December 14, 2022

This is the second in our 2022 Year in Review series of lists – which began with "10 Harris Events That Shaped Our Thinking in 2022"– spotlighting the top Harris news, accomplishments, and perspectives from across our community.

Harris faculty continue to be on the front lines of cutting-edge research on the most challenging policy issues of our time, from racial and gender pay disparities, to American politics and elections, to fundamental issues affecting energy and the environment. Here are some of the papers from Harris faculty in 2022:

A Moderate Majority

Anthony Fowler

It’s indisputable that American elected officials are more politically polarized than ever before. Yet new research by Professor Anthony Fowler challenges the idea that voters are just as polarized, providing compelling evidence that moderates are more prevalent and powerful than commonly believed.

Women and Mobility

Dan Black

When it comes to creating job opportunities for American women living in economically distressed places, policymakers have long grappled with two options: Is it better to invest in improving these places, or to nudge these women to areas with better opportunity?

For millions of women with poor credit and few financial resources, moving is often not an option. New research from Professor Dan Black, however, is the first to reveal that the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) for workers with low to moderate income helps women move toward economic opportunity.

Headstrong Girls, Dependent Girls, and $$$

Robert Kaestner

Children whose behavior differs from traditional gender norms and stereotypes tend to earn significantly less as adults, according to a study coauthored by Research Professor Robert Kaestner.

Technology Has Boosted Productivity – Beyond What We Thought

Ingvil Gaarder

It’s almost impossible to imagine how most of today’s jobs could be done without the internet and a host of other advances in information technology. Yet despite rapid growth in IT investment and adoption over the last several decades, productivity has slowed down, according to accepted measures.

But what if we’re simply measuring productivity incorrectly? That’s the question posed by new research from Assistant Professor Ingvil Gaarder, which suggests that productivity growth during the era of rapid IT adoption may be twice as high as previously believed.

Wildfire Emissions

Amir Jina

A new analysis coauthored by Assistant Professor Amir Jina finds the increase in emissions caused by wildfires in a single year is close to double the emissions reductions achieved over 16 years.

“When policymakers are deciding how much to invest in wildfire prevention, it’s important for them to have a clear sense of all of the costs and benefits, and up until now, not enough attention has been paid to the climate costs,” Jina said.

Policing and Management

Jens Ludwig

New research co-authored by Professor Jens Ludwig demonstrates the underappreciated power of strengthening managerial practices in improving policing outcomes.

Authoritarianism and COVID

Konstantin Sonin

At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, many anticipated that an authoritarian government such as Russia under Vladimir Putin might have greater success at managing the spread of the disease than its more democratic counterparts, given its ability to control the behavior of its citizens. New research co-authored by Konstantin Sonin suggests that this is not the case.

“Authoritarian regimes, which might seem to be well-equipped to implement restrictive measures, are actually ill-suited to deal with public health challenges,” the paper finds.

Clean Energy, Carbon Pricing, and $$$

Ryan Kellogg

Coauthored by Professor Ryan Kellogg, an evaluation of popular climate policies finds the benefits of clean electricity standards and clean energy tax credits may outweigh the efficiency gains of carbon pricing—if this efficiency exists at all.