 | |
| Formation | 1885 |
|---|---|
| Legal status | Learned society ineconomics |
| Purpose | Encourage research, publication, and free discussion of economic topics[1] |
| Headquarters | Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. |
Region served | United States |
| Members | 23,000 |
President | Katharine Abraham Harvard University |
Main organ | Executive Committee[2] |
| Website | www |
TheAmerican Economic Association (AEA) is alearned society in the field ofeconomics, with approximately 23,000 members. It publishes several peer-reviewed journals, including theJournal of Economic Literature,American Economic Review, and theJournal of Economic Perspectives.[3]
The AEA was established in 1885 inSaratoga Springs, New York[4] by younger progressive economists trained in theGerman historical school, includingRichard T. Ely,Edwin Robert Anderson Seligman andKatharine Coman, the only woman co-founder;[5]: 989 Since 1900, it has been under the control of academics.[6][7]
The Purposes of the Association are the following:
1) The encouragement of economic research, especially the historical and statistical study of the actual conditions of industrial life;
2) The issue of publications on economic subjects;
3) The encouragement of perfect freedom of economic discussion. The Association says that it takes no partisan attitude, nor does it commit its members to any position on practical economic questions. The Association publishes anacademic journal in economics, namely, theAmerican Economic Review.[8][9]
Once composed primarily of college and university economics teachers, the Association, headquartered inNashville, Tennessee, now attracts increasing members from business and professional groups. Today, the Association has about 23,000 members, and over half are academics. About 15% are employed in business and industry, and the remainder largely by federal, state, and local government or other not-for-profit organizations.
The leadership of the AEA has been dominated by academics from six academic institutions: Harvard, MIT, Chicago, Columbia, Stanford, and Princeton.[3]
The AEA, in conjunction with over 50 associations in related disciplines known as theAllied Social Science Associations, holds a three-day annual meeting in January to present papers on general economic subjects.[10][11] The annual meeting features about 500 scholarly sessions. A placement service to assist employers and job applicants begins a day before the meetings. A continuing education program is held immediately after the annual meeting. Topics vary from year to year.
The AEA publishes three economics journals: theAmerican Economic Review, theJournal of Economic Literature, and theJournal of Economic Perspectives. In 2009, it began to publish four new area-specific journals, collectivelyAmerican Economic Journal (AEJ), reporting on applied economics, economic policy, macroeconomics, and microeconomics. The AEA recognizes annually a Best Paper Award for papers published in each of the four areas.[12]
The AEA also publishesAEA Papers and Proceedings each May, featuring papers presented at the AEA meetings in January. Until 2017, these papers were published in the May issue of theAmerican Economic Review.[13]
The AEA also producesEconLit, the AEA's electronic bibliography. It is a comprehensive index to peer-reviewed journal articles, books, book reviews, collective volume articles, working papers, and dissertations. Compiled and abstracted in a searchable format,EconLit indexes 125 years of economic literature worldwide. It follows theJEL classification codes of theJournal of Economic Literature.
The AEA sponsorsRFE: Resources for Economists on the Internet, an online source available to the general public without subscription. It catalogs and annotates 2,000+ internet sites under some 97 sections and subsections.[14]RFE is currently updated on a monthly basis.
The AEA resource, Job Openings for Economists (JOE) originated in October 1974, and lists job openings for economists. It is published electronically monthly (except January and July).
Each year, the AEA recognizes the lifetime research contributions of four economists by electing them Distinguished Fellows. The Association also awards theJohn Bates Clark Medal for outstanding research accomplishments in economics annually to a scholar under the age of 40; it is often referred to as the "Baby Nobel," as many of its recipients go on to become Nobel Laureates.[15]
As of 2025[update], the president of the association isKatharine Abraham.[16] As of 2021,[update] 18% of presidents have been alumni[citation needed] and 20% faculty ofHarvard University.[citation needed]
Past presidents of the association:[17]
Distinguished Fellow honorees include:[18]
