Articles
Inflated interest
Bond Snodgrass tracks the trajectory of the practice of self-interest from a noble aspiration to plain selfishness. Every year, unwitting introductory economics students worldwide crack open their shiny new textbooks
How scarce is an opportunity
William Darity Jr. explains why scarcity isn’t everything. One of the consistent obstacles for aggressive action to address global warming is encapsulated in the question, “How will we pay for
When economists shut off your water
This account is based on the findings of ethnographic research conducted in Kayole Soweto, Nairobi, in 2022 by Adrian Wilson, Irene Nduta and Somo Abdi and written by Adrian and Irene with
Fighting inflation with flat-earth monetary policy
Blair Fix puts interest rates to the test in the treatment of inflation and raises a laugh. Advances in science almost invariably arise from questioning received wisdom — taking ideas
Dividends in the Co-op
Margaret Lund tells how cooperation works in practice. In theory, there should be no such thing as a multi-stakeholder cooperative (MSC); in practice, it is a popular model of cooperative
Nobbled in a noble cause
How we became prize fighters. Henry Leveson-Gower recounts. I was going through my mail (the paper stuff) some months ago when I was a little shocked to open a letter
Mint Mbrs Event: Economics and Truth with Henry Leveson-Gower – 3rd May 18:00 BST
Join Henry Leveson-Gower online to discuss the themes of economics and truth from the 25th and latest issue of the Mint. See his leader here and his article on #NottheNobel
Economics rules – not OK
Economic decisions are made without the full understanding of the people they affect most. Katy Wiese spells out the issues. For many, economics is technical, jargon-laden, yet abstract, making it
A Name With No Name
Danielle Guizzo looks at how economics made the work of academic giant Barbara Wootton, invisible. Barbara Wootton, was a leading name in the areas of Sociology and Criminology in post-war
Interviews
Route of all evil
In a far-ranging interview, economist Jo Michell, navigates us through key periods and transformations in economic thought, culminating in the cataclysmic event of the Second World War. Key points Pre-Smith
Subjugate to accumulate
Classical economics developed at a time when slavery, colonialism and empires were the norm, but such relationships never get mentioned in the great works that have shaped the discipline of
A care in the world
While the term care economy is arguably an oxymoron, Tim Jackson, best-selling author of Prosperity without Growth and renowned ecological economist, is exploring what an economy that had care at
News
Columns
Viennese faults
The good professor sings Chicago and thinks it’s time to question a broadcasting dynasty. Please, nobody mention the Dimblebys. I used to be a fan. The melodious Richard on the
The illusion of stability
Economic calm is always the precursor to a storm. Economics says stability is the sign of a healthy economy. There may be shocks that temporarily knock an economy out of
Stripped back
Life’s bare necessities are revealed in death to Professor Verity Bastion. Nowadays I attend more funerals than cocktail parties. They can be quite jolly affairs and it is remarkable what
Books
Sharks are eating the whales
Alex Kozul-Wright reviews The Value of a Whale by Adrienne Buller, Manchester Press (2022) and The Finance Curse by Nicholas Shaxson, Penguin Random House (2018). Though distinct in their focus,
A Brilliant Assault
Foundations of Real-World Economics: What Every Economics Student Needs to Know (Routledge, 3rd edition, 2023), by John Komlos. Review by Guy Dauncey One of the world’s hidden tragedies, happening every
Mint Mbrs Event: Economics and Truth with Henry Leveson-Gower – 3rd May 18:00 BST
Join Henry Leveson-Gower online to discuss the themes of economics and truth from the 25th and latest issue of the Mint. See his leader here and his article on #NottheNobel
Event Recordings
Mint Mbrs Event: Economics and Truth with Henry Leveson-Gower – 3rd May 18:00 BST
Join Henry Leveson-Gower online to discuss the themes of economics and truth from the 25th and latest issue of the Mint. See his leader here and his article on #NottheNobel
From Nudges to Catalysts: A New Approach to Policy for a New Decade
Elinor Ostrom at her 2009 Nobel lecture said: “Designing institutions to force (or nudge) entirely self-interested individuals to achieve better outcomes has been the major goal posited by policy analysts
A New Gold Standard or Impoverished Economics
The 2019 Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel was awarded to Abhijit Banerjee, Esther Duflo and Michael Kremer “for their experimental approach to alleviating global