Issue 115 | May 2, 2011

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Editors' Note

In the previous issue, we announced that Japan Society for Historians of Economic Thought Annual Meeting was postponed. We are now glad to announce the new date and venue for the JSHET meeting: November 5 - 6, 2011 at Kyoto University. In September 2011, there will be another conference at Rikkyo University, Tokyo, organized by the Japan Society of Political Economy. The organizers of the JSPE conference are calling for papers and participants devoted to the special session on the Earthquake and the nuclear power plant. We think that many heterodox-political economists should raise our socio-economic concerns on this issue. The George Soros funded Institute for New Economic Thinking (INET) held its Second Annual Conference in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire April 8 - 11, and Executive Director Dr. Robert Johnson opened the conference by "emphasizing the need to create a community that rebuilds trust in economics and reestablishes the legitimacy of the profession as credible and relevant in the current world."    While there were a few heterodox economists attending the conference, it was dominated by the "usual suspects." However, one of the working groups, the Economics Curriculum Task force, has a slightly broader representation. The stated goals of this working group are:     (1) identifying the shortcomings of the present undergraduate curricula in the US and the UK;     (2) outlining the principles of reform;     (3) and devising concrete deliverables to implement that reform.   They ask for feedback and provide a place to respond on their web page here. We urge heterodox economists to respond. In solidarity, Tae-Hee Jo and Ted Schmidt, Editors Email: heterodoxnews@gmail.com Website: http://heterodoxnews.com

 

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The Second Annual Forum on Capital as Power
20-21 October 2011 | York University, Toronto
Abstract Submission Deadline: June 30, 2011

The annual conference series organized by the Forum on Capital as Power brings together a diverse range of radically minded people interested in exploring the concept of power as a basis for re-thinking and re-searching value, capital and accumulation. As the name of our forum suggests, we think that the Capital as Power framework pioneered by Jonathan Nitzan and Shimshon Bichler offers a promising new, but by no means the only, alternative for pursuing radical and innovative research in political economy. By conceptualizing capital as the symbolic quantification of power, and capitalism as a mode of power, this framework challenges the foundational bifurcations between politics/economics, ‘real’/‘nominal’ and state/capital upon which conventional theories of capitalism rest. And by re-casting accumulation as a process of differential capitalization, this framework also offers research tools for empirically exploring capitalism; something that liberal and Marxist theories, anchored respectively in problematic units of ‘utility’ and ‘abstract labour’, have difficulty providing. This combined focus on theoretical-empirical research is, for us, of paramount importance. It points the way to a more democratic form of knowledge production. And it corresponds with what we believe should be a guiding maxim of radical praxis: that in order to change the world, we first have to adequately interpret and explain it.

As with all new frameworks, the Capital as Power approach is still very much open to elaboration and refinement, as well as contestation. Our inaugural conference in 2010 marked a positive step in this regard. It generated enthusiastic discussion and debate, it produced exciting new insights and new research related to the Capital as Power approach, and it yielded original material for forthcoming publications. But there is still ample scope for further inquiry: is a focus on Capital as Power able to account for the historical origins and spread of capitalism? Is it amenable to contemporary comparative research in different geographical and social contexts? What can a focus on Capital as Power tell us about the possible future trajectories of the global capitalist order? What kind of democratic and humane alternatives to the existing order does it envision? And in what ways does Capital as Power intersect and overlap with other power-centered approaches to political economy?

With these questions in mind, our second annual conference invites contributions from those who critically engage with, extend or operationalize the Capital as Power approach in their own research. We also welcome contributions by those who present other power-centered alternatives to existing theories of capitalism. Contributions might address, but are not necessarily restricted to, the following areas:

• Capitalist power and the labour process;
• The emergence of the modern state as a locus of capitalization;
• The role of capitalist power in contemporary crises of real estate, sovereign debt or natural resources;
• The intersection of the capitalist mode of power with other modes of power;
• Capital as Power from regional and comparative perspectives;
• The role of entertainment, leisure and consumption from a capitalist perspective;
• Capitalist power over the biosphere;
• Alternative visions for the future, including alternative, democratic accounting systems.

Please send abstracts of 250 words to the following address by June 30, 2011: capitalaspower2011@gmail.com

Organizing Committee: Joseph Baines (York University), Sandy Brian Hager (York University) and Mladen Ostojic (York University)

ClassCrits IV: Criminalizing Economic Inequality

Washington, D.C. | September 23-24, 2011
Sponsored by American University, Washington College of Law

This workshop, the fourth meeting of ClassCrits, takes as its theme the criminalization of economic inequality. The dominance of “free market” economic theory and policy has been accompanied in the U.S. by increasing reliance on the criminal justice system to make and enforce economic policy. The criminal justice system is increasingly used to control persons and groups whose participation in formal markets is marginal at best. Many aspects of traditional immigration law have morphed into “crimmigration”, appropriating domestic criminal law enforcement tools and redefining whole communities of workers and their families as “illegal people.” States and municipalities have criminalized the lives of homeless people, including those who are mentally ill. International markets in heroin, cocaine, and marijuana are the targets of a “war on drugs” fought through criminal justice (and military) methods. Criminal law is used to deter and punish sex trafficking, and the criminal justice system buttresses, or substitutes for, welfare policy. At the same time, corporate wrongdoing has been lightly punished, if at all, and the drumbeat against “government” as the enemy of the people continues unabated. In this sense, economic inequality has not been “criminalized” at all. Quite the opposite, powerful interests encourage American citizens to see economic inequality as natural and good. Criminalizing Economic Inequality will provide an opportunity for legal scholars, economists, policymakers, activists, and others to critically examine the relationship between state power and market power in upward redistribution and the continued spread of laissez-faire ideology.

For further details, visit here.

CofFEE Conference 2011

The Way Forward - Austerity or Stimulus?
7-8 December 2011 | University of Newcastle, Australia | Website

The 13th Path to Full Employment/18th National Unemployment Conference will be held at the University of Newcastle from Wednesday, December 7, 2011 to Thursday, December 8, 2011. The global economy is still stuck in the aftermath of the worst economic crisis in 80 years and the legacy has been tens of millions unemployed, a large proportion of productive capacity lying idle, and vast quantities of output and income foregone and lost forever. The political landscape seems divorced from this reality and instead of creating jobs, governments are seeking ways to impose fiscal austerity to reduce their budget deficits at a time when private spending is still mostly weak. The Conference will seek to explore the apparent contradictions of the policy stances that are now emerging amidst the global unemployment crisis.

