HSS 60th Anniversary Celebration

Friday, November 6
Baxter Lecture Hall
4 p.m.

KEYNOTE ADDRESS

Leviathan Unchained: Rethinking the Framers on Executive Power

John Ferejohn (HSS Faculty 1972–1983), Samuel Tilden Professor of Law, Emeritus, New York University; The Caroline S. G. Munro Professor of Political Science and Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Emeritus, Stanford University

The framers of the Constitution wanted a limited and small government. This presentation considers three questions: Was the framers' focus on controlling the legislature, rather than the executive, a fundamental flaw? Why has the growth of the executive branch's power accelerated over the last three decades? And how much of this constitutional dynamic results from domestic forces (like race or income inequality) versus international imperatives (such as war or industrial politics)?

Saturday, November 7
Baxter Lecture Hall
9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

9:00 a.m.

REGISTRATION CHECK-IN

9:30 a.m.

MAKING THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE: POLICY AND INSTITUTIONS

Roohi Dalal (BS '18, Astronomy and History), Deputy Director of Public Policy at the American Astronomical Society

Space Sustainability in the Era of Satellite Megaconstellations and Novel Space ActivitiesThe number of satellites in Earth's orbit has grown exponentially over the past few years with the rise of satellite megaconstellations. Today, companies are also proposing novel space activities, such as selling sunlight at night, launching orbital data centers, and mining the moon. Dalal will discuss the environmental impacts of this new paradigm in low Earth orbit, and some of the challenges of space governance.

Sera Linardi (PhD '10, Social Sciences), Associate Professor of Economics (with Tenure), University of Pittsburgh; Founding Director of the Center for Analytical Approaches to Social Innovation (CAASI)

Take Three: Attempts to Build Inclusive Infrastructures in AcademiaMany of us want to stand alongside underserved communities, do research on issues that matter to them, translate the research into improvements in equity and access. Yet, to do so, we must fix misaligned incentives in academia.

Teddy Mekkonen (Linde Postdoctoral Scholar in Economic and Management Sciences, 2017–2019), Orlando Bravo Assistant Professor of Economics, Brown University

Merit and RepresentationInstitutions often want a high-quality group that is also representative of the population they serve. But what makes one group more representative than another, and how should institutions select their members?

11:00 a.m.

PERSPECTIVES ON FREEDOM AND DEMOCRACY

Greg O'Malley (Caltech-Huntington Mellon Postdoctoral Instructor in History, 2007–2008), Professor of History, UC Santa Cruz

The Escapes of David George: Overcoming Slavery in Revolutionary AmericaIn 1762, David George fled a Virginia plantation. He never returned, nor could he find freedom, exposing constrained options for resistance before a "free North" existed.

Betsy Sinclair (PhD '07, Social Sciences), Thomas F. Eagleton University Professor of Public Affairs and Political Science, Washington University in St Louis

ChatBot Democracy: The Power of ConversationsThis talk will focus on the power of conversations to change a citizen's politics, with an emphasis on the capacity of generative AI to be a useful tool to increase trust in democratic institutions.

Anna Stielau (Weisman Postdoctoral Scholar Teaching Fellow in Visual Culture, 2023–2025), Assistant Professor of Art History and Visual Culture, Ontario College of Art and Design

The Art of Killing TimeSouth Africa's post-apartheid democracy promises progress, but it's often lived as waiting: voting lines, immigration queues, housing waitlists. What do people make when the future fails to arrive?

12:15 p.m.

LUNCH

1:30 p.m.

READING THE ROOM: DATA, INFORMATION, AND STRATEGY

Catherine Hafer (BS '93, Economics), Associate Professor of Politics, New York University

The Upside-Down World of Political AdviceIn political settings, where people dislike policies that are "too far left" and "too far right," predictions from standard strategic theories of communication can flip: greater ideological differences can drive more information sharing, and no news isn't necessarily bad news. Understanding this counterintuitive dynamic may change how we choose who we turn to for policy advice and how we evaluate leaders.

Po-Hsuan Lin (PhD '24, Social Sciences), Assistant Professor of Economics, University of Virginia

Not Infinitely Rational, Just a Few Steps Ahead: A Theory of Hierarchical Reasoning in GamesRather than equilibrium reasoning, people reason in limited steps and learn, in dynamic settings, how sophisticated others are. Lin will present a theory of this, with applications.

Erik Madsen (BS '11, Physics and Economics), Associate Professor of Economics, New York University

The Use and Misuse of Data on Digital PlatformsDigital platforms observe what websites we visit, what products we buy, and what media we view. This data makes platforms work, but common data collection and usage policies can paradoxically degrade the user experience. Madsen will discuss a few recent examples and offer lessons for platform design and regulation.

3:00 p.m.

WHITHER THE UNIVERSITY?

A roundtable discussion on challenges facing higher education with John Brewer (HSS Faculty 2002–2016), Eli and Edythe Broad Professor of History and Literature, Emeritus, Caltech; Colin Camerer, Robert Kirby Professor of Behavioral Economics; and Susanne Hall, Teaching Professor of Writing and Director of the Hixon Writing Center.

4:15 p.m.