American Affairs

American Affairs is a journal of political thought and policy, published quarterly in print and online editions. In its publishing and event programming, American Affairs brings together respected contributors from the right, left, and center to address immediate policy problems and perennial theoretical questions, with an emphasis on exploring alternatives to neoliberal policy paradigms.

In keeping with their missions to encourage robust discussion, Boston Review and American Affairs will jointly convene a meeting that brings together social scientists from various ideological backgrounds to explore emerging ideas about rekindling industrial policy (IP) and will copublish, in print and online, the best ideas from that collaboration. Participants will explore five fundamental questions: (a) what is IP; (b) what is the theoretical case in favor (and against); (c) what is the history; (d) why might a revival of IP be needed now; and (e) what are promising directions for U.S. industrial policy. This convening follows a Hewlett-supported 2019 collaboration between Boston Review and American Affairs, which brought together a wide range of participants to discuss ways of moving beyond neoliberal, market-fundamentalist economic paradigms.