Arrivederci!

https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/JELJOUR_Results.cfm?form_name=journalbrowse&journal_id=2133792

After 12 years as chief cook and bottle washer, this my last issue.

The articles in this issue exemplify the uniqueness of the publication: accessible, provocative scholarship by academic starts that would not be published in mainstream journals.

Two principles supported our uniqueness: any member of the Center on Capitalism and Society could accept articles. And, instead of ‘yeas’ on ‘nays’ by anonymous referees, we published a “discussion” by credible commentators who could disagree vigorously with the paper they are discussing.

Our first issue, in 2005, included articles by Philippe Aghion, discussed by Bob Solow. The economists we then published ran the gamut from Akerlof to Zeckhauser with Arrow, David, Heckman, Kornai, Nelson, Phelps, Sachs, Sen, Stiglitz and Summers in between.

I am particularly proud of having persuaded the late great business historian Alfred Chandler to drop the book he was working on to write what would be his last major piece (discussed by Richard Sylla) for us. We also published work by other historians (including Ferguson, McCraw, and James), political scientists (Jon Elster wrote the provocative Excessive Ambitions and Excessive Ambitions II), educationists (including Harvard president emeritus Derek Bok), legal scholars, social psychologists, theologians, philosophers, and even a Nobel prize winner in medicine (Baruch Blumberg).

A generous grant from the Kauffman foundation (Bob Litan and Carl Schramm were enthusiastic about the idea) got us started. Ned Phelps overcame his initial skepticism to put the journal under the umbrella of the Center he had founded in 2001. Richard Robb has been a valuable editorial colleague in recent years and took responsibility for two special issues.

Above all, the professionalism and tireless effort of managing editor, Miranda Featherstone made her the indispensable star of the operation..