About EP-JAIE
The review "Economia politica - Journal of Analytical and Institutional Economics" publishes contributions addressing theoretically relevant issues, aiming at building a correct relationship between theory and economic analysis, approaching new and important problems and issues of the ever changing economic reality.
The review intends to provide a contribution to restore a correct and fruitful relation between theory and economic analysis, thus integrating the elegant formalism of some more theoretical literature and the pragmatic contribution of applied analysis.
Topical issues are dealt with in the «Editorial Note»; in the «Articles» Section original theoretical, empirical, institutional and historic-theoretic contributions are published; the «Survey» Section is devoted to the presentation of the mostly relevant theoretical issues in Political Economy; finally, the «Rewiews» Section is dedicated to short notes on recently published Italian and international books. The review publishes contributions in both Italian and English languages. "Economia politica" is indexed in Social Sciences Citation Index, Social Scisearch and Journal of Citation Reports (Thomson Reuters - ISI Web of knowledge); in Econlit/Journal of Economic Literature (AEA); in Elsevier’s Abstracting & Indexing database; in RePEc (Research Papers in Economics).
With the first issue of 2006 the review partially changed its title to "Economia politica. Journal of Analytical and Institutional Economics". Foreword to issue no. 1, 2006, Vol. XXIII is reported below.
Economia Politica. Journal of Analytical and Institutional Economics
Foreword (vol. XXIII, no. 1)
by Alberto Quadrio Curzio
Economia Politica, after 22 years of activity, with the first issue of 2006 partially changes its title, the membership of its Editorial Board and its graphics.In an occasion such as this, it is customary, and somehow required, to provide the readers with some information, and yet without being too long with explanations, which turn out to be quite obvious if one has a look at the Journal itself.
First of all, the sub-title changes from «Rivista di teoria e analisi economica » to «Journal of Analytical and Institutional Economics». This innovation stems from the progressive change in the orientation of the Journal that has taken place since 1984. While in the beginnings a more formalized style, consistent with the theoretical approaches common at that time in Italy, prevailed, as the years went by the number of essays with empirical, institutional, and historic-theoretical approaches has increased. The new title indicates both a broadening of the field of interest of the Journal and a re-proportioning of the role of the theory within its editorial contents. In recent years, some of the prevailing theoretical approaches have become so complex and abstract that the object of study is sometimes subordinate to the mathematical instruments used. We do acknowledge that mathematics is a powerful and, for many economic analyses, necessary tool of investigation. However, mathematics cannot subsume the whole Political Economy as moral, social and complex science.
While widening its interests and keeping a pluralistic stance, Economia Politica has offered to many economists the opportunity, checked through a rigorous and anonymous refereeing process, to publish their research outcomes, which would have taken much longer to be evaluated in more internationalised editorial outlets. After 22 years of refereeing activity and of analyses of the diversified typology of the essays published on the Journal, we are know convinced that we are ready for a wider international diffusion of Economia Politica.
The use of the English language for the sub-title seems now an obvious choice, not only for the increasing number of articles that we publish in English. We all know that English is the international language. English can coexist, in our case, with the use of Italian, the «mother tongue» that Economia Politica will not abandon, but we realise that the international communication in the economic sciences do not use Italian.
For the same reasons even the new web page of the Journal, which will be soon available with a new graphics and more information for the readers, will be bi-lingual.
Other important changes concern the Editorial Board, which will be now enriched by a group of Advisory Editors, all major scholars who are affiliated to, or in the past have been extensively working at, very prestigious academic institutions in different European countries and North America. Their membership of the Editorial Board will help promoting international scientific cooperation. Furthermore, the Journal editorial activity and fields of interest will capitalise on their advice, based on experience, international recognition, variety of research approaches and in-depth knowledge of specific economic issues.
Therefore, we are particularly grateful to the Advisory Editors for having accepted our invitation to join the Editorial Board of Economia Politica. Other economists, with the same reputation of great competence, remarkable intellectual curiosity, respect for the differences among approaches, may join the group of the Advisory Editors in the future. Some of the Advisory Editors have the standing of a Nobel Prize winner and one of them has already obtained such recognition. They all have in common with many other great economists a moderate and non-dogmatic style.
The group of Associate Editors has also been enlarged and now represent many, if not all, Italian universities. Even in this case we warmly thank our colleagues: both those who are with the Journal since its establishment and those who have joined us throughout the years. Their contribution has been, and still is, decisive. And that does not come as a surprise, because they are all excellent for scientific competence, commitment and dedication to the Italian University, where they have grown generations of economists.
A special thank is due to the Editors Giorgio Lunghini, Pier Carlo Nicola and especially to Paolo Pini. Thanks are due also to the Executive Editors.
A final thank goes to Il Mulino, the publisher that has always trusted the Journal and keep on supporting it in this renewed initiative.
