Show or hide comments about the document.
Search over the document's text.
Share the document through social networks or e-mail.
After selecting an area on the page.
...you can:
copy the text
share the segment
comment
cite the document

Fall 2013

ISSN 0890-913X

Volume 29, Number 1

What Should Be Taught and Learned in Economics Classes (and Is It?)

James Gwartney, Florida State University

Jane S. Shaw, Political Economy Research Center

Download

e-mail

<< Back to editing
Previous version by
<< Older
Newer >>
Revert to this one

Edit
Cancel
Fullscreen

Show comments
Zoom:
Page: / 14

Line spacing:
Word spacing:

Search:FindClose

search results

TheJournalofPrivateEnterprise29(1),2013,73–86WhatShouldBeTaughtandLearnedinEconomicsClasses(andIsIt?)JamesD.GwartneyFloridaStateUniversityJaneS.ShawJohnW.PopeCenterforHigherEducationPolicyAbstractThispaperhighlightsfivemajordeficienciesoftheintroductoryeconomicscoursestypicallytaughtintheUnitedStates:(1)inattentiontothekeyroleofprivateownership,(2)neglectofthecompetitiveprocess,(3)lackofcoverageofentrepreneurship,(4)neglectoftheinsightsofpublicchoiceeconomics,and(5)inaccurateportrayalofeconomiccentralplanning.Thepapershowshowthesedeficienciescouldberemediedwithagreateremphasisoneconomicfreedominintroductorycourses.Thepaperalsoreportsonaninnovativenewcoursedesignintendedtoimprovethecontentandenliventhepresentationofbasiceconomics.JELCodes:A2,H00Keywords:Economiceducation;Privateenterprise;Competition;Publicchoice;Entrepreneurship;EconomicfreedomI.IntroductionIntroductorycollegelevelcoursesineconomicsgenerallyconsistofatwo-semestersequenceinmicroeconomicsandmacroeconomics.Thesecoursesaredesignedtoprovidebotheconomicsandbusinessstudentswiththefoundationforfurtherstudyinthesefields.Inaddition,manyschoolsofferaone-semestercourseforstudentsthatprovidesanoverviewofthesubject.Itisoftentheonlycourseineconomicsthesestudentswilltake.Manyhighschoolsalsoofferaone-termcoursesimilartothecollege-levelsurvey.Thesebasiccoursescoverkeyeconomicconceptssuchas:scarcity;incentives—howchangesinpersonalbenefitsandcostsinfluencechoicesinapredictablemanner;opportunitycost—theconceptthatthewaytomeasurecostsisthroughwhatonegivesup;gainsfromtrade;howdivisionoflaborandspecializationenhanceoutput;andsupplyanddemandandtheirdeterminationofprice.73

GLIFOS-digital_archive

Metadata [hide]

Title	What Should Be Taught and Learned in Economics Classes (and Is It?)
Authors/Creators:	James Gwartney, Florida State University Jane S. Shaw, Political Economy Research Center
Year:	2013
Volume:	29
Number:	1
Pages:	73 - 86
Publisher:	The Association of Private Enterprise Education
ISSN:	0890-913X
Document Type:	Articles
Keywords:	Economic Education, Entrepreneuship

Citation:
Gwartney, James; Shaw, Jane S. / 2013. "What Should Be Taught and Learned in Economics Classes (and Is It?)." The Journal of Private Enterprise, 29(1): 73-86.