CALL FOR PAPERS
While papers in any area of labour market analysis will be of interest, papers will be particularly welcome in the following research and policy areas:

• Reflections on the global financial crisis? Fiscal austerity, reform agendas etc.
• Any research on unemployment - its dimensions, causes, cures.
• The labour market and the ageing debate.
• The policy challenge of emerging skill shortages and underutilisation - how do we design effective solutions to both?
• The increasing problem of underemployment and marginal workers.
• Why has work become more precarious? Is it a problem? What are the solutions?
• What is full employment? How is it defined and measured? How close are we to achieving full employment? What are the challenges that remain?
• Employment guarantees versus income guarantees - pros and cons.
• Why do disparities in regional labour markets persist? What is the extent of the problem and its solutions? Analysing spatial patterns of work and housing.
• Long-term, youth, disabled and indigenous unemployment.

DEADLINES

• Abstracts: Monday 11th July 2011 5pm
• Refereed Papers: Monday 26th September 2011 (draft for refereeing process)
• Final Non-Refereed Papers: Monday 31st October 2011

Contributions can be made to both the Refereed (peer reviewed) or Non-Refereed streams. Refereed papers will be included in a printed volume of conference proceedings (which will constitute a refereed conference paper under Australian government rules).

Those interested are asked to visit our website: http://e1.newcastle.edu.au/coffee/conferences/2011/Guidelines.cfm for the formatting requirements needed for the submission of papers as well as paper deadlines.

Please submit your abstract to the CofFEE office: coffee@newcastle.edu.au

From colonial empires to globalization: history of economic thought approaches

 

Suggested Themes:

 

An abstract of about 400 words for a paper and about 600 words for a session should be submitted at the latest by 1st of June 2011. The final version of the accepted papers should be sent at the latest by 1st September 2011. Six travelling grants will be made available to the authors of papers selected by the Scientific Committee.

 

Send paper proposals and any question on the Conference to: eshetmexico@economia.unam.mx

 

A selection of the papers presented at the conference will be published in a volume.

 

Scientific Committee

Juan Pablo Arroyo, (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México); José Luis Cardoso (Universidade de Lisboa); Annie Cot (Universitè de Paris I); Harald Hagemann (Universitat Hohenheim, Stuttgart); Leonor Ludlow (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; Maria Cristina Marcuzzo (Università di Roma "La Sapienza"); María Eugenia Romero Sotelo, (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México);

5-6 December 2011 | Sydney | website

The 10th annual Australian Society of Heterodox Economists (SHE) Conference will be held on the 5th and 6th of December 2011. This year, for the first time, the conference will be held at the Coogee Crowne Plaza Hotel, Sydney.

Over the last 10 years, the annual SHE Conference has provided a vital forum for the discussion of alternatives to mainstream economics. The Conference provides a broad pluralistic and interdisciplinary forum to discuss issues of importance to heterodox economists.

For 2011 the SHE Conference theme is The relevance, contribution and future of Heterodox Economics
Topics of interest to this overarching theme include: the failure of neoclassical economics to predict, explain or find solutions to the global financial and economic crises; the current climate and energy crisis, nationally and internationally; the relationship of economists to policymaking and decision-makers; the teaching of heterodox economics; and, research evaluation and the impact of ERA ratings and rankings.

Registration details will be announced later and be available at: http://www.asb.unsw.edu.au/research/societyofheterodoxeconomists/SHEconference/Pages/default.aspx

 

Submission details:

Submissions are invited for single papers, complete sessions and symposia (comprising more than one session) relevant to the over-arching conference theme, or which discuss issues of importance from perspectives which differ from, or critically examine, mainstream economics.

 

Single papers:

All papers should include a 250 word abstract that clearly states the issue being addressed, its main points and argument. It should be stated, at the time of submission, if you require your paper to be refereed and if you wish your paper to be considered for a symposium.

 

The deadline for refereed papers is Monday 10 October 2011.

The deadline for non-refereed papers is Monday 31 October 2011.

 

Complete sessions:

We welcome proposals for complete sessions. Session proposals should be sent to p.kriesler@unsw.edu.au and include the following information:

 

The deadline for complete sessions is Friday 15 July 2011.

 

Symposia:

We encourage proposals for symposia which address a single topic or issue. The SHE Conference Committee will work with symposia organisers, when constructing the conference program, to ensure a coherent list of sessions for each symposium, and schedule these so that participants can follow a symposium across more than one session. Symposium proposals should be submitted to p.kriesler@unsw.edu.au and include the following information:

 

The deadline for symposium proposals is Friday 15 July 2011.

 

Deadlines:

April 19-22, 2012 | Istanbul, Turkey
Transforming Economic Power to Advance Women's Rights and Justice

The 12th Association for Women's Rights in Development (AWID) International Forum is fast approaching. In a little over a year close to 2,000 women’s rights leaders and activists from around the world will come together to strategize, network, celebrate, and learn in a highly charged atmosphere that fosters deep discussions and sustained personal and professional growth. The 2012 Forum will take place April 19-22, 2012, in Istanbul, Turkey.

AWID announces the Call for Proposals. Visit the AWID 2012 Forum website and find out more about the Forum theme, how to submit a proposal, submission guidelines, logistical information and answers to frequently asked questions.

Ramaa Vasudevan (ramaa.vasudevan@colostate.edu),
Al Campbell (al@economics.utah.edu) and
Codrina Rada (rada@economics.utah.edu)

The first meeting of Easter Term is on Thursday 5 May, 8:15 p.m., Clare Hall - College meeting room.

• "Crises and Revisions: On the Long-term Cyclicalities of Economic Theory," Erik S. Reinert (Tallinn University of Technology, Estonia and the Other Canon Foundation)
  

More information is available from the website: http://sites.google.com/site/camhistseminar/

Contemporary Capitalism: Its Financial Circuits, Transformation and Future prospects

May 31 - June 1 2011 | University of Ottawa
Organized by the International Economic Policy Institute (Laurentian University) and ROBINSON (University of Ottawa)

See the program.

Saturday, MAY 14, 2011 1:00-3:00 PM
Community Room A, Westside Pavilion, Los Angeles
(Westside Pavilion is at Pico & Westwood Boulevards; Community Room A is on east side of the mall, third floor, behind food court; free parking in mall lot)

Speaker: Kevin Anderson, author of Marx at the Margins

In Capital, Vol. I, Marx describes commodity fetishism as a system in which human relations are as relations between things, because that is the reality of life under capitalism. However, in a little-known part of this analysis of fetishism, he also sketches a positive alternative to capitalism, a society based on freely associated labor. At a time when the Arab revolutions have toppled dictators and asserted the power of the working class, it is urgent to re-examine Marx’s vision of a truly anti-capitalist revolution.

