Princeton University - Department of Economics

09/18/2026

What does wealth in America really look like?

Join us on September 28th for a book talk with Princeton Professor Owen Zidar on The Everywhere Millionaire: Who Is Really Rich in America and How They Got There.

Co-authored with Eric Zwick, the book draws on a decade of research to explore the often overlooked wealth of private business owners across America, and what their success reveals about entrepreneurship, inequality, and economic opportunity.

Book Talk details: https://bit.ly/4haxTMB

09/18/2026

Last week, Brendan Greeley discussed his new book, "The Almighty Dollar: 500 Years of the World's Most Powerful Money," at Princeton University.

Following Greeley's remarks, he was joined by Princeton's Harold James and Julia Elyachar and The New York Times' Colby Smith for a panel discussion exploring the history of the dollar and the evolution of money and finance.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the conversation!

09/16/2026

Last week, Brendan Greeley discussed his new book, "The Almighty Dollar: 500 Years of the World’s Most Powerful Money," at Princeton University.

Following Greeley’s remarks, he was joined by Princeton’s Harold James and Julia Elyachar and The New York Times’ Colby Smith for a panel discussion exploring the history of the dollar and the evolution of money and finance.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the conversation!

09/14/2026

Owen Zidar, Professor of Economics and Public Affairs at Princeton University, sat down with us to discuss his new book "The Everywhere Millionaire," out tomorrow.

Shedding new light on who is really rich in America--and how they got there--the book is part economic detective story, part roadmap to riches.

See Zidar in person this week at Labyrinth Books on Wednesday, Sept 16, at 6 p.m. in conversation with Alan Blonder, or on Monday, Sept 28, at 4:30 p.m. in JRR Bowl A17. See more about both events on our website.

09/12/2026

How are wealth and power distributed across generations in America?

Join Princeton’s Griswold Center for Economic Policy Studies and Julis-Rabinowitz Center for Public Policy & Finance for a book talk with Yale University’s Samuel Moyn on "Gerontocracy in America: How the Old Are Hoarding Power and Wealth—and What to Do About It."

Moyn’s new book examines growing generational divides in wealth and political power and considers potential approaches to greater intergenerational equity.

September 17 from 12:15 - 1:15 p.m. in Robertson Hall, Bowl 016. This event is open to the public and Princeton University community.

https://bit.ly/4gWmApF

09/11/2026

New research from Princeton Economics faculty spans topics from artificial intelligence and finance to higher education, labor markets, and economic policy.

Explore four recent papers from, including one newly published paper and three working papers:

-David Lee, Chemical Bank Chairman's Professor of Economics and Public Affairs, recently published a paper in the Journal of Economic Perspectives. Read "Correct (and Incorrect) Inference with a Single Instrumental Variable: Practical Takeaways from the Weak Instruments Literature:" https://bit.ly/4gUTgzT
-Zachary Bleemer, Assistant Professor of Economics, has a new working paper out in the National Bureau of Economic Research titled "The Meritocratic Consensus and Stratification in Higher Education." Read the paper: https://bit.ly/4xmKUY2
-Markus Brunnermeier, Edwards S. Sanford Professor of Economics, presented his working paper, "Artificial Intelligence and the Brave New World in Finance," at this year's Jackson Hole Economic Policy Symposium. Read the paper: https://bit.ly/4x9u1jE
-Pauline Carry, Assistant Professor of Economics, has released a new working paper titled "Employment Protection Reforms: From Firm-Level Effects to Aggregate Outcomes." Read the paper: https://bit.ly/4h0f5Oy

Explore more cutting-edge research from our faculty on the Princeton Econ website: https://bit.ly/46mkydI

09/10/2026

Join Princeton economists Owen Zidar and Alan Blinder for a conversation about "The Everywhere Millionaire: Who Is Really Rich in America and How They Got There" on Wednesday, September 16, at Labyrinth Books.

Co-authored by Zidar and Eric Zwick, the book draws on a decade of research to uncover the often-overlooked wealth of America's private business owners and explore what their success reveals about economic opportunity.

Learn more here: https://economics.princeton.edu/events/owen-zidar-in-conversation-with-alan-blinder-the-everywhere-millionaire-who-is-really-rich-in-america-and-how-they-got-there-at-labyrinth-books/

09/05/2026

As the new academic year begins, Princeton Economics is thrilled to welcome eight postdoctoral research associates and fellows, as well as three new faculty members, to the department! From international trade to experimental economics, our newest scholars bring expertise across a wide range of fields. We look forward to the ideas, research, and collaboration they will bring to the Economics Department throughout the 2026-2027 academic year.

Meet our newest postdocs and fellows here: https://economics.princeton.edu/news/2026-2027-postdoctoral-research-associates-and-research-fellows/

09/04/2026

Upcoming book talk: "The Almighty Dollar" with Brendan Greeley, contributing editor at the Financial Times and PhD candidate at Princeton University.

Join us on September 9 at 4:30 PM for a conversation with Greeley and panelists on the origins of money—and the people and nations who have surrendered to it.

Panel discussion includes:
-Julia Elyachar, Professor of Anthropology at Princeton’s Institute for International and Regional Studies (PIIRS) and Director of Undergraduate Studies in the Anthropology Department
-Harold James, Claude and Lore Kelly Professor in European Studies and Professor of History and International Affairs at Princeton
-Colby Smith, Reporter for The New York Times, covering the Federal Reserve and the U.S. economy

Learn more: https://bit.ly/4x3pZsR

09/03/2026

The annual Griswold Center for Economic Policy Studies Senior Thesis Research Forum took place in the spring of 2026. Five students were awarded prizes for the best policy-relevant theses.

Learn more about the exceptional research from this year's grads by watching the forum on our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/4x4qz9G

Read more about the forum and past prize winners: https://bit.ly/4yiZssC

Since 2012, at the end of the spring semester, the Griswold Center ...