Resources for Economic Justice Activists

Papers, Working Papers, Briefings, Reports, Fact Sheets, etc.

Documents listed as "PDF format" need Acrobat Reader or some similar program that can read pdf format.

Due to the large numbers of such works, here we provide links to a number of centers that turn out heterodox economic studies on, among other topics, globalization, neoliberalism, imperialism, capitalism, alternatives to capitalism, the environment and sustainable development, poverty, inequality, welfare, health, studies in race, class and gender, etc.

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ACORN (Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now)
Activist oriented reseach, oriented particularly around the issues of A Living Wage, Predatory Lending, Better Schools, Affordable Housing, Community Reinvestment and Utilities

AFL/CIO (American Federation of Labor/ Congress of Industrial Organizations)
Oriented toward trade union issues, broadly conceived to include most economic and social justice issues. Hundreds of position papers and papers, on: manufacturing, civil rights, education, global economy, health care, immigrant workers, pensions and savings, social security & medicare, work & family, state legislative issues, congressional voting record, Bush watch, people-powered politics, jobs, overtime pay, living wage, minimum wage, working women, unemployment help, workers' rights, safety & health at work, today's economy, executive pay watch, the Enron story, research resources, stop sweatshops, capital stewardship, and more.

CEPR (Center for Economic and Policy Research)
Many publications, going back to 1996. Also organized by the topics Globalization, Taxing Speculation, IMF/World Bank, WTO, Intellectual Property and Patents, Americas, The Stock Market and the US Economy, Social Security, and Labor Markets and Economic Well Being. Downloadable, most in PDF format

CPE (The Center for Popular Economics) Globalization Briefs and Econ-Atrocity Bulletins
Written to economically inform activists. Global Economic Briefs on currently politically important economic concepts and institutions, and scores of Econ-Atrocity (or Econ-Utopia) bulletins that discuss very briefly in an accessible way events and data presented in the press.

DataCenter
DataCenter is a national progressive non-profit that provides strategic information & research training to communities advocating for dignity, justice & civil rights. Based in Oakland, they have a library and their website has great advice, links and research tools for investigating corporations, the government, etc.

Dollars and Sense
This is a monthly magazine and a good source of heterodox macro- and microeconomic analysis. The Dollars and Sense group also publishes a series of “readers” (such as Real World Macro) intended for introductory economics courses.

EPI (Economic Policy Institute)
Hundreds of Issue Briefs, Briefing Papers, Papers and Books, many free (except shipping charges), many not free.

FMC (Financial Markets Center)
Hundreds of Newsletters, Reports and Papers, organized in: The FOMC Alert, Financial Markets and Society, Beige Book Review and Analysis, Flow of Funds Review and Analysis, Capital Flow Monitor, Community Affairs Monitor, Federal Reserve Research Roundup, Background Reports, Regulatory Issues and Developments, Monitary Policy Developments, Institutional Trends and Issues, and Election Cycles, the Fed,and Financial Markets. Downloadable, in PDF format

GDAE (Global Development and Environment Institute)
Working Papers. Downloadable, most in PDF format

IDEAS (International Development Economics Associates)
Hundreds of papers. Archives organized by topics Agriculture, Commodities, Gender Issues, Industry, Macroeconomic Policy, Price & Inflation, Resources, Trade & Payment, Capital Flows, Finance, Human Development, Inequality, Plitical Issues, Pivatisation, Technology and Emplymnet, and World Economy. Current papers organized by News Analysis, Featured Articles, Featured Themes, Country Profiles, Economic Briefs, Alternatives, Focus, Documents and Statistics and Books. Downloadable, most in PDF format.

Levy Economics Institute Hundreds of Public Policy Briefs, Strategic Analyses, Working Papers, Policy Notes and Reports. Downloadable, most in PDF format

Left Business Observer
This is a good web site for heterodox analysis of current economic issues; some material is available to subscribers only.

MERIP (Middle East Research and Information Project)
MERIP publishes a magazine which focuses on the Middle East, often providing primers on controversial regional issues.

Monthly Review
Monthly Review Press publishes a magazine, full length books, and some shorter books, written in a simplified style. Many of their magazine articles are available on their website. The website now also has a "zine," with short opinion pieces on current events.

NACLA (North American Congress on Latin America
NACLA publishes a magazine with a tremendous amount of information on Latin America. Much of the site is now open to the public.

The National Labor and Economic Development Insitute A South African NGO, its research focuses on South Africa and some on southern Africa. Many articles plus back copies of their Policy Bulletins. Downloadable, most in PDF format

PERI (Political Economy Research Institute)
Research Briefs. Downloadable, most in PDF format

PERI (Political Economy Research Institute) resouce pages on
1) Living Wages and Related Research,
2) Globalization and Macroeconomics
3) Development, Peace-building, and the Environment

POCLAD (Program on Corporations, Law & Democracy)
Articles, Pamphlets and a few Books. Oriented toward activists fighting the economic, political, social and environmental domination of society by corporations.

Public Citizen
Public Citizen's website has articles, government testimony, and reports of activism around issues such as health care, energy, and global trade.

SCEPA (Bernard Schwartz Center for Economic Policy Analysis)
Many working papers, going back to 1996. Downloadable, most in PDF format

United for a Fair Economy
UFE focuses on inequality, and they have effective street-theater activities and workshops. They have material on income and wealth distribution, taxes, social security, minimum wage, etc., as well as a high school economics textbook, Teaching Economics As If People Mattered by Tamara Sober Giecek.

Working Class Studies Association
WCSA aims to develop and promote multiple forms of scholarship, teaching, and activism related to working class life and cultures. The site contains extensive links to labor and research organizations, and links to conference papers for members.