Founded in 1979, the Center for Popular Economics is a non-profit collective from a wide range of economic perspectives and with an even wider range of expertise, all dedicated to building a just, sustainable and viable economy. We are based in Amherst, MA.

Over the course of three decades, tens of thousands of people have participated in our economics workshops and institutes. Our programs and publications demystify the economy and put useful economic tools in the hands of people fighting for social and economic justice.

Today’s economic crisis raises profound questions about the nature of the dominant economic model — free-market capitalism. CPE’s civic education explores issues that really matter in people’s lives: jobs, public education, healthy communities, taxes, spending, and climate change, to name a few. We educate about and advocate for policies that reduce poverty, race and gender inequalities; unemployment; and environmental damage, and that prioritize human needs over military spending.

The mainstream media has been lopsided in its depiction of our choices, and many people find economics intimidating — best left to the experts. In a democracy, we all, not just the rich, must have a voice — one informed by an understanding of how the economy works and the real motivations behind the policies that govern it. CPE helps people understand the system, who benefits and who loses, how it has changed over time, and how it might be changed to promote social and economic justice.