Fall 2016 1 NEWS INTERDISCIPLINARY • NONPARTISAN • POLICY RELEVANT Fall 2016 • Vol. 38, No. 1 IPR Welcomes Eight New Fellows Tackling Global New faculty to strengthen key research areas Inequality IPR and Buffett combine J. Ziv J. strengths in joint workshop In describing inequality across the globe, many Ziv J. often use GINI coefficients, statistics capturing the dispersion of a nation’s income data; however, an Marianne income-only measure can Simonsen IPR welcomes eight fellows, one of its largest cohorts. Clockwise from l.: Onnie Rogers, Director miss important elements David Figlio, Rachel Beatty Riedl, Sera Young, Simone Ispa-Landa, Associate Director James of this critical issue. Thanks to a unique effort Druckman, Mary McGrath, Beth Redbird, and Seema Jayachandran. by two of Northwestern’s premier research This September, IPR welcomed eight new The new fellows, four of whom were previ- institutes, the 50 participants who took part fellows, one of its biggest incoming faculty ously IPR associates, are addressing key in the Global Inequality Workshop added to a cohorts ever. With research interests ranging questions related to inequality and dispari- more nuanced and interdisciplinary from the economics and politics of developing ties: Sociologists Simone Ispa-Landa and understanding of inequality in the world. (Continued on page 22) countries to identity development and social Heather Schoenfeld, who is also a scholar of inequality, these eight experts represent five legal studies, look at key aspects of the U.S. disciplines, with six fellows housed in criminal justice system, expungement, and Taking Research Northwestern’s Weinberg College of Arts and criminal justice reform in states. Political Sciences and two in the University’s School of scientist Mary McGrath tackles issues related on the Road Education and Social Policy. to distributive justice and voter turnout. Experts unpack policy topics “We are really excited about these faculty who Two fellows are making inroads into the IPR brought its expertise to the wider public will be joining IPR,” said IPR Director David science of diversity: Social developmental in two recent policy research briefings, one in Figlio. “Their individual areas of expertise will psychologist Onnie Rogers examines how Washington, D.C., on early education— strengthen the Institute in key research areas— social and educational disparities shape the welcoming U.S. Representatives Bob Dold inequality and race, social disparities and identities of marginalized youth, and (R–Ill., 10th) and Dan Lipinski (D–Ill., 3rd)—and health, and the science of diversity.” sociologist Beth Redbird studies social another in Chicago on women in leadership. (Continued on page 12) (Continued on page 26) IN THIS ISSUE White House Report Kirabo Jackson, Faculty Spotlight: Cites IPR Faculty Mesmin Destin Christine Percheski Studies focus Honored by W. T. Her sociological on childhood Grant and Carnegie focus draws from inequality, policy for their research her strong social implications (p. 18) promise (p. 20) justice roots (p. 7) ipr.northwestern.edu 2 INSIDE THIS ISSUE IPR RESEARCH NOTES FACULTY RESEARCH NOTES ................................ 2–5 FACULTY SPOTLIGHTS Unintended Effects of Expanding Economist Matthew Notowidigdo ..................6 Educational Access Sociologist Christine Percheski .....................7 The “College for All” movement, the idea that and a lower- Legal Scholar John Heinz ...............................8 every high school student should have access quality learning Sociologist Leslie McCall ...............................9 Miller S. to higher education, has become a hot-button experience. FACULTY OPINION topic in recent years. But does increasing Not only did the Sandra Waxman on Flint’s Children .............10 access to education always lead to positive influx of new Alice Eagly on Diversity Research ................11 effects? Not necessarily, finds economist and students stretch IPR associate Nicola Bianchi, who studied an PUBLICATIONS, RESEARCH NEWS, AND EVENTS university Italian reform that drastically increased Recent Books and Working Papers ........13–17 resources, enrollment in college-level STEM (science, White House Cites IPR Research ..................18 students entering technology, engineering, and mathematics) Nicola Bianchi National Education Policy Proposals ...........19 STEM majors for programs in the 1960s. Tracking data for the first time in Awards Recognize Destin, Jackson ..............20 thousands of students affected by the reform, 1961 had not been prepared for these Training Current, Future Researchers ..........21 Bianchi unearthed the unintended conse- programs during high school. Bianchi ‘Magical Thinking’ and ‘Buy U.S.’ ..................25 quences of making education more accessible. discovered that the change in classroom Recent Faculty Recognition .........................29 composition caused by the influx of new Trust in Police and Stop and Frisk ..........31–32 students led to less effective teaching and had Bianchi unearthed negative effects on learning. the unintended Additionally, graduates of university-prep schools were less likely to enroll in STEM consequences of majors following the reform. Enrollment for Director David Figlio making education this group dropped from 1961–68, even as Associate Director overall enrollment in STEM majors grew. James Druckman more accessible. Executive Committee Bianchi also looked at students’ income later Anthony Chen, Edith Chen, Jonathan Guryan, in life to measure the policy’s long-term Christopher Kuzawa, Thomas McDade, Rachel Davis Mersey, Diane Whitmore Schanzenbach, effects beyond the classroom. Students who Bruce Spencer, and Celeste Watkins-Hayes Before 1961, Italian high schools were divided enrolled in STEM majors following the reform Newsletter Staff so that only graduates of university-prep actually earned less in the long run than they Editor: Patricia Reese schools could attend university and enroll in would have absent the 1960s reform. Assistant Editors: Sara Schumacher and the major of their choice. With the education Katie Scovic Though the reform achieved its purpose of reform in 1961, graduates of technical high Copyediting: Evelyn Asch, Nicole Romane, and increasing access to STEM majors, there were Jackson Walker schools, designed to train industry-sector a number of unintended consequences, professionals, were allowed to enroll in STEM Additional Reporting: Melanie Kruvelis and including overcrowding and negative peer Sara Samovalov majors at universities for the first time. effects, which hurt “even those students who Newsletter Design: Jeanine Shimer should have benefited most from these Layouts: Sara Schumacher and Patricia Reese This policy change resulted in a 216 percent increase in students enrolled in STEM policies,” he explained. Institute for Policy Research Northwestern University programs, a spike in enrollment that is “quite 2040 Sheridan Rd. “It is important to understand how education unusual,” Bianchi said. Evanston, IL 60208-4100 policies—in particular, increasing access to www.ipr.northwestern.edu education—affect how students learn,” [email protected] Looking at the effects of the reform on @ipratnu learning, he found that increased enrollment Bianchi concluded. For mailing list updates and corrections, in STEM majors was not matched by an please email [email protected]. increase in university resources, leading to Nicola Bianchi is assistant professor of strategy © 2016 Northwestern University. All rights reserved. overcrowding, fewer resources per student, and an IPR associate. ipr.northwestern.edu Research Notes Fall 2016 3 For Women in India, Friendship Can Improve Business Success No matter where they live, in rich or poor pool of 1,900 eligible members in Ahmedabad. countries, women are less likely to succeed as Bank employees invited them to attend a free, entrepreneurs. A common policy prescription two-day business course teaching financial has been to offer business training. Yet literacy, business skills, and short-term emerging evidence is showing that training goal-setting. The women in the sample were alone does not resolve this gender gap. randomly assigned into one of three groups: a Courtesy of S. Jayachandran S. of Courtesy control group, those invited to the training IPR development economist Seema alone, and those who were invited to come Jayachandran and her colleagues examine if with a friend. including peer support in training for female Seema Jayachandran micro-entrepreneurs in India might increase Four months after the training, the their success. researchers found the 207 women who sense of support in the following months, as In India, women face difficulty in entering the trained with a friend were more likely to have well as a resource for financial assistance workforce, in part due to the country’s stifling taken out a business loan, set more ambitious and recalling information. The results offer social restrictions. Women entrepreneurs can business goals, and experienced “pretty important insight into the value of bringing work around social restrictions by opening sizeable increases in their income,” peers into the workplace. Jayachandran said. home-based businesses, from rolling incense “Our friends push us and support us,” sticks to working as tailors, but they probably Jayachandran and her colleagues offer several Jayachandran concluded. “If you set don’t encounter the same support network as explanations for this effect: