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The Forum Macroeconomics and Macroeconomic Policies (FMM, originally called "Forschungsnetzwerk Makroökonomie und Makropolitik" i.e. "Research Network Macroeconomics and Macroeconomic Policies") is a platform for academic analysis, research and discussion of macroeconomic issues. It organizes the second-largest annual academic economics conference held in Germany, and one of the largest non-orthodox annual economic conferences in the world.

Its thematic focus lies in issues of macroeconomic theory and policy and it aims to open up a space for non-mainstream approaches. Many of the coordinators of the network and the presenters at the annual conference are considered as being working in the paradigm of Post Keynesian economics, but the panels have been open to other approaches, making the approach of the FMM as a whole pluralistic.

According to its latest research program, the FMM aims to be both a platform for discussions about economic theory as well as a forum for economic policy debates: "Macroeconomic theory is seen as the basis for policies which aim at high employment, environmentally sustainable growth, price stability, reduced inequality, and the elimination of poverty."

Organizational Structure
Organizationally, the Research Network is based at the Macroeconomic Policy Institute (IMK) at the Hans Boeckler Foundation. It is funded by the Hans Boeckler Foundation which promotes education, research and co-determination on behalf of the German Trade Union Federation (DGB).

The activities are directed by a coordinating committee. The coordinating committee maintains a web site and a newsletter.

Different from many economics associations, the FMM is not a membership organization and it is open to anyone who is interested in discussions around its research themes.

== History ==

The FMM was founded in 1996. In the development of the FMM so far, two periods can be distinguished: During the first period from 1996 to 2003 a German network with regular conferences in Berlin was established and consolidated. In a second period from 2004 until present the network has progressively internationalized. In the course of this period the FMM and its conferences have become an integral part of a worldwide network of Keynesian economists and conferences. Reflecting this internationalization, the original name Forschungsnetzwerk Macroeconomics and Macroeconomic Policies was changed to Forum Macroeconomics and Macroeconomic Policies in 2017.

In late October 1997 the first conference of the FMM took place in Berlin on “The Renaissance of Macroeconomics” with 14 papers being presented and 35 participants discussing the presentations. Starting with this first conference the conference proceedings have been published with Metropolis Publisher Marburg. The following annual conferences saw rising participation and the 2003 conference “Fiscal Policies in Controversy” with 14 papers and around 70 participants marked the end of the first period of establishing and consolidating a German research network focusing on Keynesian macroeconomics.

The major step towards internationalization was taken in 2005 when the FMM organized a joint conference in cooperation with the Post Keynesian Economics Study Group (PKSG, UK) and the 'Association pour le Développement des Études Keynésiennes (ADEK, France) on “Macroeconomics and Macroeconomic Policies – Alternatives to the Orthodoxy” in Berlin with 72 papers from 16 countries and around 150 participants. In 2006 cooperation with the newly founded academic journal Intervention. Journal of Economics (now published at Edward Elgar Publishing as European Journal of Economics and Economic Policies: Intervention), started and part of the conference papers have been published as special issues in this journal since then. From 2013 onwards, the proceedings of the conference appear in the same journal.

Since 2010, the number of conference participants has stabilized at slightly above 300. As the amount of papers presented has risen to about 140, the conference is set up in several parallel sessions.

In addition to its academic conference, the network has been active in promoting young academics with interest in alternative macroeconomic approaches. Since 2006, graduate student sessions have been part of the annual conferences. In August 2008 the first international Summer School on “Keynesian Economics and European Economic Policies” took place in Berlin with 55 participants from 17 countries. Since then summer schools have been held every second year.

Paradigmatic orientation
According to its own programmatic mission statement, the FMM seeks to contribute to the development of theoretical and political alternatives to mainstream macroeconomics. A major focus of the Forum’s theoretical interest lies in the writings of Keynes, and its development by modern Post-Keynesians, and also some New Keynesians. Institutional, evolutionary, game-theoretic and political-economy approaches are also discussed. Output and employment are seen as macroeconomic variables that are normally determined by aggregate demand in the goods market. According to this view, in modern market economies the demand constraint usually bites before capacity and supply constraints come into play. Money is not neutral, neither in the short nor in the long run. Uncertainty and institutions constraining uncertainty are of major macroeconomic importance. Macroeconomic policies are thus important, in the short and the long run, and they affect both the demand and the supply side of the economy.

