Brian Wheaton

Assistant Professor of Global Economics and Management

About

Brian Wheaton’s research encompasses political economy, cultural economics and macroeconomics. He analyzes empirical data in order to answer policy-relevant, real-world political and economic questions. Wheaton’s most recent work focuses on the effects of laws on beliefs held by the public. He modeled his study using a dynamic difference-in-differences identification strategy, and his findings indicate that virtually every major U.S. social policy law — both liberal and conservative — of the past half-century has induced significant backlash.

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6 Articles

Illustration of businessman plugging ears with fingers and megaphone to the right of him, Research Brief / Politics

Closely Held Political Beliefs Often Immune to Conflicting Information – Even From Trusted Sources

People say they’d change their minds, but they mostly don’t

Texas state line sign next to historic Route 66 near the town of Texola, Oklahoma. Research Brief / Minimum Wage

Do Workers Cross State Lines for Higher Minimum Wages?

States that raise rates curtail out-migration but do not attract more outsiders

Colorful patterns on the surface of the water created by oily pollutants and stagnant water, as seen in a Texas bayou. Ripple rings also appear on the surface from aquatic life under the polluted water. Research Brief / Inflation

How Oil Prices Distort Our View of Inflation

A favored Federal Reserve index fails to filter out petroleum’s impact

A Soviet Union propaganda poster for May Day in 1950 that features a man and woman. Research Brief / Economics

An Enemy’s Economic Success Sparked U.S. Congressional Cooperation

Bipartisan action rose amid reports of surprising Soviet Cold War economic growth

A color photo of four catcti with a cactus blossom on the end at right. Research Brief / Taxes

A Simplified Tax Code and Post-Communist Growth

Study suggests flat tax systems boosted GDP in former Soviet republics and satellites

Thousands of exuberant backers of the Equal Rights Amendment, marched on Congress to plea for extension of the ratification deadline. Research Brief / Public Policy

Do Social Laws Always Cause a Backlash?

Laws that threaten ideological preferences prompt some opponents to adopt more extreme beliefs