Subject: Equitable Growth and DINA
From: "Daetz, Steve" <[email-masked]>
To: "[email-masked]" <[email-masked]>, Heather Boushey ([email-masked]) <[email-masked]>
Cc: "Daetz, Steve" <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 10 Jun 2015 23:55:40 +0000

Hi John and Heather:  I'd like to make sure we're all on the same page about an issue that has arisen around the Distributional National Accounts (DINA) project.  I'm available for a quick call, if that would be easiest.

Let me just lay out some background and my recommendation.

As we know, WCEG is developing a communications and outreach plan, in collaboration with Emmanuel, around DINA.  I recently learned that Emmanuel and Gabriel Zucman have submitted a proposal to INET for $200K to support DINA research, and INET then turned around and asked the Sandler Foundation to fund half of that work.  Emmanuel has not heard back yet from INET, but thinks INET will make a decision in the next month.  I want to check in with you because the Sandler Foundation's decision around INET's "ask" of us could have some bearing on WCEG.

The overarching question is whether WCEG's plans regarding the DINA project, and its desire to be associated with DINA-related releases when GDP data come out, might be harmed if third parties like INET provided research support for DINA and/or made public announcements or press releases about their support of DINA.  Would third party actions adversely affect WCEG's organizational objectives to disseminate the DINA results using an "equitable growth" frame?

I spoke with Emmanuel this afternoon to get his perspective.

*         Emmanuel is quite clear that his research around DINA, particularly as to the US, emanated out of the Berkeley Center for Equitable Growth that we fund, and he is quite happy to collaborate with WCEG on the communications of the DINA work and he supports use of an "equitable growth" frame around that.

*         He favors the idea of a broader group of funders supporting DINA researching generally.  He notes that the World Top Incomes Database that Piketty, Saez, Atkinson and others launched has been funded by a range of funders (including the Berkeley Center, INET and others) and is now evolving to add DINA data worldwide; the database will be renamed the "World Wealth and Income Database" with the ultimate goal to enable governments to publish their own DINAs all over the world.  In other words, there have already been (and will continue to be) a variety of funders supporting DINA-related research.  Emmanuel notes that he has also talked to Arnold Foundation and the National Science Foundation about support for research projects relating to DINA.

As to the specific DINA research proposal in front of INET right now, my recommendation is that we have INET and the Berkeley Center split the cost of the DINA research project (with the Sandler Foundation giving our $100K directly to the Berkeley Center rather than through INET).  As part of that discussion with INET, I would propose to communicate with them that we have been supporting DINA since its inception out of the Berkeley Center and that we envision the Berkeley Center continuing to support DINA work, as well as noting that WCEG already has plans to collaborate with Emmanuel in a broader communications and dissemination strategy about the DINA work.  This feels like a straightforward way to maintain a clear lineage to DINA through the Berkeley Center and to the "equitable growth" frame.

As to the communications issues, my sense is that WCEG could continue to frame its DINA communications plan around an "equitable growth" frame, irrespective of who else funds individual DINA research components and irrespective of what press releases INET or other research funders might issue.  But I'd be particularly interested, John, if you think I'm missing something or if there's another strategy with INET that we might want to pursue?

Thanks.

Steve Daetz
Sandler Foundation