Project Leader / Primary Investigator

Eric D. Beinhocker


Market Humanism and middle-out economics are a synthesis of a large body of research conducted by a global community of economists and behavioural, social, and physical scientists over recent decades, as well as real-world experiences in policy and business practice. Market Humanism and middle-out economics stand in sharp contrast to the economic theories and policy agenda that dominated the U.S. and much of the world from the 1970s through the 2010s. We refer to this set of ideas as the neoliberal consensus, a political ideology that integrated free market theories from neoliberal political economy, neoclassical economics, and libertarian philosophy into a worldview that shaped the policy agendas of both the Republican and Democratic parties from Carter and Reagan through Obama. That policy agenda is often referred to as trickle-down economics because of its emphasis on creating incentives and wealth for owners of capital that would (in theory) trickle down to wage earners in the rest of the economy.


Markets Built for Humans

Markets Built for Humans is based on the forthcoming book, Market Humanism, by Eric Beinhocker and Nick Hanauer. It is a brief guide aimed at policymakers, political strategists, business leaders, journalists, and advocates who are grappling with the profound economic, political, and social challenges of our time. Its goal is to equip readers with an understanding of the deep limitations of the economic orthodoxy that dominated policymaking and our politics over the past decades and introduce you to a 21st century economic paradigm that is built to address the challenges we face.


Recent Publications

May 2026
Article
Market Humanism: A New Paradigm for a New Era
Nick Hanauer ,  Eric Beinhocker
May 2026
Article
The Economic Experiment That Upended Reality
Nick Hanauer ,  Eric Beinhocker
May 2026
Podcast
Can capitalism be saved? | Nick Hanauer and Eric Beinhocker
Anne Kim ,  Nick Hanauer ,  Eric Beinhocker
May 2026
Podcast
Slingshot Episode 29
Hal Singer ,  Eric Beinhocker
Mar 2026
Policy Briefing
Feb 2026
Chapter
Complexity and Paradigm Change in Economics
Eric Beinhocker ,  Jenna Bednar