A Discussion of “A Dialogue between a Populist and an Economist” In an unusually playful academic article, Boeri, Mishra, et al. (2018) write a script of two people, Populist and Economist, arguing over the success (or failure) of economics in explaining the latest wave of populism fever that has spread…
Pedagogy
GPA: What Does This Mysterious Metric Teach Us?
A Discussion of “Grades in Economics and Other Undergraduate Courses” The Grade Point Average (GPA) is the metric we use to represent student achievement, but should we? It serves as a measure for who qualifies for honors, scholarship,s internships, and job offers. That is a lot riding on one number….
Economic Thought
A Spoonful of Populism is the Medicine We Need
A Discussion of “Is Populism Necessarily Bad Economics?” Populism is on the rise. Is that good? Is that bad? What is it anyway? Dani Rodrik (2018) has written a thoughtful article that helps us define what it is and when it can be a force for good. First, he states…
Pedagogy
Beyond the Lecture: Time to Blend
A Discussion of “Measuring the Effect of Blended Learning” Moving forward into the unknown that is teaching in higher education this fall has professors scrambling for course design that can work in person, online, or some combination of the two. We have been told at my school to plan for…
Macroeconomics
Can Emerging Market Economies Prevent Importing a Financial Crisis?
A Discussion of “When Do Capital Inflow Surges End in Tears?” Post World War II the “Powers that Be” set about building an economically interdependent global world order, governed by institutions like the IMF, the WTO and the World Bank, with the intention of preventing future global wars. If a war…
Pedagogy
How Much Does Classroom Time Matter?
A Discussion of “A Randomized Assessment of Online Learning” I teach at a small, private college which traditionally has offered a low teacher-student ratio as one of our main amenities. It’s why I teach there because teaching is my favorite part of being a professor. Then the pandemic struck this…
Economic Thought
Communism, Attitudes, and Political Sustainability
A Discussion of “The Long-Term Effects of Communism in Eastern Europe” Communism ended in Eastern Europe over three decades ago, but does that mean the market system that took its place is secure? What impact do the cultural and economic attitudes of the people have on the sustainability of the market…
Pedagogy
Active Learning: Myth or Reality?
A Discussion of “How Often Does Active Learning Actually Occur?” “Chalk and Talk.” “Sage on the Stage.” AKA, lecturing — the most common technique used in teaching economics in higher education today. Why? Because it is effective? Probably more because it is traditional. It is the method most current professors had in school….
Economic Thought
Sports, Religion, Communism, and Capitalism
A Discussion of “Emotional Tagging and Belief Formation: The Long-Lasting Effects of Experiencing Communism” Have you ever shared a dramatic experience with other people but each of you have a very different reaction? Each seems to draw their own conclusion, learn different lessons, store different memories. That’s similar to what…
Pedagogy
Remote Testing Without Cheating
Exploring a Better Way to Test During the Shut Down Halfway through the spring semester, living for Spring Break when I will get caught up on that ever-growing to do list, I certainly could not have predicted how much time I was about to have at home! Spring Break passed normally…