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Economists on the Welfare State and the Regulatory State: Why Don't Any Argue in Favor of One and Against the Other? A Symposium Prologue

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  • Daniel B. Klein

Abstract

In the United States, on matters of the welfare state and the regulatory state, virtually no economist favors one while opposing the other. Such pattern is a common and intuitive impression, and is supported by scatterplots of survey data. But what explains the pattern? Why don’t some economists favor one and oppose the other? The present article is a Prologue to a symposium co-sponsored by the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. This Prologue elaborates the thing to be explained, and it poses several questions. Responses to the Prologue have been contributed by Dean Baker, Andreas Bergh, Robert Higgs, Arnold Kling, Marjorie Griffin Cohen, Anthony Randazzo and Jonathan Haidt, Scott Sumner, and Cass Sunstein. The symposium can be accessed at this link.

Suggested Citation

  • Daniel B. Klein, 2015. "Economists on the Welfare State and the Regulatory State: Why Don't Any Argue in Favor of One and Against the Other? A Symposium Prologue," Econ Journal Watch, Econ Journal Watch, vol. 12(1), pages 2-14, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:ejw:journl:v:12:y:2015:i:1:p:2-14
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Daniel B. Klein & William L. Davis & David Hedengren, 2013. "Economics Professors' Voting, Policy Views, Favorite Economists, and Frequent Lack of Consensus," Econ Journal Watch, Econ Journal Watch, vol. 10(1), pages 116-125, January.
    2. William L. Davis & Bob G. Figgins & David Hedengren & Daniel B. Klein, 2011. "Economics Professors' Favorite Economic Thinkers, Journals, and Blogs (along with Party and Policy Views)," Econ Journal Watch, Econ Journal Watch, vol. 8(2), pages 126-146, May.
    3. Klein, Daniel B., 2014. "Knowledge and Coordination: A Liberal Interpretation," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780199355327.
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    Cited by:

    1. Anthony Randazzo & Jonathan Haidt, 2015. "The Moral Narratives of Economists," Econ Journal Watch, Econ Journal Watch, vol. 12(1), pages 49-57, January.
    2. Scott Sumner, 2015. "Ideological Differences in Economics: Why Is the Left-Right Divide Widening?," Econ Journal Watch, Econ Journal Watch, vol. 12(1), pages 58-67, January.
    3. Andreas Bergh, 2015. "Yes, There Are Hayekian Welfare States (At Least in Theory)," Econ Journal Watch, Econ Journal Watch, vol. 12(1), pages 22-27, January.
    4. Robert Higgs, 2015. "Two Ideological Ships Passing in the Night," Econ Journal Watch, Econ Journal Watch, vol. 12(1), pages 36-41, January.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Welfare state; regulatory state; regulation; redistribution; economists;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • A13 - General Economics and Teaching - - General Economics - - - Relation of Economics to Social Values
    • A14 - General Economics and Teaching - - General Economics - - - Sociology of Economics

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