The Department of Economics refers in its teaching and research to a wide range of schools of thought including but not confined to mainstream, Keynesian, and post-Keynesian economics; the classical political economy of Smith, Ricardo, and Marx and its
modern interpreters; structuralist and institutionalist approaches; and innovative methodological currents. We believe that political economic insight grows out of in-depth understanding of the history of economics and economic history, as well as
acquaintance with the social sciences generally and with debates in the natural sciences, history, and philosophy. We also assign great importance to the application of cutting-edge analytical, conceptual, and empirical research tools. We foreground
a global perspective while also addressing national and local questions and are concerned with both policy and theory, which we view as inseparable. Among the practical issues we examine are inclusive growth and development, sustainability, technology
and innovation, employment, working conditions, livelihoods, social well-being, living standards, poverty, and inequality.
Convinced that disciplinary rigor and holism can be combined, we are committed to upholding and carrying forward a tradition of pluralism. Courses of study emphasize the historical roots of economic ideas, the premises underlying alternative models, the
analytical content of these models, and the existence of conflicting explanations and interpretations of economic phenomena arising from differing interests in society, diverse values, and distinct ways of approaching problems. We emphasize research
based on rigorous training in the conceptual, mathematical, and statistical modeling techniques central to contemporary economic research, accompanied by a robust appreciation of methodological problems in the social sciences, the role of normative
reasoning in both theory and policy, and the value of diverse ways of knowing and of intellectual boundary crossing in understanding complex systems.
Many faculty members and students are connected to the research activities of The New School’s interdisciplinary institutes and centers, including but not confined to the Heilbroner Center for Capitalism Studies,
the Schwartz Center for Economic Policy Analysis (SCEPA), and the Institute on Race, Power and Political Economy.
Our working papers and seminars provide a fuller idea of the activities in our department. To subscribe to our email list and
to receive news about events, activities, and opportunities, please email the department.