John N Friedman

John N Friedman is the Briger Family Distinguished Professor of Economics and Dean of International and Public Affairs at Brown University. He holds dual appointments in the Department of Economics and the School of International and Public Affairs. Friedman earned his AB, AM, and PhD in Economics from Harvard University between 2002 and 2007. His research focuses on leveraging large datasets to address critical questions in public policy, education economics, labor markets, and political institutions. He has pioneered methodologies to measure long-term impacts of educational interventions, teacher effectiveness, and tax policies. Friedman’s work often bridges theoretical econometric frameworks with real-world policy evaluation, emphasizing causal inference and empirical rigor.

Research interests include the evaluation of social policies, taxation mechanisms, and political systems. Notably, his studies on kindergarten classroom impacts, teacher value-added metrics, and retirement savings behavior have shaped policy debates. At Brown, he teaches courses on big data applications in economics and statistics for public policy. Friedman collaborates extensively with institutions like Denmark’s tax authorities and the English National Health Service to analyze systemic policy effects. His advisory role as Dean underscores his commitment to international public affairs and academic governance.