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The Unbearable Lightness of the Economics-Made-Fun Genre

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  • Peter Spiegler

Abstract

Several commentators have argued that the Economics-Made-Fun (“EMF”) genre contains very little actual economics. As such, it would seem that criticisms of EMF do not apply economics more broadly. In this paper I take a contrary view, arguing that, in fact, at a deep conceptual level, the engine of EMF analyses is precisely the engine of mainstream economics. Specifically, I argue that both EMF and mainstream economics rest on a conceptual foundation known as the Principal of the Substitution of Similars (“PSS”). Understanding how PSS leads EMF practitioners to make claims well beyond what is warranted by their analysis also offers insight into how PSS leaves mainstream economists in danger of overestimating the power and scope of their analyses. I explore the consequences of such problems through an example of economic analysis of the U.S. housing market in the lead-up to the recent financial crisis.

Suggested Citation

  • Peter Spiegler, "undated". "The Unbearable Lightness of the Economics-Made-Fun Genre," Working Papers 12, University of Massachusetts Boston, Economics Department.
    • Handle: RePEc:mab:wpaper:12
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    File URL: http://repec.umb.edu/RePEc/files/spiegler_unbearablelightness.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Donald MacKenzie, 2008. "An Engine, Not a Camera: How Financial Models Shape Markets," MIT Press Books, The MIT Press, edition 1, volume 1, number 0262633671, April.
    2. Zaloom, Caitlin, 2006. "Out of the Pits," University of Chicago Press Economics Books, University of Chicago Press, number 9780226978130, Febrero.
    3. Aaron Steelman, 2005. "Book review : The relentless pursuit of incentives. \\"Freakonomics : a rogue economist explores the hidden side of everything\\" by Stephen D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner," Econ Focus, Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, vol. 9(Sum), pages 46-47.
    4. Karl E. Case & Robert J. Shiller, 2003. "Is There a Bubble in the Housing Market?," Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, Economic Studies Program, The Brookings Institution, vol. 34(2), pages 299-362.
    5. Brian A. Jacob & Steven D. Levitt, 2003. "Rotten Apples: An Investigation of the Prevalence and Predictors of Teacher Cheating," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 118(3), pages 843-877.
    6. Mark Duggan & Steven D. Levitt, 2002. "Winning Isn't Everything: Corruption in Sumo Wrestling," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 92(5), pages 1594-1605, December.
    7. Maas,Harro, 2005. "William Stanley Jevons and the Making of Modern Economics," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521827126, October.
    8. Vincent Lépinay, 2011. "Codes of Finance. Engineering Derivatives in a Global Bank," Post-Print hal-02057257, HAL.
    9. John DiNardo, 2007. "Interesting Questions in Freakonomics," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 45(4), pages 973-1000, December.
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    Cited by:

    1. Jamie Peck, 2016. "Economic Rationality Meets Celebrity Urbanology: Exploring Edward Glaeser's City," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 40(1), pages 1-30, January.
    2. Reddy, Sanjay G., 2012. "Randomise This! On Poor Economics," Review of Agrarian Studies, Foundation for Agrarian Studies, vol. 2(2), December.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Methodology; Popular Economics; William Stanley Jevons; Ontology; Anthropology of Finance;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • B13 - Schools of Economic Thought and Methodology - - History of Economic Thought through 1925 - - - Neoclassical through 1925 (Austrian, Marshallian, Walrasian, Wicksellian)
    • B41 - Schools of Economic Thought and Methodology - - Economic Methodology - - - Economic Methodology
    • Z13 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - Economic Sociology; Economic Anthropology; Language; Social and Economic Stratification

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