Advice for Non-Economists (from Danny Rodrik)
Ten commandments for non-economists
1/ Economics is a collection of models with no predetermined conclusions; reject any arguments otherwise.
2/ Do not criticise an economist’s model because of its assumptions; ask how the results would change if certain problematic assumptions were more realistic.
3/ Analysis requires simplicity; beware of incoherence that passes itself off as complexity.
4/ Do not let maths scare you; economists use maths not because they’re smart, but because they’re not smart enough.
5/ When an economist makes a recommendation, ask what makes him/her sure the underlying model applies to the case at hand.
6/ When an economist uses the term ‘economic welfare’, ask what s/he means by it.
7/ Beware that an economist may speak differently in public than in the seminar room.
8/ Economists don’t (all) worship markets, but they know better how they work than you do.
9/ If you think all economists think alike, attend one of their seminars.
10/ If you think economists are especially rude to noneconomists, attend one of their seminars.
1/ Economics is a collection of models with no predetermined conclusions; reject any arguments otherwise.
2/ Do not criticise an economist’s model because of its assumptions; ask how the results would change if certain problematic assumptions were more realistic.
3/ Analysis requires simplicity; beware of incoherence that passes itself off as complexity.
4/ Do not let maths scare you; economists use maths not because they’re smart, but because they’re not smart enough.
5/ When an economist makes a recommendation, ask what makes him/her sure the underlying model applies to the case at hand.
6/ When an economist uses the term ‘economic welfare’, ask what s/he means by it.
7/ Beware that an economist may speak differently in public than in the seminar room.
8/ Economists don’t (all) worship markets, but they know better how they work than you do.
9/ If you think all economists think alike, attend one of their seminars.
10/ If you think economists are especially rude to noneconomists, attend one of their seminars.
