Research Initiative

Public Economics Initiative

Supporting the research of UChicago scholars studying the impacts of government policies

Faculty Directors: Peter Ganong and Eric Zwick

Governments around the globe allocate trillions of dollars each year to enhance public welfare, stimulate economic growth, and address societal challenges. From building critical infrastructure to funding healthcare, education, and social welfare programs, these policies have significant effects on the economy and the lives of citizens. The Public Economics initiative will support the research of UChicago scholars who study the impacts of government policies. Initiative scholars will focus on areas including taxation, social insurance, inequality, and housing.

Associated Scholars

UChicago Scholar

Milena Almagro

Assistant Professor of Economics, Liew Family Junior Faculty Fellow, George G. Rinder Faculty Fellow, Chicago Booth
UChicago Scholar

Zarek Brot-Goldberg

Assistant Professor, Harris Public Policy
UChicago Scholar

Manasi Deshpande

Assistant Professor in Economics and the College, the Kenneth C. Griffin Department of Economics and Co-Director, Ronzetti Initiative for the Study of Labor Markets
UChicago Scholar

Peter Ganong

Associate Professor, Harris Public Policy
UChicago Scholar

Jacob Goldin

Richard M. Lipton Professor of Tax Law, The Law School
UChicago Scholar

Mikhail Golosov

The Homer J. Livingston Professor in Economics and the College, the Kenneth C. Griffin Department of Economics
UChicago Scholar

Joshua Gottlieb

Professor, Harris Public Policy; Co-Director of BFI Health Economics Initiative
UChicago Scholar

Jeffrey Grogger

Irving Harris Professor in Urban Policy, Harris Public Policy
UChicago Scholar

Anders Humlum

Assistant Professor of Economics and Fujimori/Mou Faculty Scholar, Chicago Booth
UChicago Scholar

Damon Jones

Associate Professor, Harris Public Policy
UChicago Scholar

Rohan Kekre

Associate Professor of Economics, Booth School of Business
UChicago Scholar

Dmitri Koustas

Assistant Professor, Harris Public Policy
UChicago Scholar

Anup Malani

Lee and Brena Freeman Professor of Law, The Law School
UChicago Scholar

Bruce Meyer

McCormick Foundation Professor, Harris School of Public Policy
UChicago Scholar

Pascal Noel

Singh Family Professor of Finance, Booth School of Business
UChicago Scholar

Matthew Notowidigdo

David McDaniel Keller Professor of Economics, Booth School of Business; Co-Director of BFI Health Economics Initiative
UChicago Scholar

Christina Patterson

Assistant Professor of Macroeconomics, Booth School of Business
UChicago Scholar

Evan K. Rose

Neubauer Family Associate Professor, Kenneth C. Griffin Department of Economics
UChicago Scholar

Maggie Shi

Assistant Professor, Harris School of Public Policy
UChicago Scholar

Lesley Turner

Associate Professor, Harris School of Public Policy
UChicago Scholar

Joseph S. Vavra

William H. Abbott Professor of Economics, Booth School of Business
UChicago Scholar

David A. Weisbach

Walter J. Blum Professor of Law, Senior Fellow, the Computation Institute of the University of Chicago and Argonne National Laboratory, Law School
UChicago Scholar

Eric Zwick

Joel F. Gemunder Professor of Economics and Finance, Booth School of Business

Associated Research

BFI Working Paper·Oct 21, 2025

Jealousy of Trade: Exclusionary Preferences and Economic Nationalism

Alex Imas, Kristóf Madarász, and Heather Sarsons
Topics: Fiscal Studies
BFI Working Paper·Sep 30, 2025

Monotone Ecological Inference

Hadi Elzayn, Jacob Goldin, Cameron Guage, Daniel E. Ho, and Claire Morton
Topics: Energy & Environment
BFI Working Paper·Sep 8, 2025

Earnings Instability

Peter Ganong, Pascal Noel, Christina Patterson, Joseph S. Vavra, and Alexander Weinberg
Topics: Economic Mobility & Poverty, Employment & Wages