Suggested readings:
Karl Marx, Capital, Vol. I, chapter 1, section 4 (pp. 163-77, Fowkes edition, esp. pp. 171-3)

Sponsored by West Coast Marxist-Humanists
More information: arise@usmarxisthumanists.org
http://www.usmarxisthumanists.org/

International Forum on the Social and Solidarity Economy (FIESS)

17th to the 20th October 2011 | Montreal, Canada

We are extremely pleased and enthusiastic to announce that the Program of the International Forum on the Social and Solidarity Economy (FIESS) is now available online, and the Registration is now open.

All registration to the event, which will take place in Montreal from the 17th to the 20th October 2011, will be done online at www.fiess2011.org When registering, you will also be able to reserve a hotel room for your stay and enrol in other activities organized around the FIESS, in particular field trips to visit local social economy organisations.

On the website, you will also fin detailed information on the activities and presentations that will take place during the FIESS, practical information on Montreal and the Palais des Congrès where the event will be held, and a FAQ section to answer any other eventual questions you may have.

We look forward to seeing you in great numbers this October!

Le Chantier de l’économie sociale
forum.international2011@chantier.qc.ca

November 5-6, 2011 | Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan

Dear Fellow Historians of Economic Thought,

We are very grateful for your kind words and strong support to us. Now we are extremely pleased to announce the new venue and schedule of this year's JSHET annual meeting. The new venue is Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan, and it will be held from November 5-6.

We appreciate people at Kyoto University to agree to hold the conference in such a short interval of time. Those who are planning to attend are strongly encouraged to arrange accomodation immediately, since Kyoto in fall is one of the most attractive tourist destinations in Japan and it would be extremely difficult to reserve an accomodation.

with best wishes,

On behalf of
Keiko Kurita, President of JSHET

Masazumi Wakatabe
Chair, Committee for Communication and Planning, JSHET
wakatabe@waseda.jp

London Seminar On Contemporary Marxist Theory

4th May, 5pm, 2011 | King's College London, Strand Campus, K.2.31 Raked Lecture Theatre

"Three Cheers for Marxist Monetary Theory: The Eurozone through the Prism of World Money,"  Costas Lapavitsas (SOAS)

The global economic and financial crisis has witnessed a deepening of interest in different forms of critical and radical thought and practice. This seminar will explore the new perspectives that have been opened up by interventions of contemporary Marxist theory in this political and theoretical conjuncture. It involves collaboration among Marxist scholars based in several London universities, including Brunel University, King’s College London, and the School of Oriental and African Studies. Guest speakers – from both Britain and abroad – will include a wide range of thinkers engaging with many different elements of the various Marxist traditions, as well as with diverse problems and topics. The aim of the seminar is to promote fruitful debate and to contribute to the development of more robust Marxist analysis. It is open to all.

Marxism 2011

June 30  - July 4 2011
The full program for the Marxism 2011 event is available here.

PKSG: Keynes Seminar

Tuesday, 24 May | from 5.30 - 7.00 pm at Auditorium Lounge, Robinson College, Cambridge

Roger Backhouse (University of Birmingham): On Post Keynesian economics and the economics of Keynes
Discussant: Roberto Scazzieri (University of Bologna)

The Political Economy Research Group Workshop

Summer School and Workshop: New Constitutionalism and World Order

May 16-28, 2011 | York University, Canada

York University is now accepting outside applications for a graduate course entitled ‘New Constitutionalism and Global Political Economy.’ The 2011 International Political Economy and Ecology Summer School will take place from May 16-28 and will be directed by Distinguished Research Professor Stephen Gill, Political Science and Communications and Culture, York University. Hosted by Departments of Political Science and Geography, Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies, and by the Faculty of Environmental Studies, York University, this year’s International Political Economy and Ecology Summer School is integrated with a One-day Conference and a three-day Research Workshop, that form sessions of the course. Students are required to attend both.

The 2011 IPEESS will be held from May 16-28, Verney Room, Department of Political Science, 6th. Floor South Ross Building, York University, Toronto.

Workshop is by invitation only but summer school students will sit in. This will be held 26-28 May 2011.
For details see: www.yorku.ca/nc2011/

May 24-27, 2011 | U of Massachusetts, Amerhest, USA
Radical Political Economy: Marxist theory

 

We invite graduate students and young researchers to participate in the URPE Summer School entitled Topics in Radical Political Economy: Marxist theory, which will take place in Amherst, Massachusetts on the UMass campus on May 24-27, 2011 (right before the World Association for Political Economy conference on May 27-29).

 

Our aim is to provide a forum for the discussion of ideas and developments in Marxian economics, and to help establish ties for closer collaboration between young Marxian economists. Our speakers and topics will be as follows:

• Deepankar Basu: Theories of Money and Finance in Marxian Political Economy
• Al Campbell: Humanist Marxism, Structuralist Marxism and Revolution
• David Kotz: *topic to be determined*
• Fred Moseley: The Transformation Problem and Crisis
• Paddy Quick: Principal and Secondary Relations of Production: the Transitions between Modes of Production

Each day will be organized into 7-8 hours of lectures and discussions, to be directed by the invited speakers. Suggested readings will be distributed in advance. Participants will have already taken a first course in Marxian political economy and will be expected to be familiar with portions of Capital (at least Volume I). The presentations by the speakers will be designed to inform participants about recent developments, equip them with theoretical and empirical tools and inspire them to take up research in Marxian political economy.

We ask for a $15 registration fee. URPE scholarships are available for those who will also attend the WAPE conference, though they require a separate application. To apply for the Summer School, please fill out the enclosed application form and send it to one or both of the following:

• Hyun Woong Park <ppphhw@gmail.com>
• Mihnea Tudoreanu <mtudorea@econs.umass.edu>

Our organizers are also available to answer any and all questions and concerns. Please distribute this invitation widely to whom you think might be interested. We look forward to seeing many of you in May!

Download Application Form, Invitation Letter, and Program.

Workshop: “Revisiting the Boundaries of Economics. A Historical Perspective”

May 19, 2011 | Collegio Carlo Alberto, Moncalieri (Torino, Italy),

Dear friends,

We are glad to submit to your kind attention our workshop “Revisiting the Boundaries of Economics. A Historical Perspective” (second edition). It is conceived as a permanent workshop inviting speakers from a wide range of social disciplines to show the potential for a fully interdisciplinary approach to issues of traditional or relatively new interest to economists, such as methodology in relation to other social sciences, creativity, rationality, complexity, evolution, gift-giving. One of the best known anthropologist of our times, Marshall Sahlins, will deliver the keynote lecture of the workshop. Anyone interested will find relevant information on the workshop’s activities on http://boundaries-of-economics.blogspot.com.

