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Using The Simpsons to Improve Economic Instruction Through Policy Analysis

Author

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  • Mark T. Gillis
  • Joshua Hall

Abstract

The analysis of public policy issues in the classroom can be a powerful tool to help students learn because it encourages students to actively apply classroom material. The television show The Simpsons provides several episodes that revolve around policy issues amenable to examination. Using The Simpsons to provide students with material for analysis has two advantages over traditional sources such as newspapers or magazines. First, a long-running and popular television show effectively engages students in a way traditional sources cannot. Second, the context of an animated television show can help students separate positive economic analysis from normative economic analysis.

Suggested Citation

  • Mark T. Gillis & Joshua Hall, 2010. "Using The Simpsons to Improve Economic Instruction Through Policy Analysis," The American Economist, Sage Publications, vol. 55(1), pages 84-92, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:amerec:v:55:y:2010:i:1:p:84-92
    DOI: 10.1177/056943451005500109
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Robert L. Sexton, 2006. "Using Short Movie and Television Clips in the Economics Principles Class," The Journal of Economic Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 37(4), pages 406-417, October.
    2. Don Leet & Scott Houser, 2003. "Economics Goes to Hollywood: Using Classic Films and Documentaries to Create an Undergraduate Economics Course," The Journal of Economic Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 34(4), pages 326-332, December.
    3. Peter E. Kennedy, 2000. "Eight Reasons Why Real versus Nominal Interest Rates Is the Most Important Concept in Macroeconomics Principles Courses," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 90(2), pages 81-84, May.
    4. Daniel B. Klein, 1999. "Introduction: What Do Economists Contribute?," Palgrave Macmillan Books, in: Daniel B. Klein (ed.), What do Economists Contribute?, chapter 1, pages 1-26, Palgrave Macmillan.
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Carlos J. Asarta & Austin S. Jennings & Paul W. Grimes, 2017. "Economic Education Retrospective," The American Economist, Sage Publications, vol. 62(1), pages 102-117, March.
    2. Hall, Joshua C. & Podemska-Mikluch, Marta, 2015. "Teaching the economic way of thinking through Op-eds," International Review of Economics Education, Elsevier, vol. 19(C), pages 13-21.
    3. Matthew C. Rousu, 2018. "Using Show Tunes to Teach about Free (and Not-So-Free) Markets," Journal of Private Enterprise, The Association of Private Enterprise Education, vol. 33(Winter 20), pages 111-128.
    4. John T. Dalton & Andrew J. Logan, 2020. "Using the movie Joy to teach innovation and entrepreneurship," The Journal of Economic Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 51(3-4), pages 287-296, August.
    5. Joshua C. Hall & Kaitlyn R. Harger, 2014. "Teaching Students to "Do" Public Choice in an Undergraduate Public Sector Course," Working Papers 14-16, Department of Economics, West Virginia University.
    6. Abdullah Al‐Bahrani & Darshak Patel, 2015. "Using ESPN 30 for 30 to teach economics," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 81(3), pages 829-842, January.
    7. Joshua C. Hall, 2017. "A "Model" Model: McCloskey and the Craft of Economics," Working Papers 17-09, Department of Economics, West Virginia University.
    8. Abdullah Al-Bahrani & David Mahon & G. Dirk Mateer & Patrick Ryan Murphy, 2018. "Pokemon GO: Applications for the Economics Classroom," Journal of Economics Teaching, Journal of Economics Teaching, vol. 3(2), pages 218-231, December.
    9. Sarah Burke & Patricia Robak & Carolyn Fabian Stumph, 2018. "Beyond Buttered Popcorn: A Project Using Movies to Teach Game Theory in Introductory Economics," Journal of Economics Teaching, Journal of Economics Teaching, vol. 3(1), pages 153-161, May.
    10. Rousu, Matthew C. & Melichar, Mark & Hackenberry, Bailey, 2021. "Using Music to Teach Agricultural, Applied, and Environmental Economics," Applied Economics Teaching Resources (AETR), Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 3(4), November.
    11. Marta Podemska-Mikluch & Darwyyn Deyo & David T. Mitchell, 2016. "Public Choice Lessons from the Wizarding World of Harry Potter," Journal of Private Enterprise, The Association of Private Enterprise Education, vol. 31(Spring 20), pages 57-69.
    12. Ambrose Leung & Hiroyo Nakagawa, 2021. "Exploring Collaborative Learning in Economics with Visual Aids," Journal of Economics Teaching, Journal of Economics Teaching, vol. 6(1), pages 53-69, May.
    13. R. Andrew Luccasen & Michael Hammock & M. Kathleen Thomas, 2011. "Teaching Macroeconomic Principles Using Animated Cartoons," The American Economist, Sage Publications, vol. 56(1), pages 38-47, May.
    14. Christopher Clark & Brooke Conaway & Jessie Folk & Justin Roush, 2021. "Teaching Economics in Three Acts," Journal of Economics Teaching, Journal of Economics Teaching, vol. 5(3), pages 116-130, March.
    15. Joshua Hall & Josh Matti & Amir B. Ferreira Neto, 2019. "Rent-seeking in the classroom and textbooks: Where are we after 50 years?," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 181(1), pages 71-82, October.

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    Keywords

    active learning; popular culture;

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