Charles Wyplosz, professor of International Economics at the Institute, has published a new book entitled Thirty Years of Economic Policy: Inspiration for Debate as part of a broader celebration of Economic Policy’s 30th anniversary. Bringing together a selection of leading articles from the first thirty years of Economic Policy, this collection reflects well on the journal’s major contribution to the field since its inception in 1985.

Professor Wyplosz, a founding managing editor of Economic Policy, explains that the journal was created to fill a vacuum in Europe where, at that time, few researchers were actively engaging in policy issues and presenting policymakers with analyses that were both rigorous and accessible. Furthermore, whatever was done then was mostly focusing on individual countries, rarely on Europe’s own challenges.

Economic Policy has always been at the forefront of economic policy debate, publishing some of the most cited studies anywhere in the world – on financial crises, deregulation, unions, the euro and other pressing international topics. Looking back, one can see that a number of articles have been highly influential, shaping thinking among academic economists and policymakers. Thirty Years of Economic Policy brings together precisely such key historic articles that still resonate today, including a contribution by Richard Baldwin, Professor of International Economics at the Institute, Co-managing Editor of the journal from 2000 to 2006 and Senior Editor since 2014. The book provides academics with important research markers, and students (and their teachers) with a “reader” that demonstrates how the field of economics progresses by responding to challenges of the time. It will also inspire a new generation of students and academics with a recollection of how some of today’s leading economists made early contributions.

Wyplosz, Charles. Thirty Years of Economic Policy: Inspiration for Debate. Oxford: Oxford University Press. October 2015. 688 p.