New St. Louis Fed release offers insight into economic fairness
The Institute for Economic Equity promotes a fairer economy for households and communities in the Eighth Federal Reserve District and beyond. It pursues this mission in a variety of ways: by bringing together community stakeholders, conducting policy-related research, and publishing analysis on key economic equity issues.
To support the analytical work, the Institute has launched a new publication, Perspectives on Economic Equity. Published Tuesday, the publication’s first article, “Arrival of Interstate Highway System Brough Housing Wealth, but to Whom?”, examines the impact of a new highway on housing wealth in Hartford, Connecticut, over the years 1960 and the racial disparities in these countries. earnings.
Diverse research is important for economic equity
As the great American thinker and writer Zora Neale Hurston wrote: “Research is formalized curiosity. It stings and prying with a purpose. At the Institute, this formalized curiosity is the foundation upon which we build our understanding of the barriers to a more equitable American economy, as well as identify possible tools with which communities could overcome these barriers.
The field of economics has long been well represented in research conducted at the St. Louis Fed. The Institute seeks to build on this track record of success by offering additional perspectives from scholars in disciplines such as sociology, psychology and criminal justice, to name a few. This interdisciplinary approach to economic equity research recognizes that barriers to shared economic prosperity do not reside solely in the realm of economics.
“I learned early in my career that no single discipline can solve the nation’s deep-rooted equity issues,” said William M. Rodgers III, director of the Institute. “They require commitment to all areas of academic study.”
Make the findings of rigorous research more accessible
Although the academic community produces exceptional research on equity, the findings of this work do not always reach Main Street. Too often, this research is not accessible to a wider audience due to its technical nature and length.
The Institute’s new publication aims to make academic research on equity and the insights it can offer more accessible.
“One of the main goals of the series is to explain the work of the Institute to a wider audience,” Rodgers said.
To do this, Institute staff will co-author articles with researchers, helping to translate their work for the general public. These articles will use plain language instead of technical jargon and use graphics that visually capture the takeaways; they will also be written in a way that does justice to the nuance of the work but will not require hours of reading.
Notes and References
- The Eighth District includes all of Arkansas, southern Illinois, southern Indiana, western Kentucky, eastern Missouri, northern Mississippi, and western Tennessee.
