How to View Economics
"Economics appears unrealistic, excessively abstract, ahistorical, or simply implausible, occasionally verging on the insane," writes Tyler Cowen. But it isn't, as he explains.
One of my goals as an Economic Scene columnist has been to broaden readers' understanding of what questions economists ask (sometimes at the risk of reporting what seems obvious to the non-rigorous). Contrary to the way it's portrayed in most media, economics isn't mostly about interest rates and the stock market. I do, however, tend toward reporting empirical results, the better to avoid the problems Tyler discusses.