Union for Radical Political Economics

Union for Radical Political Economics is a scholarly association founded in 1968 that brings together scholars, activists, and students interested in heterodox approaches to Political economy, Marxism, Labour movement, and social justice. It emerged amid the political upheavals of the late 1960s alongside movements such as Students for a Democratic Society, Anti-Vietnam War movement, and campaigns linked to the Civil rights movement, attracting members connected to institutions like Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and University of California, Berkeley.

History

The organization originated during the 1968 gathering at the American Economic Association meeting, influenced by contemporaneous events including the Prague Spring, the Mexico 1968 protests, and debates within New Left circles. Early participants included scholars associated with John Maynard Keynes-influenced departments, critics of Milton Friedman, and proponents of Paul Sweezy-style analysis tied to Monthly Review contributors. The union’s formation paralleled the rise of groups such as Industrial Workers of the World, League of Revolutionary Black Workers, and regional formations like the New England Free University. Through the 1970s and 1980s its activities intersected with campaigns around Watergate scandal, Vietnamization, and opposition to policies originating from administrations of Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, and Ronald Reagan.

Organization and Membership

Membership historically drew academics from departments at Columbia University, University of Michigan, University of Chicago, and Cornell University, as well as activists from organizations like Students for a Democratic Society, Black Panther Party, and labor unions including the AFL–CIO. Governance structures reflected models used by associations such as the American Sociological Association and the American Political Science Association, employing elected steering committees, conference program committees, and regional chapters similar to the networks of the National Lawyers Guild and the American Association of University Professors. Membership rolls have included authors who published with presses like Routledge, Cambridge University Press, and Monthly Review Press.

Activities and Publications

The union organizes annual conferences modeled on meetings of the American Economic Association and collaborates with journals comparable to Review of Radical Political Economics, which serves as a primary outlet for work associated with the group. Its members have contributed to edited volumes with publishers such as Oxford University Press and Palgrave Macmillan, and participated in panels at venues like American Historical Association and Social Science History Association conferences. Activities have included seminars on topics linked to the New Deal, critiques of policies associated with Nixon administration and Reaganomics, workshops coordinated with International Labour Organization-affiliated scholars, and campaigns intersecting with organizations such as Greenpeace and International Monetary Fund-critical networks. The union’s publications have featured analyses referencing thinkers like Karl Marx, John Kenneth Galbraith, Paul A. Baran, and activists connected to Solidarity (Poland)-era debates.

Ideology and Goals

Ideologically, the union aligns with strands of Marxism, Neo-Marxism, Dependency theory, and radical critiques found in the work of figures such as Immanuel Wallerstein, Samir Amin, and Erik Olin Wright. Goals include promoting research that challenges orthodox perspectives associated with Chicago School of Economics and Neoclassical economics, advancing pedagogical reforms similar to initiatives by the Modern Language Association and advocating policy alternatives tied to labor rights championed by the International Trade Union Confederation. The union has sought to integrate scholarship addressing racial stratification debates involving activists from the Black Panther Party and legal scholars from cases heard before the United States Supreme Court.

Influence and Criticism

Influence of the union is evident in cross-citation with journals like Science & Society and New Left Review, and in curricular changes at universities influenced by critiques from members who also participated in public policy debates alongside figures from Congressional Progressive Caucus and advisory roles with municipal governments such as in New York City and San Francisco. Critics from institutions aligned with Chicago School of Economics, pro-market think tanks such as the Cato Institute and American Enterprise Institute, and commentators associated with mainstream outlets like The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times have challenged the union’s methodological commitments and political orientations. Debates have paralleled controversies involving scholars from University of Chicago and Harvard Kennedy School over the role of advocacy in scholarship, reflecting broader tensions seen in disputes around Academic freedom and the mission of learned societies such as the American Economic Association.

Category:Political economy organizations Category:Learned societies in the United States