Best regards,
Roberto Marchionatti, Francesco Cassata, Mario Cedrini and Vincenzo Crupi

Download Program.

Wynne Godley Memorial Conference: Contributions in Stock-flow Modeling

May 25--26, 2011 | Levy Economics Institute, Annandale-on-Hudson, NY | website

Wynne Godley's work focused on the strategic prospects for the US, UK, and world economies, and the use of accounting macroeconomic models to reveal structural imbalances. This conference will provide scholars profoundly influenced by his work the opportunity to celebrate his contributions to the field of economics. Topics will include fiscal policy and stock-flow consistent models; unsustainable processes and the role of the dollar in fostering global imbalances; stability and convergence programs; trade and current account imbalances and international currencies; financial integration, intrazone credit, and stabilization in a monetary union; debt-deflation traps within small open economies; and the UK and US private expenditure function.

To register online, click here.

Visiting Assistant Professor of Economics

JOE ID Number: 201104_395378

The Economics Department seeks candidates for one or more full-time 1-year visiting positions beginning in August 2011. There is the possibility of a second year extension. Teaching responsibilities include History of Economic Thought, Political Economy, and Introductory Economics and/or upper-level courses using the candidate's expertise. We are also interested in candidates in Environmental, International, Development, Race, Poverty, Gender, and/or Labor Economics, Economic History. Ph.D. or A.B.D. preferred.

Gettysburg College is a highly selective liberal arts college located within 90 minutes of the Baltimore/Washington metropolitan area. Established in 1832, the College has a rich history and is situated on a 220-acre campus with an enrollment of 2,600 students. Gettysburg College celebrates diversity and welcomes applications from members of any group that has been historically underrepresented in the American academy. The College assures equal employment opportunity and prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, sexual orientation, age, and disability. An equal
opportunity, affirmative action employer.

Application Instructions:
Review of applications will begin immediately; position open until filled. Send letter of application, curriculum vitae, writing sample, and three reference letters to: Sue Holz at sholz@gettysburg.edu and
include Visiting-Position in subject line.

Email for Applications: sholz@gettysburg.edu

More Application Contact Details
Visiting Position
Department of Economics
Gettysburg College
300 N. Washington Street
Campus Box 391
Gettysburg, PA USA 17325

For more information, email: sholz@gettysburg.edu
For more information, phone: 717-337-6670

Lecturer in Economics

Full-time position, All ranks, Department of Economics

 

The Mardin Artuklu University’s Department of Economics, Turkey, is looking for applicants for a tenure track 12 month full-time position at all ranks starting Fall, 2011. Candidates are expected to have completed a Ph.D. by the time of appointment.

All fields will be considered, however we especially encourage applicants working in the fields of Monetary-Fiscal Theory and Policy, Money and Banking, Money-Capital Markets, and Public Finance. The priority will also be given to candidates who can teach both in Turkish and in English. The position requires teaching two or three classes (undergraduate level) each semester and doing quality research.

Mardin Artuklu University values researchers who are open to interdisciplinary research and collaborative studies.

• Deadline: The applications will be evaluated as they arrive.
• Material: Applicants should submit a letter of application, curriculum vitae, one research paper, graduate transcript, three letters of recommendation and teaching evaluations (if available) (via e-mail only) for a complete file.
• Contact: Hasan Tekgüç at htekguc(at)gmail(dot)com

Information about university and economics department can be found at http://www.artuklu.edu.tr/akademik/iktisat/bolumler/iktisad/

If you have any further questions, please email Hasan Tekgüç at htekguc@gmail.com.

National Priorities Project, USA

Senior Research Analyst

National Priorities Project (NPP) makes complex federal budget information transparent and accessible so people can prioritize and influence how their tax dollars are spent. We hold the vision of an informed and engaged democracy where all people affected by federal spending priorities have the ability and opportunity to shape our nation's budget. Located in Northampton, MA, since 1983, NPP focuses on the personal and societal impact of federal spending at the national, state, congressional district and local levels. Find out more at http://www.nationalpriorities.org.

NPP's Senior Research Analyst reports directly to the Executive Director and works collaboratively with the manager of our extensive federal spending database, colleagues in research, IT, communications and networking. This position plans and executes the research that underlies NPP's suite of materials and tools.

RESPONSIBILITIES
Analysis

• Conduct research necessary for reports, web-based applications, and information requests, and participate in the work necessary to manifest them
• Co-develop and evaluate annual research plan
• Collaborate with NPP colleagues engaged in education and networking with allies and partners in the field
• Build and maintain contacts with the research departments of collaborating organizations, universities, and governmental organizations, and pursue other relationships and tasks which facilitate the use of NPP's work
• Contribute to the socio-economic context for NPP’s material

Media

• Respond to media inquiries as needed, including media interviews

Other

• Work with development staff on grant proposals as appropriate; participate in foundation visits as needed
• Participate in the annual organizational budget process
• Participate in strategic planning as requested by the Executive Director
• Present at national, regional or local conferences as needed

QUALIFICATIONS
Required

• Masters Degree in economics, related field with economics background, or equivalent
•  Thorough knowledge of current federal budget process and debate
• Work experience in research department of public policy, education or activist organization
• Quantitative skills
• Working knowledge of relational databases, spreadsheets and word processing

Preferred

• Ph.D. in economics, related field with economics background, or equivalent
• Experience in popular education and advocacy work
• Experience working in a non-profit organization
• Knowledge of graphics program and/or other programs for web-based materials

REPORTING AND SUPERVISION
The Senior Research Analyst reports to the Executive Director and is responsible for working collaboratively with all NPP staff, interns and fellows. This position may supervise student interns.

HOURS AND COMPENSATION
This position is full-time with medical insurance, dental benefits, and paid leave. Competitive salary; commensurate with experience.

HOW TO APPLY
Please send your resume and cover letter, the names and phone numbers of two references via email or regular mail to:

NPP will begin reviewing applications immediately and will continue to accept resumes until the position is filled. NPP is committed to a multicultural staff. People of color are strongly encouraged to apply.

University of Greenwich Business School, UK

Lecturer in International Business Economics

Arising from continuing growth, the University of Greenwich Business School is seeking a Lecturer in International Business Economics. You will be part of the International Business and Economics Department which provides a range of successful undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in the fields of International Business and Economics.

The school is seeking an academic capable of conducting quality research and lecturing on undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in international applications of Business Economics, Institutional Economics, Financial Economics, Microfinance or a related area. The role will involve conducting research in a relevant discipline. You may also be involved in developing new part time and flexible learning courses in your area of teaching and research specialism.

