Steven G. Medema, George Family Research Professor

Steven Medema’s research focuses on the history of modern economics, though his writings range over subjects as diverse as the Ancient Greeks, Adam Smith, and British philosopher Henry Sidgwick. The thread that unites much of his research is the analysis of the interplay between markets and government in the history of economic ideas. His current project, funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Institute for New Economic Thinking, examines the history of the Coase theorem and its influence in economics, law, and beyond. Professor Medema serves as an associate editor or editorial board member of several history of economics journals and was editor of the Journal of the History of Economic Thought from 1999 – 2008. He also serves as the Associate Director of the Center for the History of Political Economy at Duke.

Contact Info:

Office Location:	07D Social Sciences Bldg., Box 90097, Durham, NC 27708
Email Address:
Web Page:	https://sites.duke.edu/sgmedema/

Teaching (Spring 2026):

• ECON 101D.001, ECONOMIC PRINCIPLES Synopsis

  LSRC B101, MWF 08:30 AM-09:45 AM

• ECON 101D.01D, ECONOMIC PRINCIPLES Synopsis

  Perkins 071, W 03:20 PM-04:10 PM

• ECON 101D.02D, ECONOMIC PRINCIPLES Synopsis

  Old Chem 003, Tu 08:45 AM-09:35 AM

• ECON 101D.03D, ECONOMIC PRINCIPLES Synopsis

  Social Sciences 124, Tu 12:00 PM-12:50 PM

• ECON 101D.04D, ECONOMIC PRINCIPLES Synopsis

  Social Sciences 124, Tu 04:55 PM-05:45 PM

• ECON 101D.06D, ECONOMIC PRINCIPLES Synopsis

  Social Sciences 105, Th 10:20 AM-11:10 AM

• ECON 101D.07D, ECONOMIC PRINCIPLES Synopsis

  Social Sciences 113, Th 01:40 PM-02:30 PM

• ECON 101D.08D, ECONOMIC PRINCIPLES Synopsis

  LSRC A156, Th 03:20 PM-04:10 PM

• ECON 101D.10D, ECONOMIC PRINCIPLES Synopsis

  Old Chem 003, F 03:20 PM-04:10 PM

• ECON 684.01, HISTORY OF MODERN ECONOMICS Synopsis

  Social Sciences 327, TuTh 01:25 PM-02:40 PM

• ECON 884.01, TOPICS IN HISTORY OF ECONOMICS Synopsis

  Social Sciences 327, TuTh 01:25 PM-02:40 PM

• ECON 908.01, HISTORY OF ECONOMICS WKSHP Synopsis

  Social Sciences 113, F 03:30 PM-05:00 PM

• ECON 958S.01, HISTORY OF ECONOMICS RESEARC Synopsis

  Social Sciences 327, F 12:00 PM-01:00 PM

Education:

Ph.D.	Michigan State University	1989
A.B.	Calvin College	1985

Recent Publications   (More Publications)

1. Gindis, D; Medema, SG, One Man a Committee Does Not Make: Henry Manne, the AEA-AALS Joint Committee, and the Struggle to Institutionalize Law and Economics, History of Political Economy, vol. 57 no. 3 (June, 2025), pp. 405-440 [doi]  [abs]
2. Medema, SG, I GET BY WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS ... : AN EDITOR'S RETROSPECTIVE, Journal of the History of Economic Thought, vol. 46 no. 4 (December, 2024), pp. 663-668 [doi]  [abs]
3. Medema, SG, IDENTIFYING A CHICAGO SCHOOL of ECONOMICS: On the ORIGINS, DIFFUSION, and EVOLVING MEANINGS of A FAMOUS NAME BRAND, Journal of the History of Economic Thought, vol. 46 no. 2 (June, 2024), pp. 169-200 [doi]  [abs]
4. Johnson, M; Medema, SG; Samuels, WJ, FOUNDATIONS OF THE AMERICAN ECONOMY: THE AMERICAN COLONIES FROM INCEPTION TO INDEPENDENCE: VOLUME IV Mercantilism and Colonialism, Part I, vol. 1 (January, 2024), pp. 1-393 [doi]  [abs]
5. Johnson, M; Medema, SG; Samuels, WJ, FOUNDATIONS OF THE AMERICAN ECONOMY: THE AMERICAN COLONIES FROM INCEPTION TO INDEPENDENCE: VOLUME III: Colonial Money, Credit and Debt, vol. 3 (January, 2024), pp. 1-364 [doi]  [abs]