid — and policymakers are taking notice.

@bloomberglaw.com cites Equitable Growth research in its new reporting on state efforts to address algorithmic wage-setting.

Learn more about it below 🔗:

news.bgov.com/daily-labor-...

📢Calling humanities PhDs! We're excited to be a host institution for the 2026 @acls1919.bsky.social Leading Edge Fellowship.

Applications are open now through March 11 to apply to be a "Manager of Academic Engagement & Impact" with Equitable Growth.

Learn more & apply: www.acls.org/wp-content/u...

Funding opportunity for graduate students: Equitable Growth is grateful to the Russell Sage Foundation for including us as a partner organization on their Dissertation Research Grants. The $15,000 grants are open to doctoral students at a U.S. university who are in the dissertation phase of their studies. In addition to Equitable Growth, the Upjohn Institute and the Policy Academies are also partner organizations. If selected as a joint Russell Sage - Equitable Growth grantee, the scholar will be part of our network and have access to all our grantee resources. Deadline to apply is February 3. Please share this opportunity with eligible grad students! AEA Summer Economics Fellows Program: Administered by CSWEP and CSMGEP, fellowships are available to senior graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, and junior faculty members, and allow the fellow to spend a summer at a sponsoring research institution, receive mentorship, and pursue a research project of their own choosing. Compensation is set by each sponsoring institution, normally at a level commensurate with the institution’s usual practices for an economist of equivalent experience. Deadline to apply is February 1. Equitable Growth will review applications for consideration.

#FundSocSci #econ_ra

From @equitablegrowth.bsky.social

www.russellsage.org/apply/grants...

www.aeaweb.org/about-aea/co...

Analyzing recent U.S. economic policies using Equitable Growth’s Inequality Tracker Equitable Growth’s Inequality Tracker uses trusted government data sources to create windows into income and wealth inequality in the U.S. economy.

"We hope the tracker will prove to be a useful jumping off point for developing intuition about the movement of income and wealth in the U.S. economy."

NEW from @austinclemens2.bsky.social on how EG's Inequality Tracker can help analyze recent economic policies ⬇️

Photos of past Leading Edge Fellows at their host organizations with text ACLS Leading Edge Fellowship, Apply by March 12, 9:00 PM EDT.

Applications are now open for 2026 Leading Edge Fellowships! These two-year fellowships offer recent humanities and social sciences PhDs the opportunity to join organizations working with communities across the country.

Learn more and apply by March 11, 9:00 PM ET: https://bit.ly/49mbVSO

Trump calls on Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook to resign after she was accused of mortgage fraud President Trump called on Fed Governor Lisa Cook to resign on Wednesday after one of his appointees accused her of mortgage fraud.

Lisa Cook was integral in establishing the Washington Center for Equitable Growth, serving in multiple advisory roles that have strengthened our grant program and the organization.

www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-l...

Impact Landing Page 10 Year Retrospective - Celebrating a decade of research and impact

ICYMI: @equitablegrowth.bsky.social recently launched a great dashboard highlighting our efforts over the last 10 years to connect economic evidence and policy to promote shared prosperity and growth. Search the dashboard by topic area or year to learn about our work.

AI and the Labor Market: Megan Rivera on How Policymakers Can Regulate AI to Create a Better Economy for All - Siegel Family Endowment Megan Rivera was a 2024-2025 Siegel Research Fellow and is a fellow at the Washington Center for Equitable Growth, where she studies the impact of AI on the labor market and economy, among other…

In a new Siegel Family Endowment Q&A, Megan Rivera, fellow for Policy and Advocacy, breaks down how policymakers can regulate AI to create a fairer economy, potential for integrating worker voice into decision-making around AI, & more! See the full interview ⬇️
www.siegelendowment.org/insights/ai-...

U.S. businesses report that tariff policies will likely lead to price increases and labor market impacts in 2026 Substantial price increases and labor market impacts are more likely in 2026 if White House trade policy continues along its path.

Due to tariffs, many businesses have already increased prices or plan to do so, and dwindling inventories will increase pressure on firms to raise prices. NEW from Chris Bangert-Drowns on how tariff effects are impacting the labor market positively and negatively:

The Federal Reserve must maintain its independence for the U.S. economy to thrive President Trump's attempt to fire Federal Reserve Board Governor Lisa Cook directly threatens the Fed’s independence and the stability of the U.S. economy.

The independence of the Federal Reserve is essential for a strong U.S. economy. This past summer, @equitablegrowth.bsky.social explored what history can teach us from previous attacks on the central bank. Read more here. ⬇️

California study has lessons for efforts to protect workers from excessive heat A new study finds that California's rules protecting workers from excessive heat likely save dozens of lives every year. This comes as the federal government considers national heat-protection rules.

“Merely passing a heat standard is not enough,” says EG nonresident scholar Adam Dean in @npr.org's All Things Considered.

In new research, Dean finds dozens of lives were saved in California once the state started enforcing its heat standard laws.

Learn more here ➡️

3 / Employment in tariff-impacted industries began to plateau in December 2025, as U.S. manufacturers shed only an estimated 8,000 workers. A forthcoming piece from Chris Bangert-Drowns digs into how U.S. firms talk about tariffs in their corporate filings.