The Department of International Business and Economics fosters scholarship on international business in emerging economies, with a particular focus on economic governance, networks and other institutions. In 2009 the Department was ranked first in the UK for student satisfaction in economics and in the latest Research Assessment Exercise 2/3 of our research was rated world class or world leading.

Salary Scale: £33260 - £38033 per annum inclusive of London Weighting.

We aim to be an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all sections of the community.
Further particulars for this post can be downloaded by following the links

http://wwww.gre.ac.uk/jobs/1823g7/job-reference-1823g7

• “Can Drastic Deficit Reduction Help Economic Recovery? Prospects for UK, US and Southern Europe”.  By Hannah Bargawi and Terry McKinley

EACES Newsletter 57: March 2011

European Association for Comparative Economic Studies

Newsletter is available here.

EPI News

Website: http://www.epi.org/pages/epinews

EPI Launches Regulatory Policy Research Program

• Regulation, Employment, and the Economy: Fears of job loss are overblown, EPI’s latest research examines the economic effects of government regulation. In this paper economist Isaac Shapiro, who directs EPI’s research on governmental regulatory policy, and John Irons compare the benefits of regulations to their costs, investigating their effect on jobs and the economy.

Budget Battles for 2012: Analysis of the Republican budget proposal

•   EPI’s policy analysis, All Would Suffer From Chairman Ryan’s Budget Cuts, explores the economic impact of the Republican budget for 2012 and finds that, in addition to dismantling Medicare and Medicaid, the cuts to the non-security discretionary (NSD) budget would result in stunning job losses—2.2 million jobs over the next two years.
  

Other recent research by EPI includes:

• Depressed States, an examination of black, white, and Hispanic unemployment rates at the state level by EPI’s Director of the Race, Ethnicity, and the Economy program, Algernon Austin;
• Discounting Public Pensions, in which EPI economist Monique Morrissey explains why concerns about pension fund shortfalls are grossly exaggerated;
• The Class of 2011: Young workers face a dire labor market without a safety net, an analysis by EPI economist Heidi Shierholz and researcher Kathryn Anne Edwards that shows why the Great Recession has been particularly difficult for young workers; and
• EPI Vice President Ross Eisenbrey testified before the House’s Education and Workforce Committee on the benefits of the Davis-Bacon Act, which requires the payment of locally prevailing wages on federal construction contracts.

EuroMemo Group Newsletter, 2011-1

EuroMeMo is the Working Group of European Economists for an Alternative Economic Policy in Europe

Save the date! Annual Conference of the EuroMemo Group in September 2011

The 17th Workshop on Alternative Economic Policy in Europe will be held from 16-18 September in Vienna, Austria. The call for papers will be sent out in late May via this mailing list. Please save the date!

EuroMemo Group at facebook
The EuroMemo Group has launched a EuroMemo Facebook page. Stay up to date with latest news on activities of the EuroMemo Group and link up with supporters of the group from all over Europe. Simply click the “Like” button and use this page to start networking. To view the page, click here.

EuroMemorandum 2010/11
The EuroMemorandum 2010/11 “Confronting the Crisis – Austerity or Solidarity”, published in January 2011, was signed by more than 400 economists from all over Europe. The long version of the EuroMemorandum is available in English, German, Greek and Spanish at our website. Short versions of the EuroMemorandum are available in French, Danish and Dutch, too. The French long version will be published soon.

GDAE Announcemnt

• Trading Away Financial Stability: Capital Controls and the US-Colombia Trade Agreement Latin American Trade Network. By Kevin P. Gallagher. Policy Brief #66, April 2011
  

Download “Trading Away Financial Stability”
Read more on GDAE’s work on Capital Controls and Development
See further publications from the Latin American Trade Network
Follow the Capital Controls discussion on the Triple Crisis Blog
Read more on GDAE’s Globalization and Sustainable Development Program

Global Labour Column

• "A Modern Italian Story," by Alessandra Mecozzi
• "Fiat is at war, says Sergio Marchionne," by Francesco Garibaldo

• Call for papers on ‘A green economy that works for social progress’: The Global Union Research Network (GURN) will be holding this workshop in Brussels in October; the deadline for submitting abstracts is 15 May, for more information see: http://www.gurn.info/en/call-for-papers-a-green-economy-that-works-for-social-progress
• Uprising and repression in Swaziland: The Global Labour Column expresses its solidarity with the students and unionists who are demonstrating despite the police crackdown in Swaziland – one of the last absolute monarchies in the world. We hope to receive submissions on this issue and, in the mean time, here are some articles and pictures: http://mg.co.za/article/2011-04-15-the-jackboot-beaten-by-bra/ - and gallery http://mg.co.za/multimedia/2011-04-14-fiery-protests-rock-swaziland/

Levy News: April 2011

• Will the Recovery Continue? Four Fragile Markets, Four Years Later, Greg Hannsgen and Dimitri B. Papadimitriou, Public Policy Brief No. 118
• The Levy Institute Measure of Economic Well-Being, Great Britain, 1995 and 2005, Selçuk Eren, Thomas Masterson, Edward Wolff, and Ajit Zacharias, Working Paper No. 667, April 2011
• Hegemonic Currencies during the Crisis: The Dollar versus the Euro in a Cartalist Perspective, David Fields and Matias Vernengo, Working Paper No. 666, April 2011
• Causes of Financial Instability: Don't Forget Finance, Dirk J. Bezemer, Working Paper No. 665, April 2011

A Calculus of Power: Grand Strategy in The Twenty-First Century

By Peter Gowan, Introduced by Tariq Ali
Verso Books. 18 October 2010 ISBN: 978 1 84467 620 0 (hb) | website

Capital, Exploitation and Economic Crisis

By John Weeks
March 6th 2011. Routledge. ISBN 978-0-415-61055-1 (hb), 192 pages. Series: Routledge Frontiers of Political Economy | website

Crises and Cycles in Economic Dictionaries and Encyclopaedias

Edited by Daniele Besomi
June 29th 2011 by Routledge. 632 pages. Series: Routledge Studies in the History of Economics | website

This book aims at investigating from the perspective of the major economic dictionaries the notions of economic crisis and cycle. The project consists in giving an extensive summary of a number of significant entries on this subject, with an introductory essay to each entry placing them (and the dictionary to which they belong) in their context, giving some details on the author of the dictionary entry, and assessing the entry’s (and its author’s) contribution. The broad picture (including the history of these encyclopedic tools) will be examined in the introductory essays.

