Economics for Emancipation and Liberation

A four-day Summer Institute of workshops, discussions and community building

In the face of authoritarian governance, unlawful deportations, unceasing climate change, and an ongoing trade war, social movements around the world are rising up against fascism to build new, just, and democratic societies.

The Center for Popular Economics' Summer Institute is designed to address the movement’s economics knowledge gaps and counter the conservative myths at the heart of mainstream economics. It provides intensive training in the economics and economic history knowledge needed to advance visions and strategies for change. 

This year’s Summer Institute will cover the basics of radical economics; systems of oppression including capitalism, racism and patriarchy; progressive reforms and post-capitalist experiments; the history of social movements, strategies for organizing, and building dual power.

More about the CPE Summer Institute

A group of radical political economists organized the Center for Popular Economics in 1978 as a forum for the exchange of ideas and for building a movement for social and economic justice. The Center's first Summer Institute for Popular Economics was held in 1979 and was accompanied by a series of carefully-targeted workshops attended by activists from organized labor and a range of other causes. In various workshops during its first decade of operation, the CPE explored the impact of racism, sexism, Reaganomics, Capitalism, class structure, patriarchy, militarism, globalization, and Socialism.

Today, the Summer Institute consists of daily participatory classroom sessions facilitated by CPE staff economists. Classes hold on average 10-15 participants and are designed using pedagogical methods that break down the teacher-student divide. CPE’s pedagogical approach to economics involves everyone in co-producing the learning experience, inviting participants to connect the concepts discussed to their practical experience and build new knowledge together. In addition to the classroom sessions, there will be evening programming and opportunities for building community throughout the week. 

The CPE curriculum covers the following topics:

• The history of global capitalism and nature of capitalist exploitation

• The economics of racism and patriarchy

• Colonialism, imperialism, and international economic relations

• Economic debates on climate change

• Progressive and radical approaches to fiscal and monetary policy

• The movements against class, race and gender-based oppression

• Alternative economic systems in theory and practice 

The intensive and cumulative nature of the classroom sessions allows participants to delve deeply into the material, build community, and learn from one another’s knowledge and experience. Participants have described these sessions as “inspiring, intense, stimulating, and comprehensive."

Please note that the summer institute is not set up to support folks who prefer a traditional lecture format, who are looking for a PhD seminar on advanced Marxian theory or who are looking to attend an academic conference. 

Costs and Logistics

The cost of tuition includes daily breakfast, lunch, and (optionally) dorm housing with free parking at Hampshire College, Amherst, MA, from July 17th to July 20th. Dorm housing is available starting the evening of July 16th. 

There are three full-price ticket options:

• $450 (including accommodation from July 16th-20th)

• $390 (including accommodation from July 17th-20th)

• $190 (full ticket price without accommodation)

That said, the CPE summer institute should be financially accessible to all who wish to attend!

Thanks to CPE’s grant funding, we are able to offer the Summer Institute on a sliding cost scale/pay-what-you-can model. This means that if you can not afford the full ticket price, you can let us know what price works best for you. The minimum registration fee to secure a spot is $15.

If you can afford more than $450, we welcome any donations to our grants fund to support participation by other qualified candidates.