Chapter One "The Displine"

This chapter introduces the American Economic Association (AEA) and the annual conference that is held by it's members. It gives a basic overview of the unique culture of economists and their research. There are other economic societies but AEA, with 18,000+ members, is probably the best known organization worldwide. While the majority of members are college or university professors, others work for government agencies or in the private sector. With past presidents such as Milton Friedman and John Kenneth Galbraith, as well as honorary members that have won the Nobel Prize, each member is in good company. They all have one thing in common: their passion for economic ideas. Each year they meet to share their research in hopes of making their mark on economic thought.