The Southern Economic Association (SEA) is a collective of economics scholars who study economic problems in the American south and beyond. It also engages in advocacy work, principally to broadcast its economic studies and analyses to the wider public. ¹

Background

The Southern Economic Association (SEA) is a collective of economics scholars who study economic problems in the American south and beyond. It also engages in advocacy work, principally to broadcast its economic studies and analyses to the wider public. ¹

The Southern Economic Association was conceived at a conference in Atlanta, Georgia held in 1928. It launched a journal in 1933, the eighth economic journal to be founded in the United States. It educates scholars and the general public about economics by advertising new theories and studies in the field. ¹

The Association has a southern focus, although it was stronger in the past. Its annual conference is always held in the American south, the majority of its journal’s editors work in southern institutions, and the journal’s initial focus concerned the south’s economy. Writing in 1940, the Association’s first president Walter Matherly said, “While [the Association] is regional in its membership, its interests as well as its annual programs extend beyond the region which it serves and encompass the nation.” ¹

Activities

Southern Economic Association’s membership is primarily comprised of scholars. Both its annual conference and its journal accepts submissions “from all fields of economic research.” Its conferences, participated in by thousands of members and guests, have drawn attendees from 94 countries. It charges American-based working professionals $85 for a print-based membership. ^{1 2}

The Association awards the Georgescu-Roegen Prize, consisting of a plaque and a cash gift, to the author or authors of the best submission to the Journal. Papers are judged by the journal’s editor and the organization’s two vice presidents. The papers that receive the award tend to focus on center-left narratives and topics, and appear to advocate for left-of-center solutions, such as implying that giving illegal immigrants drivers licenses and expanding welfare and housing programs benefit the economy. ³

The organization also runs a distinguished fellowship program, awarding up to two economists with “exceptional scholarly achievement” and who have had “long-term involvement and service to the SEA.” It is particularly interested in economists who have been cited often and who have influenced government policy. ⁴

Leadership

As of May 2024, Pia Orrenius serves as the president of the organization. Orrenius previously worked in the research department of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, Texas. Glenn Blomquist was the group’s president-elect and program chair, and was previously a faculty member of the University of Kentucky Gatton College of Business and Economics. ⁵

1. “About.” Southern Economic Association. Accessed May 5, 2024. https://southerneconomic.org/about-sea/.
2. “Membership.” Southern Economic Association. Accessed May 5, 2024. https://southerneconomic.org/membership/
3. “Georgescu-Roegen Prize.” Southern Economic Association. Accessed May 5, 2024. https://southerneconomic.org/georgescu-roegen-prize/.
4. “Distinguished Fellows.” Southern Economic Association. Accessed May 5, 2024. https://southerneconomic.org/distinguished-fellows/.
5. “Board of Trustees.” Southern Economic Association. Accessed May 5, 2024. https://southerneconomic.org/about-sea/board-of-trustees/.