The American Economic Association is under fire for allegedly being too closely tied to a few elite universities while failing to represent the wider profession—criticism coming as some economists are pressuring the group to take steps to fight discrimination and sexual harassment among its membership.

Jake Vigor, an economist at the University of Washington, posted a series of tweets in December in which he took issue with AEA bylaws that prevent the membership from directly electing presidents, the news site Inside Higher Ed reported Thursday. The president is instead elected by a nominating committee and AEA's executive committee, which allegedly has resulted in the group's leadership coming from a small number of prestigious universities.

Vigor contrasted the process to that of the American Psychological Association, which has direct election of presidents. Over the past 28 years, APA presidents have represented 27 institutions, whereas AEA presidents have represented just 10. He also noted that AEA's most prestigious award for young economists—the John Bates Clark medal—hasn't been awarded to any economist outside those same 10 institutions since 1959.

"I think I'm saying things that thousands of other economists have long thought to themselves but dare not articulate because they are worried about possible repercussions for their career," Vigor told Inside Higher Ed.
AEA declined to comment on Vigor's comments when contacted by the news site.

Vigor's criticism comes amid a wider debate about whether the economics profession has become dominated by a small number of departments at elite universities, Inside Higher Ed reported. It also comes amid increasing concern about discrimination and sexual harassment at economics departments. Last month, Harvard University economist Ronald Fryer resigned from AEA's executive committee following news he was under investigation by the university for alleged sexual harassment.

As a result of Fryer's resignation, graduate students at university economics departments began circulating an open letter asking AEA and universities to take steps to create better work environments. Among their suggestions was having AEA establish an online platform for people in the profession to report harassment. http://bit.ly/2s7XZ9m

MORE CEO DATELINE

• American Bar Association seeks reversal of asylum rule change
• Associations warn government shutdown could be costly
• Agriculture, food groups praise signing of farm bill
• Two academic associations see resignations following scandal
• Advertiser association lobbies for federal regulation of consumer data collection