The Unequal Power project is a multiyear interdisciplinary initiative to reexamine the foundational assumptions about the balance of power in labor market relationships. By commissioning new research in economics, law, political science, and philosophy, the initiative will examine the extent and implications of asymmetrical bargaining power—including impact on employee rights and protections, freedom, democracy, and fairness. The goal is to build an intellectual foundation for a deeper and more policy-relevant understanding of labor markets. The initiative has four dimensions:
Advancing the fields
Advancing thinking about the imbalance of power in labor markets in key fields: law, philosophy, political science, economics and sociology. This will be accomplished through convenings, literature reviews, and newly commissioned research.
Cross-fertilization
Engaging empirically oriented social scientists with the claims made about labor markets in debates within philosophy (Private Government, for example) and law (the “at-will doctrine” and other employment law issues such as forced arbitration).
Synthesis
Relying on the newly expanded analyses and empirical contributions made by the project to synthesize the material; reflecting on themes and narratives to communicate the overall findings for academics of all fields, students, activists, media, and policymakers.
Public engagement
Incorporating activists, advocacy groups, policymakers, and citizens more generally into the conversation through convenings, popular writings, and thought leadership in widely read publications.
Experts
Elizabeth Anderson
University of Michigan
Samuel Bagenstos
University of Michigan
Josh Bivens
Economic Policy Institute
Leslie Boden
Boston University
Chetan Cetty
University of Pennsylvania
James Conran
University of Oregon
William Darity
Duke University
Peter Dorman
Evergreen State College
Kathryn Edwards
Rand
John Evans
OECD TUAC
Janice Fine
Rutgers University
Nancy Folbre
University of Massachusetts-Amherst
Charlotte Garden
Seattle University School of Law
Andy Green
OECD
Alexander Hertel-Fernandez
Columbia University
Simon Jäger
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Bruce Kaufman
Georgia State University
Shom Mazumder
Harvard University
Larry Mishel
Economic Policy Institute
Suresh Naidu
Columbia University
Lynn Rhinehart
Economic Policy Institute
Ann Rosenthal
Former Department of Labor General Counsel for OSHA
Benjamin Schoefer
University of California-Berkeley
Hana Shepherd
Rutgers University
Heidi Shierholz
Economic Policy Institute
Kathleen Thelen
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Julia Tomassetti
City University of Hong Kong
Valerie Wilson
Economic Policy Institute
Lane Windham
Georgetown University
This project is made possible through a general operating grant from the Bernard and Anne Spitzer Charitable Trust.