What ideology are American economists closest to?

[Humes fork]

Here is a poll of American economists' views on different issues relevant to US policy. In some areas, there are strong consensus, for example on free trade and outsourcing. On other topics, for instance universal healthcare, there are serious disagreements.

Nonetheless, there are plenty of topics on which there are a relative strong consensus. Americans reading the poll, in what ideological direction to you feel that your country's economists lean toward? Liberalism? Libertarianism? Conservatism? Or something else entirely? Where would they fit on the political compass?

 

[WildCat]

What does universal healthcare have to do with economics? That's a political issue, not an economic one. You may as well ask them what they think of the new Harry Potter movie. Free trade, however, is an economic issue.

 

[MinnesotaBrant]

Heres a survey asking who was the most influentual economist since 2001.

http://www.economist.com/node/18118985?story_id=18118985&fsrc=rss

here's a guy who says Milton Friedman is it.

http://olafstorbeck.com/2011/02/13/the-contemporary-keynes-why-the-economist-is-wrong/

 

[daredelvis]

What does universal healthcare have to do with economics?

I would imagine it has something to do with us spending ~15% of our GDP on health care. Just guessing though.

That's a political issue, not an economic one. You may as well ask them what they think of the new Harry Potter movie. Free trade, however, is an economic issue.

That's just silly.


Daredelvis

 

[WildCat]

I would imagine it has something to do with us spending ~15% of our GDP on health care. Just guessing though.

And it would still be 15% under UHC, so how is it an economic issue? Are the pros and cons of UHC regularly studied in economics courses? It's a political issue, and a social sciences issue. Not so much an economic one.

 

[Tsukasa Buddha]

Neoliberalism, though it is disconcerting that ideological positions are preached as scientific facts so often that people seem to forget and equate Neoliberalism with Economics itself.

 

[TheNooch]

Here is a poll

Where? Those links seem off a bit.

 

[Cain]

I recall polling saying that at universities there are three times as many Democrats as Republicans, but I'm sure there are also significant numbers of Libertarians and Independents.

The poll results are not terribly surprising. Economists agree on things like trade and disagree on taxes and spending. Would've liked to see a question on the minimum wage.

 

[Humes fork]

I recall polling saying that at universities there are three times as many Democrats as Republicans

Among economists or in general?

 

[BobTheCoward]

I just graduated with an econ degree from a school in the southwest. I would say the majority of the staff was conservative.

However, very few engaged in normative economics and most recognized that when they gave an opinion, it was based on something on top of economics. Economics can only answer what is efficient.

 

[Cain]

Among economists or in general?

Among economists. Other disciplines had wildly different ratios. In fact, economics was the very least lopsided between Democrats and Republicans. Anthropology was the most lopsided (either 32 Democrats for each Republican, or 16 Democrats for each Republican).

 

[Cain]

Did some googling:

The results show that the faculty is heavily skewed towards voting Democratic. The most lopsided fields surveyed are Anthropology with a D to R ratio of 30.2 to 1, and Sociology with 28.0 to 1. The least lopsided is Economics with 3.0 to 1. After Economics, the least lopsided is Political Science with 6.7 to 1

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sour...E2ocLPta7vx9JuQ5g&sig2=l-O6w5JmNgdr661_UDvjFA

 

[Humes fork]

Did some googling:



http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sour...E2ocLPta7vx9JuQ5g&sig2=l-O6w5JmNgdr661_UDvjFA

Very interesting, thanks!

It seems that American economists are mostly a Democratic (and liberal) bunch then.

 

[TraneWreck]

What does universal healthcare have to do with economics? That's a political issue, not an economic one. You may as well ask them what they think of the new Harry Potter movie. Free trade, however, is an economic issue.

Yes, when did economists become interested in efficient allocation of resources?

 

[DeathDart]

Which economic school recognizes when capital (the rich) has become a bubble or cancer and it is time to raise taxes?

Supply and demand, when the interest rate is this low, it means we have too much capital.

We have too much capital, because the government is now a partner in keeping wages low.

More money piles up around the rich people.

Working people pile up a lot of debt in expectation that their increased productivity will get them a raise.

The increased worker productivity means, that they need fewer workers.

Their pile of money gets higher, and people who worked and saved their money can't get a fair interest rate. So they have to stay in the labor pool, driving down wages further.

Health Care and FEAR are just another means of control.

Which economic school recognizes when capital (the rich) have become a cancer and it is time to Viva la Revolucion KaaaCHUNK!

 

[DeathDart]

I couldn't afford anger management classes.
I need to go to the dentist to see whether I clenched my teeth too hard and shattered them.
Is it normal to have spinal fluid in your sinuses?

 

[Dog Town]

I couldn't afford anger management classes.

I told you! Don't type angry.

 

[DeathDart]

Well, I am less angry after I type.

 

[Humes fork]

Which economic school recognizes when capital (the rich) has become a bubble or cancer and it is time to raise taxes?

Supply and demand, when the interest rate is this low, it means we have too much capital.

We have too much capital, because the government is now a partner in keeping wages low.

More money piles up around the rich people.

Working people pile up a lot of debt in expectation that their increased productivity will get them a raise.

The increased worker productivity means, that they need fewer workers.

Their pile of money gets higher, and people who worked and saved their money can't get a fair interest rate. So they have to stay in the labor pool, driving down wages further.

Health Care and FEAR are just another means of control.

Which economic school recognizes when capital (the rich) have become a cancer and it is time to Viva la Revolucion KaaaCHUNK!

What an extraordinary exhibition of economic illiteracy. And off-topic!

 

[leftysergeant]

What an extraordinary exhibition of economic illiteracy. And off-topic!

Meh. Ecconomics is pseudo-science. It should be considered merely a side topic to be discussed under social science.

Or maybe under theology, since so much of it is obviously superstitious.

Friedman should be a topic for abherent psychology.

Mostly, American ecconomists of any influence have been, since 1981, trending toward anarcho-capitalism. Given the number of times that has ever worked, it stands to reason that most of the Eccon faculty in any university really need a good head candling.