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Reposted by Emma Rackstraw

Anna Gifty @itsafronomics.blacksky.app · 15/05/2026

It's official. Our FIRST academic publication is officially live @aeajournals.bsky.social! ✨ TLDR: In an online experiment, @emmarackstraw.bsky.social and I find evidence that evaluators assigned to Black supervisors perceive Black workers as more productive on average. #econsky #blacksky

Belief Updating, Observability, and Race in the Labor Market
Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman
Emma Rackstraw
AEA Papers and Proceedings
vol. 116, May 2026
(pp. 422–425)
Download Full Text PDF
Article Information
Abstract
Inaccurate beliefs about racial gaps in productivity can have wide-ranging implications in the workplace. In an online experiment, we hired a nationally representative sample of Prolific workers to assess the performance of Amazon Mechanical Turk workers on a math test based on stylized resumes. Participants randomly assigned to a Black primary investigator evaluated Black workers as more productive than participants assigned to a White primary investigator. This study provides suggestive evidence on how the racial identity of supervisors may shift perceived racial differences in productivity and how Black leaders can disrupt belief-based discrimination against Black workers.

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Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 06/05/2026

The Better Government Lab is hiring a post-doc with data science skills and an interest in public management to work on reducing administrative burden in safety net programs. Interest in tech a plus. Start: August 26 or earlier @sebjilke.bsky.social @pamherd.bsky.social apply.interfolio.com/185941

apply.interfolio.com

Apply - Interfolio {{$ctrl.$state.data.pageTitle}} - Apply - Interfolio

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Emma Rackstraw @emmarackstraw.bsky.social · 04/02/2026

I also strongly recommend @equalityalec.bsky.social ‘s book Copaganda for a much more thorough overview of cop media

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Anna Gifty @itsafronomics.blacksky.app · 03/02/2026

America's obsession with cop shows needs to be studied, oh wait- Source: papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.... cc @emmarackstraw.bsky.social

When Reality TV Creates Reality: How “Copaganda” Affects Police, Communities, and Viewers
88 Pages Posted: 1 Nov 2023 Last revised: 30 Jul 2025
Emma Rackstraw
Harvard University

Date Written: July 30, 2025

Abstract
Television shows with police protagonists portray a world where criminals are nearly always apprehended. In reality, crimes mostly go unsolved and police officers infrequently make arrests. When police are followed by reality television cameras, arrests for low-level, victimless crimes increase by nearly 20 percent. These arrests do not meaningfully improve public safety and harm their constituents’ confidence in the police. On the other hand, these shows improve non-constituent viewer attitudes towards the police. The results are consistent with “copaganda” shows inflating trust in police nationally while subjecting constituents to harsher enforcement of low-level crimes.
Keywords: television, police, arrest, beliefs, cameras, propaganda, criminal justice, media, difference-in-difference, experiment

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Emma Rackstraw @emmarackstraw.bsky.social · 05/01/2026

Every time I tell a normal human that economists gather for work on the first weekend in January every year, and they are FLABBERGASTED, I am reminded that this is an odd choice we’ve made as a profession

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Duncan Bell @duncanbell.bsky.social · 19/12/2025

Post-doc positions: "Academic freedom is under pressure today. This requires rescue havens of free research. ... [we] invite early career researchers, whose work is restricted due to political pressure in the USA..." uni-freiburg.de/frias/call-f...

uni-freiburg.de

Call for Applications: Early Career Rescue Fellowship – Freiburg Institute for Advanced Studies

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The Sadie Collective @sadiecollective.bsky.social · 12/12/2025

The Sadie Collective announces the theme for #SACE2026, our annual economics and related fields conference! Rooted in Resilience: Shaping Policy and Building Hopeful Futures 📅 Feb 26–27, 2026 🎟️ Tickets coming soon More details to follow.

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Elizabeth (Beth) Dhuey @bdhuey.bsky.social · 13/11/2025

I know that the job market is rough this year for Econ PhDs. @utoronto.ca has expanded its postdoc funding. If you are on the market and work on school finance or early childhood education and are interested in a PostDoc, let me know! #econsky #educsky postdoc.sgs.utoronto.ca/current-post...

postdoc.sgs.utoronto.ca

Postdoctoral Talent Initiative – School of Graduate Studies Postdoctoral Fellows

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Catherine Rampell @crampell.bsky.social · 31/01/2025

A new era of government censorship has begun. It started with the silencing of scientific speech, when the admin blocked release of research on bird flu. But MAGA has also cracked down on other wrongthink—on race, geography (!), and of course Trump himself www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...

washingtonpost.com

Opinion | A new era of government censorship has dawned

Donald Trump fancies himself a champion of free speech. Oh, really?

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Tatyana Deryugina @tderyugina.bsky.social · 27/08/2025

Over 125 economists signed the open letter calling on the President, Congress, and the American public to uphold the principles of Federal Reserve independence and not remove Lisa Cook without due process. There's still time to sign! And please share. #EconSky docs.google.com/document/d/1...

docs.google.com

Open letter

Click here to add your signature. An Open Letter from Economists in Support of Governor Lisa Cook and Federal Reserve Independence To the President, Members of Congress, and the American public: We wr...

