About

The Consortium on the American Political Economy brings together scholars and students who share an interest in advancing the study of the American political economy.

Although “political economy” has multiple meanings, this network is comprised of scholars who define its scope substantively. Thus defined, APE is the study of the interplay of markets and government in the United States—often in cross-national perspective.

The relationship between markets and government is at the heart of many of the most intense conflicts in contemporary American politics—conflicts with enormous implications for the health of American democracy and the life chances of U.S. residents. To understand these dynamics, APE work employs a variety of different theories and methods. The network includes scholars of comparative political economy and international political economy who consider the United States within their purview, as well as scholars of American politics whose work examines the interaction of American democracy and the institutions of American capitalism.

The goal of the network is not just to encourage APE research, but to make room for new ways of thinking about the political and economic problems we confront. We welcome and seek to cultivate a new generation of political scientists capable of addressing the many questions raised by the development of the American political economy. Thanks to generous support from the Hewlett Foundation, CAPE engages in a variety of field-building activities and projects:

• Summer academy (annual) for early-career scholars
• Conference (annual) on the American Political Economy
• Edited volume: The American Political Economy: Politics, Markets, and Power
• Annual Review of Political Science article: “The American Political Economy: Politics, Markets, and the Meta-Politics of U.S. Economic Governance”
• Small grants and prizes
• Engagement with organizations outside of academia
• Facilitating collaborations‍
• ‍Distributing teaching resources