Maybe I’m misunderstanding your comment. Do you think my department chair has any influence over my research agenda? He does not. Not even the smallest amoun

Maybe I’m misunderstanding your comment. Do you think my department chair has any influence over my research agenda? He does not. Not even the smallest amount. This is the case across (at the very least) every economics department at any US university, and likely most other academic departments too. There is nothing for him to “waive through,” and certainly no option for him to not approve of something. Furthermore, if I get a good publication out of a project, the department chair will be pleased for me whether Google likes it or not.