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Kai Ryssdal @kairyssdal.bsky.social · 20/08/2025

You guys. The Lisa Cook story isn’t about her mortgages. Please please please stop being so credulous.

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Aaron Sojourner @aaronsojourner.org · 20/08/2025

POTUS and the AG abusing their public powers to try to gain more public power. The Fed has 7 governors. Trump appointed 2 last term. One is vacant. One more vacant seat will yield a majority. Dr. Cook fills the seat with the longest term (to 2038) & is the only Black woman on the board.

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Prof Dynarski @dynarski.bsky.social · 02/08/2025

Statement from the largest economics association about the BLS firing As context: AEA approximately never makes such public statements This is a big deal

August 1, 2025
AMERICAN ECONOMIC ASSOCIATION
Committee on Economic Statistics and Committee on Government Relations

Statement from the American Economic Association on the
Dismissal of the BLS Commissioner

Leaders of the American Economic Association express their grave concern over the dismissal of the Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) earlier today.
The independence of the federal statistical agencies is essential to the proper functioning of a modern economy. Accurate, timely, and impartial statistics are the foundation upon which households, businesses, and policymakers make critical decisions. Undermining the independence or credibility of these agencies threatens the integrity of the information that markets, institutions, and the public rely on every day.
Measuring the vast and dynamic U.S. economy in real time is inherently challenging. It is standard practice for statistical estimates to be revised as more complete and higher-quality data become available. These revisions reflect the commitment of statistical agencies to accuracy, transparency, and methodological rigor-not failure or bias.
The BLS has long had a well-deserved reputation for professional excellence and nonpartisan integrity.
Safeguarding this tradition is vital for the continued health of the U.S. economy and public trust in our institutions.
We call upon elected officials to respect and preserve the independence of the nation's statistical infrastructure.

Lawrence Katz
President, American Economic Association
Katharine Abraham
President-Elect, American Economic Association
Karen Dynan
Chair, American Economic Association Committee on Economic Statistics
Kenneth Troske
Chair, American Economic Association Committee on Government Relations

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Aaron Sojourner @aaronsojourner.org · 01/08/2025

What to make of POTUS's attempt to fire the Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)? Let's run down what knowledgable people are saying...

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Emma Rackstraw @emmarackstraw.bsky.social · 25/07/2025

TFW your FOIA request from 9 months ago arrives in your mailbox…

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Emma Rackstraw @emmarackstraw.bsky.social · 22/07/2025

It’s been such a privilege to learn from the amazing folks at @quattronecenter.org this year

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David J. Bier @davidjbier.bsky.social · 24/06/2025

ICE is nabbing far more noncriminals off the streets than people with criminal convictions: four times more. cato.org/blog/ice-arr...

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David J. Bier @davidjbier.bsky.social · 24/06/2025

New data show that ICE is pulling record numbers of people off the streets who have no criminal convictions of any kind. This is not just a change from the Biden admin. This is a radical tactical shift compared to Trump 1.0. These arrests are up over 1,000% from 2017. www.cato.org/blog/ice-arr...

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Emma Rackstraw @emmarackstraw.bsky.social · 10/06/2025

@harvard.edu what are you doing to protect and support your grad students whose NSF GRFP grants were terminated today?

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Jennifer Doleac @jenniferdoleac.bsky.social · 30/05/2025

Call for papers: NBER meeting on The Economics of Firearm Markets, Crime, and Gun Violence - October 10 in Cambridge, MA Deadline: June 4 www.nber.org/calls-papers...

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ProPublica @propublica.org · 26/05/2025

Controversies have prompted at least a half-dozen cities to cancel their contracts or end their relationships with “The First 48.” Here’s why Dallas, Memphis and Mobile have stopped working with the long-running cop reality show.

propublica.org

Police Across the U.S. Welcomed Cop Show “The First 48.” Then Relationships Soured.

Partnerships between police and the popular reality show, once enthusiastic and mutually beneficial, have often turned into breakups. Here’s how that has played out in three cities.

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Quattrone Center for the Fair Administration of Justice @quattronecenter.org · 22/04/2025

This investigation echoes the findings of QC Research Fellow @emmarackstraw.bsky.social, whose paper on "copaganda" found that arrests for low-level, victimless crimes increase by 20% while departments film with reality television shows. Her 2023 paper is here:

papers.ssrn.com

When Reality TV Creates Reality: How “Copaganda” Affects Police, Communities, and Viewers

Television shows with police officer protagonists are ubiquitous on American television. Both fictional shows and reality shows portray a world where criminals

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Scott Delaney @scott-delaney.bsky.social · 19/04/2025

🙏 We need your help 🙏 The government continues to cancel grants at both NIH and NSF to censor science it doesn't like. We're tracking terminations to organize and advocate. Please report your terminated grants: NIH: forms.gle/J2znQ7y7YpeP... NSF: airtable.com/appGKlSVeXni... w/ @noamross.net

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Emma Rackstraw @emmarackstraw.bsky.social · 19/04/2025

Econ of crime folks, what are your favorite books you’ve read on the criminal justice system? Not written by an economist, but something one could read through an economist’s lens. (I’m looking for book report project ideas for undergrads!)

