Stephen Bagwell – The Conversation

The U.S. is falling short of what its national wealth makes possible for its people. Eric Raptosh Photography/Tetra images via GettyImages

June 26, 2026

Americans are not as well off as people in peer nations – US safety net’s shortfalls show up in global data

Stephen Bagwell, University of Missouri-St. Louis and Susan Randolph, University of Connecticut

This is not a one-year blip. The US has been underperforming in terms of health, education and more for the past 25 years.

Only about 1 in 10 U.S. workers belong to unions today. champc/iStock via Getty Images Plus

July 31, 2025

Strengthening collective labor rights can help reduce economic inequality

Skip Mark, University of Rhode Island and Stephen Bagwell, University of Missouri-St. Louis

A research team’s findings suggest that when workers are free to advocate for better wages and benefits for themselves, it also benefits society as a whole.

A woman does laundry at a tent city after the Feb. 6, 2023, earthquake in Turkey. Omer Urer/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

March 30, 2023

In Turkey, women are feeling the worst aftershocks of the earthquake disaster – this disparity may lead to dwindling trust in government

Willow Kreutzer, University of Iowa and Stephen Bagwell, University of Missouri-St. Louis

When government responses to a natural disaster do not address the specific needs and vulnerabilities of women and girls, women tend to lose trust in the institutions.

McDonald’s is leaving Russia after three decades of operating there. Sefa Karacan/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

May 25, 2022

Foreign companies exiting Russia echo the pressure campaign against South Africa’s racist apartheid system

Stephen Bagwell, University of Missouri-St. Louis and Meridith LaVelle, University of Georgia

Corporate pressure campaigns usually work best in partnership with local institutions. While Russia’s civic organizations are generally weak, there are some signs of growing defiance.

Pro-democracy protesters are arrested by police in Hong Kong on May 24, 2020. Isaac Lawrence/AFP via Getty Images

April 20, 2022

Human rights declined during the COVID‑19 pandemic, in countries from Angola to the US to New Zealand

Stephen Bagwell, University of Missouri-St. Louis

All of the 39 countries human rights experts tracked in 2020 experienced a decline in human rights. It’s not yet clear whether countries will quickly bounce back as the pandemic eases.

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