Department of Economics
College of Arts & Sciences

Economics Seminar

The RU Economics Seminar welcomes you to:

"A Permanent Jobs Program for the U.S. Economy: Restructuring to Meet Human Needs," -- A Roundtable Discussion with the Chicago Political Economy Group

When: Weds., Nov. 18, 2009
Time: 3:30-5:00 PM
Room: Spertus Lounge AUD

The Chicago Political Economy Group (CPEG) evolved from a Political Economy study group formed at Roosevelt University more than 15 years ago. Members of CPEG include academics, political activists and others who have a serious interest in progressive political economy. Recently the Group became alarmed at what was happening to the U.S. economy and decided to design an alternative to the "stimulus package."

The Group is currently working with the National Jobs For All Coalition (NJFAC) and others for a permament fully funded jobs program. With NJFAC they are organizing a "National Conference to Create Living Wage Jobs for All" that will be held in New York City on Nov. 13-14, 2009. CPEG believe that in addition to continued short-term "stimulus" a permanent and far-reaching restructuring of the real economy, rather than an effort to re-inflate the financial bubble and hope for "trickle down" is necessary for lasting and sustainable economic revitalization.

Ron Baiman, Ph.D. is Director of Budget and Policy Analysis at the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability (CTBA). Prior to joining CTBA, Ron worked as Research Economist for the Illinois Department of Employment Security analyzing and reporting on state labor market and state revenue collection data. He has also worked at (among other places and things) Loyola University’s Center for Urban Research and Learning, the Institute of Government and Public Affairs of the University of Illinois, and the Center for Urban Economic Development at University of Illinois-Chicago.

Mr. Bill Barclay is a Board member of the Illinois Finance Authority and an Adjunct Professor of Business Administration at the University of Illinois-Chicago. Mr. Barclay is a founding member of the Chicago Political Economy Group (CPEG).

Prof. Joseph Persky holds a Ph.D. in Economics from Harvard University. He is currently Professor of Economics at the University of Illinois-Chicago. Professor Persky serves as history of economics editor for the Journal of Economic Perspectives and he is the author of many scholarly articles.

The event is free and open to the public.

Contact: Steve Ziliak, Professor of Economics, sziliak@roosevelt.edu

Greenspan Concedes Error in Regulatory View

Alan Greenspan, the former Federal Reserve chairman, said Thursday that the current finiancial crisis had uncovered a flaw in how the free market system works that had shocked him...Mr. Greenspan said he had made a "mistake" in believing that banks operating in their self-interest would be enough to protect their shareholders and the equity in their institutions.

source: NYT, October 24, 2008

He really should have asked us! Be informed, not shocked.

Think Economics should be the study of income distribution, globalization, caring labor, wages and working conditions, equity and social justice?

Welcome to the Other Chicago School of Economics

Bachelor of Arts in Social Justice Studies

Economics was one of the first majors offered at Roosevelt and continues to be a center of excellence in the university, dedicated to socially responsible teaching, learning and scholarship. Economics students study the economy and how it works with a focus on questions of equality and equity as well as the more traditional economic emphasis on efficiency.

Our faculty are drawn to the study of economics by a commitment to social justice. Economics students are prepared to be socially conscious citizens and leaders in their professions, whether in business, public service, research, teaching or other careers.

Nationwide, economics graduates continue to be well paid and in demand. The American Economics Association maintains a clearinghouse of job opportunities for economists (MA and PhD). You can see it by clicking here. To see the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics report on the economics profession in its Occupational Handbook, click here.

The skills acquired in studying economics are applicable to a wide variety of job responsibilities and many occupations. Roosevelt economics graduates have pursued careers in teaching, urban planning, statistical analysis, the law, labor research, financial analysis, and journalism, among others.

The Economics Department also coordinates the program in Social Justice Studies. The Bachelor's Degree program in Social Justice Studies is an interdisciplinary program that integrates theories, methods, and substance of economics, history, political science and sociology as they bear on questions of social justice. What is social justice? What are the processes that produce injustice in our world and how do they operate? How are people working - or how might people work - to achieve social justice.

Click here to contact an economics advisor.

College of Arts and Sciences | Economics