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Q&A with UCLA California Policy Lab Director Dr. von Wachter on the CARES Act

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As an economist and director of the California Policy Lab, Till von Wachter is continually spearheading research projects and policy recommendations related to labor and employment as well as homelessness, education and crime.

As the U.S. economy further slows because of how the COVID-19 pandemic has forced so many businesses to close, UCLA Newsroom asked von Wachter, who is also the associate dean of research for the division of social sciences in the UCLA College, to help parse through current employment statistics, why the $2.2 trillion federal stimulus package called the CARES Act — which was signed into law March 27 — is so critical and what its immediate and far-reaching effects might be for U.S. workers and the economy.

Continue reading the UCLA Newsroom Q&A HERE.

 

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UCLA Professor Fajgelbaum Examines a “Return to Protectionism” in Recent Trade Wars

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Photo Credit: https://supplychainbeyond.com/winning-in-an-era-of-tariffs-and-trade-wars/

UCLA Associate Professor Pablo Fajgelbaum‘s fascinating research has been recently highlighted in the press by the following top news outlets: Vanity Fair Hive, Fortune, Rolling Stone, Bloomberg, CBS News, CNN Politics, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Economist, and The NBER Digest. Dr. Fajgelbaum studied at Princeton University where he cultivated his skills as a trade economist with an emphasis in international trade. In addition, he is a research associate under the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) for their International Trade and Investment Program.

The media coverage has referenced the newly published article Dr. Fajgelbaum co-authored with Pinelopi K. Goldberg, Patrick J. Kennedy, and Amit K. Khandelwal titled, Return to Protectionism. This study is an analysis of the trade war between the United States and other countries during 2018. The current trade war began when the U.S. imposed tariffs on imported goods and in response other countries did the same to the U.S.’s imported goods. Consequently, the research reveals that this trade war has had a negative effect on the U.S. economy causing prices and costs for U.S. businesses to increase. In addition, patterns showed that counties across the U.S. that lean mostly Republican, were impacted more than others. Last year, the United States experienced a devastating loss of about $7.8 billion since the implementation of tariffs on China and other countries.

The findings from this research counters the claims President Trump has made ensuring that Americans will benefit from imposing tariffs on imported goods from other countries. The research has left many companies, and citizens outraged and fearful of the continual impact this trade war will have on the U.S.

 

Pablo Fajgelbaum is an Associate Professor of Economics at UCLA. He is a trade economist. His recent research includes the distributional impact of international trade and the effects of regional policies on the spatial distribution of economic activity. He has published in the Quarterly Journal of Economics, Review of Economic Studies, and Journal of Political Economy.

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A Fresh Perspective: Black Life Across U.S. Cities

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UCLA’s Division of Social Sciences is full of amazing faculty, staff, and students who are contributing to academic scholarship in major ways. Dr. Marcus Hunter is certainly one of these people. Dr. Hunter is a dedicated professor of sociology, the chair of the African American studies department, and a respected author.

Most recently, Dr. Hunter was recognized by the UCLA Newsroom for his book he co-authored with Dr. Zandria F. Robinson titled, Chocolate Cities: The Black Map of American Life. This book is filled with the rich history of the Black American experience dating back to the 1900s and focuses on how Black Americans created their own “Chocolate Cities” where black culture is maintained, created, and defended. It touches on diverse topics including race, racism, place, space, knowledge, and liberation as well as the social, cultural, economic, and political influence. Looking through the eyes of Black Americans and highlighting the way they define their American story, it breaks down preconceived notions of American history told by white America.

To learn more, read the interview with Marcus Hunter about his renowned book HERE.

Chocolate Cities map

 

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