Annual Conferences
The Annual Conferences usually take place in late October or early November in Berlin. Each conference is devoted to a broad macroeconomic topic. Conferences so far have been:


 * 1st FMM Workshop: Alternativen der makroökonomischen Politik im Spannungsfeld von Arbeitslosigkeit, Globalisierung und hoher Staatsverschuldung, Berlin, 1997
 * 2nd FMM Workshop: Perspektiven der Makropolitik zwischen Nationalstaat und Europäischer Union, Düsseldorf, 1998
 * 3rd FMM Workshop: Neue Architektur der Weltwährungsordnung, Berlin, 1999
 * 4th FMM Workshop: USA - Dekonstruktion eines Modells?!, Berlin, 2000
 * 5th FMM Workshop: Eine andere Geldpolitik für mehr Wachstum und Beschäftigung in Europa?, Berlin, 2001
 * 6th FMM Workshop: Neukeynesianismus - der neue wirtschaftspolitische Mainstream?, Berlin, 2002
 * 7th FMM Workshop: Finanzpolitik in der Kontroverse, Berlin, 2003
 * 8th FMM Workshop: Löhne, Verteilung und Wachstum, Berlin, 2004
 * 9th FMM Workshop: Macroeconomics and Macroeconomic Policies - Alternatives to the Orthodoxy, in co-operation with the Post Keynesian Economic Study Group (UK) and the Association pour le Développement des Études Keynésiennes (FR), Berlin, 2005
 * 10th FMM Workshop: European Integration in Crisis, Berlin, 2006
 * 11th FMM Workshop: Finance-led capitalism? Macroeconomic effects of changes in the financial sector, Berlin, 2007
 * 12th FMM Conference: Macroeconomic Policies on Shaky Foundations - Whither Mainstream Economics?, Berlin, 2008
 * 13th FMM Conference: The World Economy in Crisis - The Return of Keynesianism?, Berlin, 2009
 * 14th FMM Conference: Stabilising an unequal economy? Public debt, financial regulation, and income distribution, Berlin, 2010
 * 15th FMM Conference: From crisis to growth? The challenge of imbalances, debt, and limited resources, Berlin, 2011
 * 16th FMM Conference: The State of Economics after the Crisis, Berlin, 2012
 * 17th FMM Conference: The Jobs Crisis: causes, cures, constraints, Berlin, 2013
 * 18th FMM Conference: Inequality and the Future of Capitalism, Berlin, 2014
 * 19th FMM Conference: The Spectre of Stagnation? Europe in the World Economy, Berlin, 2015
 * 20th FMM Conference: Towards Pluralism in Macroeconomics? 20 Years-Anniversary Conference of the FMM Research Network. Towards Pluralism in Macroeconomics?, Berlin, 2016

Coordinating Group
Activities of the network are organized by a coordinating group. The coordinating group is headed by two spokespersons who are currently Sebastian Dullien and Sebastian Gechert.

The full coordination group consists of the following members:


 * Jan Behringer, IMK at the Hans-Boeckler-Foundation
 * Sebastian Dullien, HTW Berlin - University of Applied Sciences
 * Trevor Evans, Berlin School of Economics and Law
 * Sebastian Gechert, IMK at the Hans-Boeckler-Foundation
 * Jochen Hartwig, KOF ETH Zürich and Chemnitz University of Technology
 * Eckhard Hein, Berlin School of Economics and Law
 * Hansjörg Herr, Berlin School of Economics and Law
 * Heike Joebges, HTW Berlin - University of Applied Sciences
 * Torsten Niechoj, Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences
 * Özlem Onaran, Middlesex University in London
 * Jan Priewe, HTW Berlin - University of Applied Sciences
 * Miriam Rehm, Arbeiterkammer Wien
 * Engelbert Stockhammer, Kingston University
 * Till van Treeck, University Duisburg-Essen
 * Achim Truger, Berlin School of Economics and Law
 * Andrew Watt, IMK at the Hans-Böckler Foundation