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What Economists Teach and What Economists Do

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Author Info
David Colander () (Middlebury College)

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Abstract

Fifty years ago what was taught in the principles of economics course reflected reasonably well what economists did in their research. That, however, is no longer the case; today what economists teach has a more nuanced relation to what they do. The reason is that the economics profession and the textbooks have evolved differently. The author addresses the implications of the changes that have occurred in the profession for the way economics is taught and the way economics is presented in the micro principles textbooks. First, he summarizes the changes he sees happening in the profession. Second, he discusses the stories that the principles textbooks tell in micro. Third, he discusses how those stories might change to reflect better what economists currently do.

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Publisher Info
Article provided by Helen Dwight Reid Foundation in its journal The Journal of Economic Education.

Volume (Year): 36 (2005)
Issue (Month): 3 ()
Pages: 249-260
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Handle: RePEc:jee:journl:v:36:y:2005:i:3:p:249-260

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Related research
Keywords: complex systems; economic pedagogy; microeconomics; principles textbooks;

Find related papers by JEL classification:
A22 - General Economics and Teaching - - Economic Education and Teaching of Economics - - - Undergraduate

References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:

  1. Sen, Amartya, 1970. "The Impossibility of a Paretian Liberal," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 78(1), pages 152-57, Jan.-Feb.. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  2. Xavier Gabaix, 1999. "Zipf'S Law For Cities: An Explanation," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, MIT Press, vol. 114(3), pages 739-767, August. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  3. John J. Donohue & Steven D. Levitt, 2001. "The Impact Of Legalized Abortion On Crime," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, MIT Press, vol. 116(2), pages 379-420, May. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  4. David Colander, 2000. "New Millennium Economics: How Did It Get This Way, and What Way Is It?," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 14(1), pages 121-132, Winter. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  5. Nagel, Rosemarie, 1995. "Unraveling in Guessing Games: An Experimental Study," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 85(5), pages 1313-26, December. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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Cited by:
(explanations, Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.)

  1. Lourdes Espinoza & Carlos Gustavo Machicado & Katia Makhlouf, 2007. "La Enseñanza de Economía en Bolivia y Chile," Development Research Working Paper Series 10/2007, Institute for Advanced Development Studies. [Downloadable!]
  2. Carlos Gustavo Machado & Lourdes Espinoza & Katia Makhlouf, 2009. "La enseñanza de economía en Bolivia y Chile," RES Working Papers 4632, Inter-American Development Bank, Research Department. [Downloadable!]
  3. Happe, Kathrin & Balmann, Alfons, 2008. "Doing Policy In The Lab! Options For The Future Use Of Model-Based Policy Analysis For Complex Decision-Making," 107th Seminar, January 30-February 1, 2008, Sevilla, Spain 6588, European Association of Agricultural Economists. [Downloadable!]
  4. David Colander, 2007. "Pluralism and Heterodox Economics: Suggestions for an “Inside the Mainstream” Heterodoxy," Middlebury College Working Paper Series 0724, Middlebury College, Department of Economics. [Downloadable!]
  5. David Colander, 2009. "Moving Beyond the Rhetoric of Pluralism: Suggestions for an “Inside-the-Mainstream” Heterodoxy," Middlebury College Working Paper Series 0915, Middlebury College, Department of Economics. [Downloadable!]
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This page was last updated on 2009-11-25.


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