#JobsReport

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2 / Earlier this week, Bureau of Labor Statistics data showed demand for workers in November 2025 softened as hiring and job openings dropped, while the quits rate – a sign of worker optimism – ticked up slightly.

#JobsReport

1 / U.S. #JobsReport data released this morning show a dismal year for the labor market ended on a higher note, with unemployment ticking down and labor market participation ticking up following a record-breaking government shutdown and continued trade policy uncertainty.

-A 🧵-

America’s job-quality crisis and how to revive workers’ pay, dignity, job advancement, and economic well-being This essay focuses on the drivers of the job-quality crisis and concrete policy responses to address those drivers.

1/ As we reflect on 2025, we rounded up the top 10 stories from the EG website that stood out the most this year. See what made the list. 🧵 Starting at 🔟, @mitiwer.bsky.social's Erin Kelly breaks down drivers of poor job quality & policy responses to address them:

ASSA 2026 Round-up: Day 3 A recap of paper abstracts and presentations that caught the attention of Equitable Growth staff at the third day of the ASSA 2026 conference.

Day 3 of #ASSA2026 had EG-funded research on macroeconomic consequences of global supply chain disruptions, consumption smoothing of labor income shocks, and more!

Feat. #EGgrantee(s) @dkaenzig.bsky.social, @nomadj1s.bsky.social , @ganong.bsky.social

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equitablegrowth.org/assa-2026-ro...

ASSA 2026 Round-up: Day 2 A recap of paper abstracts that caught the attention of Equitable Growth staff on the second day of the ASSA 2026 conference.

Day 2 of #ASSA2026 had EG-funded research on the employer role in unemployment insurance & the 'great reshuffling' & entrepreneurship, along with papers on AI & the labor market, & other topics. Feat. #EGgrantee(s) Marta Lachowska @tsoutsoura.bsky.social & others

equitablegrowth.org/assa-2026-ro...

ASSA 2026 Round-up: Day 1 A recap of paper abstracts that caught the attention of Equitable Growth staff on the first day of the ASSA 2026 conference.

📣 ICYMI:

#ASSA2026 took place over the weekend, featuring hundreds of sessions covering a wide variety of economics and other social science research.

Here's what our #EGgrantee(s) and other network members got up to during the conference.

- A 🧵 -

Day 1 ➡️

equitablegrowth.org/assa-2026-ro...

A Chat about the Small Business Stock Exclusion with David Mitchell - Tax Chats Jeff and Scott chat with David Mitchel, a Senior Fellow at the Washington Center for Equitable Growth, about the small business stock exclusion, recent changes to it, and an article that David wrote w...

Was thrilled to join Jeff Hoopes & Scott Dyreng late last year on Tax Chats podcast to discuss the qualified small business stock exclusion.

I am not a fan (of QSBS)! The podcast I like very much.

taxchats.buzzsprout.com/1878989/epis...

cc: @taxnotes.com coauthor @kylepomerleau.bsky.social

6/ That's it from us for #ASSA2026! Thanks for following along with our network members and #EGgrantee(s).

Missed out on some panels and sessions? Stay tuned in the coming days for a full recap featuring highlights of the conference.

See you next year 👋

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5/ Two current EG Steering Committee members will also make their appearances on panels.

- Karen Dynan of @harvard.edu is featured on "The State of Government Economic Statistics."

- @jasonfurman.bsky.social also of @harvard.edu will speak at "What Drives Consumer Expectations About the Economy?"

4/ #EGgrantee funded work:
- @bhattacv.bsky.social Illanes Gaston "Large-Scale Evaluation of Merger Simulations"
- @nomadj1s.bsky.social @ganong.bsky.social
"Liquid Wealth & Consumption Smoothing of Typical Labor Income Shocks"
- @dkaenzig.bsky.social "Macroeconomic Effects of Supply Chain Shocks"

American Economic Association By clicking the "Accept" button or continuing to browse our site, you agree to first-party and session-only cookies being stored on your device to enhance site navigation and analyze site performance…

3/ The EG-organized session "Macroeconomics of the Energy Transition" features 2021 grantee Gregory Casey as chair. Fellow grantees @neilmehrotra.bsky.social & Ivan Rudik will also present their research, and #EGgrantee @jmcolmer.bsky.social will be a panel discussant.
www.aeaweb.org/conference/2...

American Economic Association By clicking the "Accept" button or continuing to browse our site, you agree to first-party and session-only cookies being stored on your device to enhance site navigation and analyze site performance…

2/ Check out the EG-organized panel "Participation and Trends in U.S. Transfer Programs & the Social Safety Net" chaired by @jhu.edu's Robert Moffitt.

#EGgrantee(s) @neilcholli.bsky.social & Derek Wu of @uvabatten.bsky.social will also share their EG-funded research.
www.aeaweb.org/conference/2...

1/ Welcome to the final day of #ASSA2026!

We have a big last day ahead, with sessions on the social safety net, U.S. transfer programs, consumer expectations, macroeconomics of the energy transition, and more.

Here's a 🧵of where you can find our Equitable Growth network members and #EGgrantee(s).