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Bitsy Perlman @bitsyperlman.bsky.social · 18/04/2025

JOE is still open for posting jobs! It's one of the things we, the AEA committee on the job market, would like to officially encourage especially given the current environment @johncawley.bsky.social @aeainformation.bsky.social

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Emma Rackstraw @emmarackstraw.bsky.social · 18/04/2025

There are so many reasons I feel so privileged to work in education, but ordering instructor copies of books I’m thinking of assigning is up there. No one talks about the free book loophole!!!!! We are among the luckiest people alive!!

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Trevon Logan @trevondlogan.bsky.social · 14/04/2025

Very excited to have this paper with @franciscaantman.bsky.social Bruce Weinberg, and Sgeng Qu out on the (positive!) long run effects of the @aeainformation.bsky.social Mentoring program. www.nber.org/papers/w33689

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Emma Rackstraw @emmarackstraw.bsky.social · 14/04/2025

The inevitable result of the ways reality TV cameras supercharge the desire to make an arrest — ANY arrest.

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Jesse Rothstein @jrothst.bsky.social · 12/04/2025

A second new position at @capolicylab.bsky.social - this one for a research manager for our criminal justice work.

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Megan Stevenson @meganstevenson.bsky.social · 15/03/2025

In honor of long COVID awareness day, I wanted to speak about what my experience is like, 25 months in. I am much better but still only leave the house a couple times a week. 1/

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Kevin Schnepel @schnepel.bsky.social · 21/01/2025

a great opportunity for grad students, postdocs, APs working on research in Econ of Crime field! 👇

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Aria Golestani @ariagolestani.bsky.social · 16/01/2025

📣 Submit your crime paper by Feb 14. 🔸 4th Workshop on the Economics of Crime for Junior Scholars 🔸 29-30 May, 2025 🔸 Quattrone Center, UPenn 🔸 Keynote: @amandayagan.bsky.social 🔹 Send your paper to: WEC.Jr.Econ@gmail.com @emmarackstraw.bsky.social

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Emma Rackstraw @emmarackstraw.bsky.social · 02/01/2025

Hope to see folks at this great #ASSA2025 session now that the strike is over!

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Emma Rackstraw @emmarackstraw.bsky.social · 02/12/2024

#AEA2025 participants please sign to encourage the AEA/ASSA to be reasonable and ethical approaching the hotel strikes

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Jesse Rothstein @jrothst.bsky.social · 02/12/2024

Please sign a petition, which I was proud to sign, asking the AEA to make reasonable adjustments to its plans to enable people to make their own decisions about how to handle the picket line. docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

docs.google.com

ASSA 2025 Petition

As a registrant for the ASSA 2025 conference, I personally ask the ASSA to: Extend the deadline to request a registration fee refund from December 3 to line up with the housing deadline of December 12...

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Emma Rackstraw @emmarackstraw.bsky.social · 02/12/2024

#AEA2025 attendees: If you also fell really icky about that obtuse email we just got from ASSA/AEA and you do not cross picket lines, read this asap!

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Tom Ashbyトムアシュビー @tomaashby.bsky.social · 12/11/2024

Fun fact: If someone quotes a post of yours in a way that is unwelcome (as is commonplace on Twitter/X) there is a tool to combat the unwanted attention. Simply click the three dot menu on the quote post & click "Detach quote". This removes your post from their quote post. Useful to know, do share!

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Liz Ananat @lizananat.bsky.social · 12/11/2024

Please do this--my (Democratic) congressman's office has not been getting calls on this, so your call can make a difference. This currently bipartisan bill, which is being fast-tracked, would hand Trump a loaded weapon to destroy any nonprofit whose mission he dislikes.

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Steven Glazerman @eduglaze.bsky.social · 24/10/2024

Does anyone know what happened to Heather Ross, who came up with the negative income tax field experiment as a PhD student at MIT in 1960s? She is not often mentioned in the history of field trials in economics but this was an important milestone.

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Emma Rackstraw @emmarackstraw.bsky.social · 12/11/2024

So well-deserved!!!! @econsandy.bsky.social is the most incredible researcher, mentor, and all-around kind human. An absolute star whose orbit I feel lucky to have briefly coincided with 🥰🤩

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Emma Rackstraw @emmarackstraw.bsky.social · 24/09/2023

Hi all! I’m a PhD candidate 📣on the market 📣this year. I study the criminal justice system and labor market in the US. Beyond research, I enjoy singing, cats, glassblowing, reading, and bad TV (you’ll see in my JMP thread how this last hobby became a research question!). #EconSky 📈📉#DidIDoThisRight

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