AEA -- the Leading Organization in the Field of Economics

Added: 10/01/2006
The oldest and the most influential organization in the field of economics, the American Economic Association, commonly referred to as AEA, was established in 1885 at a conference in New York by a group of people interested in economics. The Organization was incorporated in 1923 by Richard Ely, the first secretary of AEA. The current president of the Association is Daniel McFadden of the University of California at Berkeley.

Throughout its history, the American Economic Association has maintained the spirit of its objectives, namely: to encourage economic research; to issue publications on economic subjects; and to encourage freedom of economic discussion. During the period 1885-1910, the AEA membership was composed mainly of university and college teachers of economics.

However, with the growing interest in economics at the turn of the century, the Organization has witnessed an increasing number of members from professional and business groups. Today the AEA membership is nearly 18,000, in addition to over 4,200 institutions, firms and libraries subscribing to the Association's publications. Approximately 50% of its members are academic institutions and bodies related to them, while 15% are associated with industry and business, and the remaining percentage are state, federal or local government organizations.

Published by the AEA are three economics journals, namely the Journal of Economic Perspectives, the Journal of Economic Literature and the American Economic Review. The Association in conjunction with some 50 organizations in related disciplines also holds annual three-day meetings, in which its members present papers on general economic subjects. Some 450 scholarly sessions are arranged annually, with the placement service operating to assist employers of economists. All AEA members are invited to participate in the annual business meeting held during this period. This meeting is scheduled for January 2007 in Chicago, January 2008 in New Orleans, January 2009 in San Francisco, and January 2010 in Atlanta.

The continuing work of AEA committees, such as Committee on Economic Statistics, Committee on the Status of Women in the Economic Profession, Committee on the Status of Minority Group in the Economic Profession and Committee on Economic Education, makes significant contributions to the profession.

All members of the American Economic Association are provided with access to its journals online and may participate in the annual business meeting and the group life insurance program and vote in the election of officers. Membership records are updated regularly, with the access to online journals being available only after their update. Regular membership dues are generally based on the annual income of the organization, while membership dues for student organizations are $32 and for one year only. An additional membership, family membership dues make $13.

Any family member can be provided with access to AEA publications online. All membership dues are to be paid for a maximum of 3 years at one time. It should be mentioned that AEA membership is available to individuals only; firms, institutions and libraries may become subscribers and receive regular AEA journals without the right to vote in the election of officers.

To join the American Economic Association, consult www.aeaweb.org, offering information about the Association, its activities and journals, instructions for using RFE and EconLit, and access to e-JEP, e-AER and e-JEL.

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