By-Laws of the American Economic Association (AEA)

The American Economic Association was organized in 1885 at a meeting in Saratoga, New York, by a small group interested in economics. It was incorporated in Washington, DC, on February 3, 1923. The purposes of the Association are:

  1. The encouragement of economic research, especially the historical and statistical study of the actual conditions of industrial life.
  2. The issue of publications on economic subjects.
  3. The encouragement of perfect freedom of economic discussion. The Association as such will take no partisan attitude, nor will it commit its members to any position on practical economic questions.

                                                                                    By the American Economic Association—1923

The spirit of these by-laws has been maintained throughout the history of the Association by focusing on these core objectives: 

  • Promote scholarly research and intellectual exchange
  • Increase the diversity and geographical reach of the association
  • Recognize outstanding achievements and service to the profession
  • Support the professional development and interests of economists, teachers, and students
  • Uphold quality through excellence in publication and organized meetings practices
  • Educate students, prospective economists and the public about economics as a field of study
  • Provide a non-partisan centralized knowledgebase for economics literature

Download the official AEA By-Laws