Towards an activist pedagogy in heterodox economics: The case of trade union economics training

The point of progressive political economy is not just to interpret the world but to change it. And a broad mission of social change has always infused heterodox economics. Progressive economists aim to lay bare the workings of modern capitalism, emphasizing both its obvious weaknesses and its often-surprising strengths. We work to document the many dimensions of economic, social, and environmental damage wrought by neoliberalism, while emphasizing that those negative outcomes are not inevitable (instead, they reflect economic and political choices - that can be changed). Finally, we work to identify the most promising avenues and opportunities for achieving progressive economic and social change, both incremental and transformative. We strive to develop alternative economic visions that will be useful in activist campaigns to reform or replace capitalism.