AMERICAN ECONOMICS INFORMATION NETWORK 
 
Mary Morgan and Malcolm Rutherford 
 
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We have developed two themes that we hope will help advance the 
study of the history of American economics. 
 
The first theme is *The Transformation of American Economics: 
>From Interwar Pluralism to Postwar Neoclassicism*.  This theme 
is focused on the development of the highly formalised version 
of neoclassical economics that is now typical of the major US 
graduate schools and economics journals.  The ascendency of 
this type of economics from the 1950s and 60s on, can be set 
against the background of the interwar period in American 
economics that was characterised by a pluralism of beliefs 
and approaches with no single dominant program.  How and why 
formal neoclassicism developed and thrived in the US after the 
War is the question to be examined. 
 
The Second theme is *American Voices: Economic Discourse in 
America from Independence to 1950*.  This theme directly attacks 
the issue of understanding American economics in its American 
context.  We feel the time has come to elucidate an American 
history of American economics and to understand American economic 
thinking in relation to American economic, political, and cultural 
history.  Much more has been done along these lines by historians 
than by historians of economics. 
 
We are asking for your reaction to these themes.  We wish to 
solicit paper proposals on both themes for the 1996 HES 
conference organised by Malcolm Rutherford.  In addition, we 
propose to adopt one of these themes for the 1997 HOPE conference 
which we shall be jointly organising.  Please write or e-mail 
one of us with your reactions and firm or tentative proposals 
for either theme.  We also welcome your suggestions of other 
scholars, particularly those outside of the usual HET circles 
(eg in History departments) who might be interested in these 
areas. 
 
Mary Morgan and 
Malcolm Rutherford