What’s the Economy For, Anyway?

U.S. Solidarity Economy Network (SEN)

CPE at the U.S.Social Forum

What’s the Economy For, Anyway?

(A project of the Forum on Social Wealth, in collaboration with the Center for Popular Economics and the Political Economy Research Institute, with funding from the Rockefeller Brothers Fund.)

This project raises the provocative question: What’s the Economy for, Anyway? Is it about achieving the fastest economic growth rate, the biggest GDP (gross domestic product), a rising Dow Jones index, keeping Wall St. happy, and low inflation? Or, should it be in the service of people and planet, promoting general social welfare, equity, solidarity, social and economic democracy, and sustainability?

We show how the current economic system of neoliberalism is doing a poor job of fulfilling  the latter set of goals. What then, is the alternative?

What’s the Economy For? Conference
In October 2007, the What’s the Economy For, Anyway? Conference was held in conjunction with the Green Festival in Washington D.C. A number of CPE staff economists and advisory board members gave presentations including Nancy Folbre, Jim Boyce, Julie Schor, Hector Saez, and Emily Kawano. There were over 100 nationally known presenters who participated in this 3 day conference. For full program see, click here.
Please visit the What's the Economy for Anyway?  website for more information.

What’s the Economy For? On-line course & workshops
CPE is developing a curriculum for an on-line course that will be offered in the Summer of 2008. This curriculum will adapted for ‘live’ workshops as well. Click here for more details.