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The Incentives of Future Economists - Striking a Balance between Tools and Relevance

Author

Listed:
  • Boschini, Anne

    (Stockholm University)

  • Lindquist, Matthew

    (Stockholm University)

  • Pettersson, Jan

    (Stockholm University)

  • Roine, Jesper

    (Dept. of Economics, Stockholm School of Economics)

Abstract

As a contribution to the recent debate about graduate education in Economics, we have surveyed all students enrolled in the Stockholm Doctoral Program in Economics. We believe that this is a good representative of a strong European graduate program which in the early 1990's adopted a US-style structure. Our results show that students enter with a relatively broad academic background and an interest in social science and real world problems, but find that incentives within the program do not encourage participation in the policy debate. To the extent that graduate school is educating idiots savants it is not because students enter with no interest. Our results are remarkably similar to those found by Colander and Klamer (1987) in their survey of American graduate students in the late 1980's.

Suggested Citation

  • Boschini, Anne & Lindquist, Matthew & Pettersson, Jan & Roine, Jesper, 2004. "The Incentives of Future Economists - Striking a Balance between Tools and Relevance," SSE/EFI Working Paper Series in Economics and Finance 550, Stockholm School of Economics.
  • Handle: RePEc:hhs:hastef:0550
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Krueger, Anne O, et al, 1991. "Report of the Commission on Graduate Education in Economics," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 29(3), pages 1035-1053, September.
    2. Colander, David & Klamer, Arjo, 1987. "The Making of an Economist," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 1(2), pages 95-111, Fall.
    3. Colander, David, 2003. "The Aging of an Economist," Journal of the History of Economic Thought, Cambridge University Press, vol. 25(2), pages 157-176, June.
    4. Per Skedinger & Dan Johansson, 2004. "In Sweden, Anti-Globalizationists Dominate Public Discourse, Econ Profs Do Little," Econ Journal Watch, Econ Journal Watch, vol. 1(1), pages 175-184, April.
    5. Assar Lindbeck, 2001. "Economics in Europe," CESifo Forum, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich, vol. 2(01), pages 31-32, March.
    6. Bruno S. Frey & Reiner Eichenberger, 1993. "American and European Economics and Economists," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 7(4), pages 185-193, Fall.
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    As found by EconAcademics.org, the blog aggregator for Economics research:
    1. [経済]専門バカの育て方
      by himaginary in himaginaryの日記 on 2012-03-16 12:00:00

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    Cited by:

    1. Jonung, Christina & Ståhlberg, Ann-Charlotte, 2006. "The Fruits of Economics - A Treat for Women? On gender balance in the economics profession in Sweden," Working Paper Series 5/2007, Stockholm University, Swedish Institute for Social Research.
    2. Dan Johansson, 2004. "Economics Without Entrepreneurship or Institutions: A Vocabulary Analysis of Graduate Textbooks," Econ Journal Watch, Econ Journal Watch, vol. 1(3), pages 515-538, December.
    3. Benny Carlson & Lars Jonung, 2006. "Knut Wicksell, Gustav Cassel, Eli Heckscher, Bertil Ohlin and Gunnar Myrdal on the Role of the Economist in Public Debate," Econ Journal Watch, Econ Journal Watch, vol. 3(3), pages 511-550, September.
    4. Petersen, Verner C., 2005. "The otherworldly view of economics - and its consequences," Working Papers 2005-13, University of Aarhus, Aarhus School of Business, Department of Management.
    5. Wendy A. Stock & T. Aldrich Finegan & John J. Siegfried, 2006. "Attrition in Economics Ph.D. Programs," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 96(2), pages 458-466, May.
    6. Daniel B. Klein, 2005. "The Ph.D. Circle in Academic Economics," Econ Journal Watch, Econ Journal Watch, vol. 2(1), pages 133-148, April.
    7. Christina Jonung & Ann-Charlotte Ståhlberg, 2008. "Reaching the Top? On Gender Balance in the Economics Profession," Econ Journal Watch, Econ Journal Watch, vol. 5(2), pages 174-192, May.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Economics education; graduate education;

    JEL classification:

    • A11 - General Economics and Teaching - - General Economics - - - Role of Economics; Role of Economists
    • A23 - General Economics and Teaching - - Economic Education and Teaching of Economics - - - Graduate

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