Freedom and Happiness in Economic Thought and Philosophy: From Clash to Reconciliation

Edited by Ragip Ege, Herrade Igersheim
June 23rd 2011 by Routledge. 336 pages. Series: Routledge Frontiers of Political Economy | webiste

The objectives of the book are twofold: first, it is devoted to a thorough analysis of the founding texts of both liberalisms. It aims to determine the logic of selection of the concepts which these traditions consider as relevant. The Kantian pair "Reasonable"/"Rational" can be seen as the basis on which these concepts are defined, our final concern being to reveal the profound relations of complementarity between them: we call it reconciliation. Secondly, we consider a fundamental issue of welfare economics – how to appraise individual preferences – in light of the Rawlsian distinction. It is emphasized that neither a criterion based on liberalism of freedom by itself, nor an evaluation in terms of liberalism of happiness by itself exhausts the question of utility. One must combine both aspects in order to cope with that issue. To do so, it is claimed that one can resort to the concept of metaranking of preferences.

The Global Economic Crisis: New Perspectives on the Critique of Economic Theory and Policy

Edited by Emiliano Brancaccio, Giuseppe Fontana
May 12th 2011 by Routledge. 324 pages. Series: Routledge Frontiers of Political Economy | website

This book contains a selection of some of the most recent contributions to the critique of mainstream economic theory and policy, and discusses the origins and possible evolutions of the current economic crisis. The collection should be of interest to students and researchers focussing on macroeconomics, monetary economics, political economy and financial economics.

Heterodox Analysis of Financial Crisis and Reform

Edited by Joëlle Leclaire, Tae-Hee Jo, and Jane Knodell
Edward Elgar. March 2011. 192 pp ISBN: 978 1 84980 156 0 (HB) | Website | Flyer | Preview

Innovative Fiscal Policy and Economic Development in Transition Economies

By Aleksandr Gevorkyan
January 27th 2011 by Routledge. 268 pages. Series: Routledge Studies in the Modern World Economy | website

Knowledge Transfer and Technology Diffusion

Edited by David Jacobson , Paul L. Robertson
2011 Edward Elgar. 352 pp. ISBN: 978 1 84844 106 4 (hb) | website

Download Flyer.

Market Complicity and Christian Ethics

By Albino Barrera
Cambridge University Press, 2011. ISBN: 9781107003156 (hb) | website

Book description: Are we morally responsible for the distant harms of our market transactions? If so, why? This book examines the economics and ethics of the injurious ripple effects of our market choices. It draws insights from law, theology, economics, and social philosophy and examines the phenomenon of accumulative, collective harms.

Political Economy After Economics: Scientific Method and Radical Imagination

By David Laibman
August 1st 2011 by Routledge. 256 pages. Series: Routledge Frontiers of Political Economy | website

This re-incorporation of economics into political economy is one (small, but not insignificant) element in a larger project: to place all of the resources of present-day social-scientific research at the service of increasing democracy, in an ultimate direction toward socialism in the classic sense. An economics-enriched political economy is, above all, empowering: working people in general can calculate, build models, think theoretically, and contribute to a human-worthy future, rather than leaving all this to their "betters."

Postcolonial Economies

By Jane Pollard, Cheryl McEwan & Alex Hughes
2011 Zed Books | website

Postcolonial approaches to understanding economies are of increasing academic and political significance as questions about the nature of globalisation, transnational flows of capital and workers and the making and re-making of territorial borders assume centre stage in debates about contemporary economies and policy. Despite the growing academic and political urgency in understanding how 'other' cultures encounter 'the west', economics-oriented approaches within social sciences have been slow to engage with the ideas and challenges posed by postcolonial critiques. In turn, postcolonial approaches have been criticised for their simplistic treatment of 'the economic' and for not engaging with existing economic analyses of poverty and wealth creation.

Seeing White: An Introduction to White Privilege and Race

By Jean Halley, Amy Eshleman, and Ramya Mahadevan Vijaya
July 2011. Rowman & Littlefield.  ISBN: 978-1-4422-0307-5 | website

This interdisciplinary textbook challenges students to see race as everyone's issue. Drawing on sociology, psychology, history, and economics, Seeing White introduces students to the concepts of white privilege and social power. Seeing White is designed to help break down some of the resistance students feel in discussing race. Each chapter opens with compelling concrete examples to help students approach issues from a range of perspectives. The early chapters build a solid understanding of privilege and power, leading to a critical exploration of discrimination.

Sraffa and Modern Economics, 2 Volumes

Edited by Roberto Ciccone, Christian Gehrke and Gary Mongiovi
June 2011. Routledge. 432 pages. Series: Routledge Studies in the History of Economics | website:
Volume I and Volume II

Analyzing Sraffa, one of the key figures in the history of economics, this book explores his legacy and the relevance of his thought for modern economics. Written by an array of internationally respected contributors, including Schefold, Aspromourgos, Nell and Kurz it is an invaluable tool for all those studying the history of economic thought.

Stalin's Economist: The Economic Contributions of Jenö Varga

By André Mommen
February 24th 2011 by Routledge. 282 pages. ISBN: 978-0-415-57516-4 (hb). Series in Routledge Studies in the History of Economics | website

The Gramscian Moment: Philosophy, Hegemony and Marxism

Peter D. Thomas, The Gramscian Moment. Philosophy, Hegemony and Marxism. Historical Materialism Book Series, vol. 24, Brill, Leiden/Boston, 2009 | website

Reviewed for Historical Materialism by Toni Negri. Read the review here.

The Illusion of Free Markets: Punishment and the Myth of Natural Order

Bernard E. Harcourt, The Illusion of Free Markets: Punishment and the Myth of Natural Order. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2011. 328 pp. $30(hardcover), ISBN: 978-0-674-05726-5.

Reviewed for EH.NET by Daniel J. D'Amico, Department of Economics, Loyola University (New Orleans).
Read the review here.

Marx and Philosophy Review of Books

• Sutton on Jameson
• Landa on Marx and progress
• Calderbank on Vighi on Žižek
• Short on Zartaloudis on Agamben
• Garland on Crack Capitalism

New comments and discussion and a new list of books for review at www.marxandphilosophy.org.uk/reviewofbooks/ For notices of new reviews, comments, etc. join the Marx and Philosophy Society email list (http://lists.topica.com/lists/mpslist)

Institute for Comprehensive Analysis of Economy, Johannes Kepler University Linz, Austria

University Assistant / Part-time | Masters

Recruitment needs are:

• A completed Relevant Diplom-/Masterstudium, the content of discourse analysis and network analysis had included how to study sociology, politics, economics, history or computer science.
• The ability to operate under an approved research project, independent research and developments in the field of discourse analysis and network analysis and science to publish.
• a critical look at economic, political and economic processes, dogma-historical interest and basic knowledge and interest at the appropriate theoretical treatment.
• The objective of the Centre includes scientific publications and the writing of discourse analysis and network analytical work on the interface science-economy-politics-media.

