Why Economic Inequalities Endure

Building on insights from the Origin and Future of Economic Inequality, join us for a discussion featuring two of the most renowned scholars on the study of inequality: Samuel Bowles and Steven Durlauf. Their conversation will be moderated by Ethan Bueno de Mesquita, Dean and Sydney Stein Professor at the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy.

Together, they will examine how socioeconomic inequality persists across generations, with a special focus on the mechanisms that embed it within institutions. Attendees will leave with an understanding of how economic and policy choices continue to shape unequal outcomes. This timely and consequential conversation will not only unearth why inequalities endure but also surface strategies to promote greater economic mobility.

The group’s collective expertise spans economics, political science, and behavioral studies, ensuring a multifaceted discussion. Samuel Bowles is Research Professor and Director of the Behavioral Sciences Program at the Santa Fe Institute, and an Advisor to the Stone Center at University College London. Steven Durlauf serves as the Frank P. Hixon Distinguished Service Professor and Director of the Stone Center for Research on Wealth Inequality and Mobility at the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy.

Click the image below to watch the panel.

Schedule