Monica Prasad is an American sociologist who has won several awards for her books on

economic An economy is an area of the Production (economics), production, Distribution (economics), distribution and trade, as well as Consumption (economics), consumption of Goods (economics), goods and Service (economics), services. In general, it is ...

and

political sociology Political sociology is an interdisciplinary field of study concerned with exploring how governance and society interact and influence one another at the micro to macro levels of analysis. Interested in the social causes and consequences of how ...

. Prasad is Professor of Sociology at

Northwestern University Northwestern University (NU) is a Private university, private research university in Evanston, Illinois, United States. Established in 1851 to serve the historic Northwest Territory, it is the oldest University charter, chartered university in ...

and a 2015

Guggenheim fellow Guggenheim Fellowships are grants that have been awarded annually since by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, endowed by the late Simon and Olga Hirsh Guggenheim. These awards are bestowed upon individuals who have demonstrated d ...

. Her research interests are in the areas of economic sociology, political sociology and comparative historical sociology. , her research investigated market-oriented welfare policies in Europe and their economic consequences.

Education

Prasad studied for her Doctor of Philosophy at the

University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, or UChi) is a Private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Its main campus is in the Hyde Park, Chicago, Hyde Park neighborhood on Chicago's South Side, Chic ...

. Prasad was awarded a

National Science Foundation The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) is an Independent agencies of the United States government#Examples of independent agencies, independent agency of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government that su ...

Early Career Development Grant and, in 2011, received a

Fulbright grant The Fulbright Program, including the Fulbright–Hays Program, is one of several United States cultural exchange programs with the goal of improving intercultural relations, cultural diplomacy, and intercultural competence between the people o ...

to study at

Sciences Po Sciences Po () or Sciences Po Paris, also known as the Paris Institute of Political Studies (), is a public research university located in Paris, France, that holds the status of ''grande école'' and the legal status of . The university's unde ...

in Paris.

Career

In 2010, Prasad was a committee member for the Theory Prize, awarded by the Theory Section of the

American Sociological Association The American Sociological Association (ASA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing the discipline and profession of sociology. Founded in December 1905 as the American Sociological Society at Johns Hopkins University by a group of fi ...

for outstanding books and papers in the work of theory. In 2015, Prasad was selected as one of 173 Guggenheim fellows, a

John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation The John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation is a private foundation formed in 1925 by Olga and Simon Guggenheim in memory of their son, who died on April 26, 1922. The organization awards Guggenheim Fellowship Guggenheim Fellowships are Gr ...

-sponsored scholarship. Prasad is the author of several academic works. In her 2006 book ''The Politics of Free Markets: The Rise of Neoliberal Economic Policies in Britain, France, Germany, and the United States'', she argues that countries' different political climates and policy regimes resulted in divergent types of

neoliberalism Neoliberalism is a political and economic ideology that advocates for free-market capitalism, which became dominant in policy-making from the late 20th century onward. The term has multiple, competing definitions, and is most often used pe ...

. Her 2013 book ''The Land of Too Much: American Abundance and the Paradox of Poverty'' examines why the United States has significantly higher levels of poverty and inequality than other rich countries and the impact of government intervention on undermining the welfare state. In 2018, Prasad's ''Starving the Beast: Ronald Reagan and the Tax Cut Revolution'' was published. Prasad is a senior fellow at the Niskanen Center.

Awards

Prasad has twice won the Barrington Moore Book Award from the Comparative and Historical Sociology section of the American Sociological Association, first in 2007 for her book ''The Politics of Free Markets'', and again in 2013 for ''The Land of Too Much'', as a co-winner with

Michael Mann Michael Kenneth Mann (born February 5, 1943) is an American film director, screenwriter, author and producer, best known for his stylized crime dramas. He has received a BAFTA Award and two Primetime Emmy Awards as well as nominations for four ...

. In 2014, she was awarded the American Sociological Association Distinguished Scholarly Book Award for ''The Land of Too Much''. This award celebrates the best book published by an ASA member in the preceding two years.

References

External links

''How to Think About Taxing and Spending Like a Swede'' article in The New York Times (2019)''Land of Plenty (of Government)'' article in The New York Times (2013)Is Neoliberalism Over? - an interview with Monica Prasad
{{DEFAULTSORT:Prasad, Monica Northwestern University faculty University of Chicago alumni American women sociologists Living people Year of birth missing (living people) American sociologists 21st-century American women