A further extension of the body is desired, the preparation of their own qualifications (PhD) is supported.
Applications accepted until 4/29/2011 to the personnel management of the central services of the University of Linz, 4040 Linz / Auhof or directly:

Walter Otto Ötsch
Institut für die Gesamtanalyse der Wirtschaft
Johannes Kepler Universität
A-4040 Linz, Austria
Tel.:+43-+732-2468-3400 oder 3402
walter.oetsch@jku.at

Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Political Science, Sociology, and Economics

• Field of research: Political Science,
• FAPESP Ref.: 08/57112-7
• http://www.bv.fapesp.br/pt/projetos-tematicos/7208/politica-classes-sociais-capitalismo-neoliberal/
• Project Title: Politics and social classes in neoliberal capitalism
• Area of Knowledge: Political Science and Sociology
• Principal Investigator (PI): Armando Boito Júnior
• Lead Applicant: Marxist Study Centre (Cemarx) – State University of Campinas (Unicamp - Brazil)

 

OVERVIEW

Open call for one (01) postdoctoral research fellowship funded by The State of São Paulo Research Foundation (Fapesp). The researcher will develop an individual project related to the Thematic Project “Politics and social classes in neoliberal capitalism” (no 08/57112-7), which is headed up by Professor Armando Boito Júnior from the Department of Political Science at State University of Campinas (Unicamp).

 

RESEARCH ACTIVITY

The researcher will develop a research proposal which is related to the general objective of the Thematic Project, namely: “The project aims to analyze the political and social conflicts that have resulted in the implementation of the neoliberal capitalist model in Brazil, the effects of neoliberal policy on different social sectors involved in this process and, lastly, the economic and political position that these social sectors stand within the new economic model and the power structure prevailed in this country. The general hypothesis of this research is that this process should be primarily seen as the result of the conflicts of classes, class fractions and social strata, which were immersed in conditions given by a dependent semi-industrialized country that was transitioning from a military dictatorship to a democratic regime.” The Thematic Project comprises of two main research lines: firstly, concerning the action of the dominant classes and, secondly, concerning the action of the working classes (including, in the latter, the middle classes). The compatibility between the Thematic Project and the candidate's proposed research will be a key criterion for selection of the fellow. It is also expected from the successful candidate to carry out the following activities: 1) regular participation in meetings with the research group whom he/she will be bound to (one meeting every three weeks at Unicamp), 2) ability to organize research tasks independently; 3) flexibility to offer a discipline for one year within the Department of Political Science at Unicamp – this discipline should be related to the proposed research for the fellowship.

 

ELIGIBILITY

The successful candidate awarded by the FAPESP postdoctoral fellowship must fulfil the following eligibility criteria:

• a) Have a PhD in Social Sciences (Sociology or Political Science), Economics or related fields;
• b) Hold a curriculum which demonstrates his/her capabilities to work in the development of the Thematic Project.
• c) Full-time and exclusive dedication to the project’s activities;
• d) Do not hold any type of employment or being currently engaged in sabbatical period during the project development;
• e) Must not be retired;
• f) Must have completed a PhD within the last 7 (seven) years;
• g) Hold a doctoral certificate or equivalent evidence;
• h) Be able to initiate the activities related to the project as soon as his/her application is awarded with the fellowship by FAPESP;
• i) In case of foreign candidates, they must demonstrate very good communication skills in Portuguese language.

 

APPLICATION PROCEDURE
Application must be sent by e-mail to prpmarcelino@gmail.com, between 01/05/2011 and 31/05/2011. All applications will be acknowledged within 48 hrs after the submission, via the same e-mail used by the applicant.

REQUIRED APPLICATION DOCUMENTS
All applications submitted via e-mail will need to provide the following set of documents.

• a) Research proposal in Portuguese language according to the following format: maximum 10 (ten) pages, line spacing 1.5 mm, font Times New Roman 12. In addition to this, the proposal must include: abstract, brief literature review, hypothesis (es), objectives, methodology, timetable (e.g. figure or list that includes all activities for the proposed research) and bibliography.
• b) Curriculum Vitae (Brazilian candidates should submit their curriculum at Latte database);
• c) Two letters of recommendation.
• d) Abbreviated curriculum vitae in the following format: 1 (one) page, line spacing 1.5.mm, line spacing, font Times New Roman 12. Local candidates shall provide curriculum vitae under lattes platform.

SELECTION PROCEDURE

The selection for the appropriate candidate for the fellowship will be held in three stages:

• a) Evaluation of the research proposal and curriculum vitae. At this stage, the approved and non-approved candidates will receive via e-mail a response to their application;
• b) Classification process of the selected proposals and curricula by both internal and external group of reviewers.
• c) The selected applicants will be called for an interview, in Portuguese language, chaired by the coordinator (PI) of the Thematic Project and probably assisted by other research (ers) who currently participate in the Thematic Project. The call for interview will be made by e-mail and the interviews will take place on line via Skype between 30.06.2011 and 01.07.2011; day and time of interview will be notified by e-mail.

PUBLICATION OF RESULTS
The result will be sent via e-mail from 14:00h on 02.07.2011.

FUNDING NOTE AND DURATION
The selected applicant will be funded by Fapesp and awarded a postdoctoral fellowship (R$5.333,40 ) which last up to 24 months. However, according to the candidate’s performance, there is the possibility of an extension for 12 months more, or for the remaining time of the Thematic Project.

START OF THE ACTIVITIES
The selected applicant should be able to initiate the activities related to the project as soon as his/her application has been awarded by the Fapesp fellowship.

GENERAL ANNOUCEMENT
Omission from this call shall be analysed and judged by the coordinator (PI) of the Thematic Project, according to criteria and rules established by Fapesp.

Download Call for Application (both in English and Portuguese)

Center for the Study of Economics

Website: http://www.urbantoolsconsult.org/blog.html

Mission: To research land value taxation, to assist governments in implementation and to study the effect of land based property taxation where used. We suggest implementation where appropriate but do not support political candidates or become involved in the electoral process.

The Center also gathers and disseminates articles, studies and monographs on the subject of land based taxation. We believe that taxation of labor and capital in urban areas is one the driving forces to the contraction and decay of our cities.

Although not the only solution, rational taxation of immovable property (land) can be a major tool for strengthening the development market in cities, reduce taxes for productive citizens and businesses and provide a progressive fair and equitable source of public revenue.

How Wall Street is Literally Killing Us, ArtVoice, Ted Schmidt

 

A look at how innovations in the futures markets have helped Wall Street circumvent position limits,  allowing speculative investment flows to significantly influence commodity prices.

International Review of Multidisciplinary Research on Consumption (IRMRC): Call for Editorial Board Members

Associate Editors and Reviewers

IRMRC is an official journal of serials publications.

