The AALS Section on Socio-Economics will explore the theme
of “Economic Literacy for a Democratic Society”: A New, Central Role for
Socio-Economics in the Academy and in Politics” in three related annual meeting
sessions.
This Works-in-Progress session will consider “The
Context-Dependent Meaning of Economic Literacy” based on the education level of
citizens (from tenth grade to Ph.D.) and will advance the view that with an
appropriate foundation grounded in no more than tenth grade math, a
socio-economic approach to economic understanding can enable average citizens
to achieve the economic literacy necessary for informed consent regarding their
economic rights, opportunities, interests, and obligations.
This session will begin with a keynote presentation by the
Section’s founder, Professor Robert Ashford, Syracuse University, followed by
commentary by Section members and others. Invited commentators include all past
Section chairs and some of its most active program participants over the past
twenty-six years.
The Section invites submission of (1) expressions of
interest In serving as additional commentators, (2) written commentary of any
length for posting on “EconomicLiteracyForAdemocraticSociety.Net,” and (3)
expressions of interest from publishers regarding the publication of select
commentary to ProfessorAshford@gmail.com.