Research and evidence about society and the effectiveness of public policy make our nation stronger. The Moynihan Prize honors social scientists, public officials, and civic leaders who advance the public good through informed judgment and the application of social science research to policy and practice.

YouTube video by Sahara Sevilla AAPSS

YouTube video by Sahara Sevilla AAPSS

The American Academy of Political and Social Science will award its 2026 Daniel Patrick Moynihan Prize to Esther Duflo, citing her work on the microeconomics of development and the use of randomized c...

The Daniel Patrick Moynihan Prize was created in 2007 to honor one of the AAPSS's distinguished fellows, the late Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT:Tom Kecskemethy, Executive DirectorThe American Academy of Political and Social Sciencethomask@upenn.edu Philadelphia, PA (July 15, 2026) — The American Academy of Political and Social Science (AAPSS) will award the 2026 Daniel Patrick Moynihan Prize to Esther Duflo, an acclaimed economist best known for her work on the microeconomics of economic development and …

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Tom Kecskemethy, Executive DirectorThe American Academy of Political and Social Sciencethomask@upenn.edu Philadelphia, PA (June 24, 2026) — The American Academy of Political and Social Science (AAPSS) has elected three distinguished scholars/public servants as its 2026 Fellows. “The AAPSS is pleased to announce these fellows,” said AAPSS President Sheldon Danziger. “For many …

On June 30, the AAPSS will bid farewell to Paula D. McClain, who has been a member of our board of directors since 2020 and its chair since 2023. Below, she reflects on her time with the AAPSS and shares some early findings from her most recent research. The AAPSS board and staff thank Dr. …

In anticipation of the publication of volume 716 of The ANNALS, Educating Boys: Bridging Gaps, Building Futures, co–special editor Richard V. Reeves previews the volume’s contents and discusses his hopes for improving socioeconomic outcomes for boys and young men by closing gender gaps in education systems. Reeves, the president of the American Institute for Boys …

On January 13, the AAPSS hosted a panel event in partnership with the Johns Hopkins University School of Government and Policy. “Entitled to Your Own Facts? Science and Public Policy in a Post-Truth America” united policymakers and social scientists for a dialogue about their shared responsibilities in advancing a fruitful relationship between science and good …

This month, we’re expanding the “Fellows’ Corner” column by welcoming a contribution by economist and AAPSS board member Michael R. Strain with coauthor Duncan Hobbs. If you are an AAPSS Fellow or board member and would like to contribute a post for a future edition of the Dispatch, please contact Jessica Erfer. Reemployment Bonuses: A …

AAPSS Program Manager Jessica Erfer recently celebrated 10 years at the Academy. The AAPSS thanks her for her service and is delighted to share an essay she recently wrote about her experiences and memories of the past decade. In summer 2015, when my husband and I decided to return to our roots in Philadelphia after …

In recent years, the concept of user engagement has dominated debate over the governance of online platforms, and critics use the term to assign crass commercia...

The 2025 Fellows of the AAPSS were inducted on October 30 at a luncheon held in Washington, DC. Xavier de Souza Briggs, Michael Jones-Correa, Goodwin Liu, Sharon Parrott, Celeste Watkins-Hayes, and James P. Ziliak received a warm welcome from AAPSS President Sheldon Danziger, the board of directors, and other fellows as they accepted their fellowships. …

This month’s Fellows’ Corner is written by sociologist and demographer Rogelio Sáenz, our 2023 Ernest W. Burgess Fellow. If you are an AAPSS Fellow and would like to contribute to this column in future editions of the Dispatch, please contact Jessica Erfer. The Looming Decline of the U.S. Population Throughout the history of the U.S., …

On September 12–13, the Stone Center for Research on Wealth Inequality and Mobility at the University of Chicago hosted an authors’ conference in preparation for an upcoming volume of The ANNALS, tentatively titled Whither Meritocracy? Contributors presented their drafts and responded to questions and feedback from fellow authors and the volume’s special editors, Steven Durlauf …