The new established academic journal IRMRC is looking to consolidate its editorial team. You will find
below a brief description of the publication and the areas of interest. For further information please contact the Editor-in Chief:

Rodica Ianole, „Nicolae Titulescu”, University of Bucharest atianole.rodica@gmail.com

About the Journal
The Journal’s goal is to advance theory building and practice in the domain of consumption and hyperconsumption studies, aiming to be a distribution channel on state-of-the art research in these areas. A primary criterion for publication in IRMRC is reporting on research that is both academically rigorously executed and relevant for practice in consumer behavior applications or formulation of public policies.

The Journal aims to focus its scope towards the contemporary shapes of consumer behavior, with an emphasis on hyperconsumption and consumerism. Through its declared multi-, but also interdisciplinary approach, IRMRC welcomes articles from fields like economics, psychology, sociology, anthropology, cognitive science or other connected humanities. We encourage the exploration of multifaceted meanings of consumption and consumers, striving for a better and deeper understanding of human behavior. Both quantitative and qualitative research papers are welcomed and a special attention is giving to experimental research, neuro-imaging techniques and other innovative methodologies.

Topics include but not limited to:

• Factors influencing preferences, judgment, choices, decisions and the way they impact consumer behavior
• Consumer policy and education within the hyperconsumption society
• Economics of happiness, wealth and consumption
• Sustainable consumption and green consumerism
• Moral values, social norms and hyperconsumption
• Bounded rationality and its impact on consumer behavior
• Applications of behavioral economics findings to consumer behavior
• Time perspective in the hyperconsumption society
• National, transnational and global models of consumption
• Cross-cultural approaches of consumption and consumerism
• Market behavior and individual behavior under the auspices of consumerism
• Experimental economics in consumer studies
• Economic and socio-psychological determinants of overconsumption
• The impact of new technologies and social media on consumption practices
• Inter-temporal choices and consumption theories
• Utility theories and contemporary consumption
• The relevance of emotions and affects in the consumption process
• Consumerism in health and education
• Family and household consumption
• Marketing practices, hyperconsumption and consumer empowerment
• Attitudes toward work and leisure through the lens of consumerism
• The overconsumption society: determinants and effects in the globalization age

Bruce Pietrykowski: New Director of the Center for Labor and Community Studies (U of Michigan)

For more information, read the news article here.

Marxian Economics: An online course from UMass Amherst

This summer the UMass Amherst Department of Economics will offer, for the first time, an online course in Marxian Economics (Econ 305). The 5½-week course will be offered for UMass credit twice in summer 2011: the first session begins June 7th; and the second session begins July 13th.

Professor Stephen Resnick developed online Marxian Economics based on his well-known and popular undergraduate course, which he has taught many years at UMass Amherst. The online version of Marxian Economics offers students an exciting opportunity to engage with other students from around the world in learning about and discussing the original and thought-provoking perspectives on Marxian social theory developed by Stephen Resnick and his colleague Richard Wolff.

The instructor for the course will be a Ph.D. student in economics at UMass Amherst. The course combines reading, discussion, lecture, and writing for an interactive and enriching learning experience. Students will read Marx’s own writings and historical and contemporary interpretations. A series of video lectures by Professor Resnick illustrates concepts with examples, visual aids, and anecdotes refined over years of successful teaching. Instructor-guided participatory discussions promote interaction among students and critical thinking on the central themes of the course. Graded essays, exams, and participatory discussions help students organize and consolidate their knowledge.

This intensive analysis addresses the central themes of Marxian social theory and economics: an understanding of the class process as the organization of surplus value; an analysis of the relationship between class and non-class processes using the concept of overdetermination; the epistemological foundations of Marxian theory (including a discussion of empiricism, rationalism, and dialectics); and other topics. The course ends with application of Marxian concepts to understand the stress and strain of US capitalism over the last four decades.

The course is online and asynchronous. It may be taken anywhere with Internet connectivity and does not require logging in at the same time as the instructor or other students. Students should expect to work about 15 hours per week on the course.

Two summer 2011 online sessions of Econ 305: Marxian Economics are open for registration. Register for this intensive, three-credit UMass Amherst course at http://www.umassonline.net/. (UMass Amherst students, please use https://spire.umass.edu.)

Please circulate this announcement to anyone you think might be interested, and email online@econs.umass.edu with any questions.

Dr. Philip A. Klein (10/8/1927 - 3/29/2011)

See the obituary for Philip Klein here.

Dear Colleagues:

The news of Phil Klein’s death must be lamented not only by his family and friends but also by those who place high value on the intellectual tradition of evolutionary institutional economics. He was one of the giants of that intellectual tradition. In 1990, when I was president of AFEE, Phil received the Veblen-Commons Award. I remember the details of that Veblen-Commons luncheon as if it were yesterday. Among other notable features of the event was the attendance of Phil’s friend John Kenneth Galbraith ( a previous recipient of the V-C Award). Jim Sturgeon owes me a lifetime of free drinks because I ushered Galbraith to a chair at Jim’s table. Phil was introduced by his dear friend and colleague, Edie Miller (who was to receive the V-C Award many years later). At one point in her remarks, she focused on Phil’s primary expertise in the field of business cycle theory. What she had to say about his work then is as pertinent to our situation today as it was twenty years ago. “It seems singularly fitting,” she said, ”that we should today be honoring a scholar whose primary field of application is business cycle theory, just at the time that themes of ‘redemption through suffering’ and ‘purification through austerity’ reiterated by administration spokespersons have become standard fare of Sunday morning news shows and the popular press. . . . This is exactly the sort of nonsense against which Phil Klein has been importuning for the better part of his professional life. And although, especially at times like these, such efforts may seem wasted, it is especially at times like these that they are most needed.” Although Phil’s voice may be silenced, his ideas continue to instruct us as we continue to struggle against the tsunami of ignorance that drowns out reason in contemporary debates over economic policy. Phil always believed that the institutionalist perspective was necessary for the emancipation of economics from the ideological morass into which it had descended. Always deadly serious in his commentaries, he nevertheless possessed a sense of humor about the whole sorry affair. Describing his transition from taking a BA and MA under Clarence Ayres at the University of Texas to embarking on a doctoral program in economics at UC Berkeley, he said: “This transfer was not unlike a lifelong Unitarian entering a Druid Monastery.” Phil Klein was an institutionalist of formidable intellectual depth and breadth, a man of uncommon wit and compassion, a lover of the arts (who spoke French fluently), and a friend who will be dearly missed.

Paul Dale Bush, Professor Emeritus of Economics California State University, Fresno

From the AFEE mailing list (April 16)