Journal of Political Economy

Journal of Political Economy
Title	Journal of Political Economy
Abbreviation	J. Polit. Econ.
Discipline	Economics
Editor	Magne Mogstad
Publisher	University of Chicago Press
Country	United States
History	1892–present
Frequency	Bimonthly
Impact year	2022
Impact	6.3
Website	https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/toc/jpe/current
ISSN	0022-3808
EISSN	1537-534X
OCLC	1641343
JSTOR	00223808

Journal of Political Economy. It is a prestigious peer-reviewed academic journal published bimonthly by the University of Chicago Press. Founded in 1892, it is one of the oldest and most influential journals in the field of economics, renowned for publishing foundational theoretical and empirical research. The journal is closely associated with the Chicago school of economics and has been instrumental in disseminating work by numerous Nobel laureates and leading scholars.

History and background

The journal was established in 1892 at the University of Chicago, with James Laurence Laughlin serving as its first editor. Its early years coincided with the formative period of the University of Chicago Department of Economics, helping to establish the institution's scholarly reputation. Throughout the 20th century, under the stewardship of editors like Jacob Viner and later George J. Stigler, it became a central organ for the Chicago school of economics, promoting research grounded in price theory and market-oriented analysis. The journal's longevity and consistent publication through events like the Great Depression and World War II underscore its enduring role in the academic landscape.

Scope and editorial focus

The journal publishes original research across a broad spectrum of economic inquiry, with a traditional emphasis on microeconomic theory and rigorous empirical analysis. Its scope encompasses core areas such as monetary economics, labor economics, industrial organization, public finance, and international trade. While historically linked to the Chicago school, it maintains a generalist focus, welcoming significant contributions from all methodological perspectives within economics. The editorial process emphasizes theoretical innovation, econometric rigor, and research with clear implications for economic policy and understanding market phenomena.

Abstracting and indexing

The journal is comprehensively covered by major academic indexing and abstracting services. It is indexed in services such as the Social Sciences Citation Index, Scopus, EconLit, and Journal of Economic Literature. Its articles are also accessible through digital archives including JSTOR and Project MUSE. This extensive indexing ensures wide dissemination and high visibility for published research within academic libraries and databases used by institutions like the National Bureau of Economic Research and the International Monetary Fund.

Notable articles and impact

The journal has published numerous seminal articles that have shaped modern economic thought. Landmark contributions include Milton Friedman's "The Role of Monetary Policy," Gary Becker's work on human capital, and Robert E. Lucas Jr.'s critiques of econometric policy evaluation. Research by scholars like James J. Heckman, Lars Peter Hansen, and Eugene Fama that later contributed to their Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences recognitions first appeared here. These articles have profoundly influenced policy debates at institutions like the Federal Reserve and the World Bank and are staples in graduate curricula at universities worldwide.

Editors and governance

The editor-in-chief is Magne Mogstad of the University of Chicago. The journal is governed by an editorial board comprising leading economists from prominent global institutions such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, Harvard University, and the London School of Economics. Past editors include towering figures in the discipline like Frank Knight, Theodore Schultz, and Sherwin Rosen. This editorial leadership, operating under the auspices of the University of Chicago Press, maintains the publication's exacting standards and scholarly reputation.

Related publications

It is part of a family of top-tier economics journals published by the University of Chicago Press, which also includes the Journal of Labor Economics and the Journal of Law and Economics. It is often discussed alongside other leading general-interest journals in the field, such as the American Economic Review, Econometrica, the Quarterly Journal of Economics, and the Review of Economic Studies. Together, these publications form the core of the premier literature in academic economics.

Category:University of Chicago Press academic journals Category:English-language journals Category:Economics journals Category:Publications established in 1892