Stone Working Group on Inequality and Political Economy
Connect with scholars working to solve similar challenges
The Stone Working Group on Inequality and Political Economy (SWIPE) brings scholars together to examine how inequality shapes political and institutional life.
Each semester, the group selects a theme and hosts a roundtable with an invited scholar and a University of Michigan colleague. The 2026–28 series, Whose Democracy?, examines how wealth, class, geography, and race shape democratic power.
A space for candid inquiry
“In SWIPE, we strive to create a space where we can ask dumb questions in a brave, supportive environment.”
—Jeremy Levine, SWIPE organizer
Join SWIPE
Send a note to Jeremy Levine.
Whose Democracy?
2026–28 series
Who does democracy serve, and who has the power to shape it? Join visiting scholars and the University of Michigan community for panels and open discussion.
Whose Democracy? is a two-year initiative of the Stone Working Group on Inequality and Political Economy (SWIPE) within the Stone Center for Inequality Dynamics. Across four semesters, the series examines how inequality shapes democracy, offering programming that follows the full arc of politics.
Democracy Week at U-M
The Whose Democracy? series launches during Democracy Week at U-M, with support from the Initiative for Democracy and Civic Empowerment. Democracy Week is a campus-wide initiative that highlights the importance of democratic principles, participation, and civic empowerment.
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