pull down to refresh
40 sats \ 16 replies \ @Undisciplined 2 Jul \ parent \ on: Robert Reich’s Blind Spots: The Elephant in the Progressive Left’s Room econ
I didn't have his CV at the outset. I had heard that he wasn't trained in economics, which is all my point was.
It's not about satisfying me. There are plenty of PhD Economists who stink at economics, too. There are also plenty of people with no formal training who think about economics really clearly.
Professional training shapes how people approach problems and from what I've seen Reich doesn't really think like an economist. I'd describe him as a political scientist who works on economic topics.
You can't research public policy without economics. It is the foundation.
reply
You absolutely can and many do. These are distinct fields with distinct methodologies.
reply
Public Policy incorporates Econ. Duke lists it first when describing their program.
Duke’s PhD in Public Policy is distinguished by its truly interdisciplinary nature. The program offers a unique balance of depth in a discipline such as:
economics
political science
psychology
sociology
Most "top" unis are very similar.
reply
And economics incorporates mathematics and political science, but I don't consider myself to be either a mathematician or a political scientist.
reply
But you are projecting your situation onto others. Using your example, I know many mathematicians who are software engineers. But I guess you can deny it. It is still true.
reply
I'm saying that "incorporating" economics into a program does not make those who finish it economists.
He's not a trained economist and he's not a professional economist. I'm not sure in what sense I'm supposed to think that he is an economist.
He seems like a political scientist or public policy expert who specializes on labor. That's a similar profession to labor economist, but it isn't the same thing.
reply
Agree to disagree. However, I now understand and respect that your position is personal.
reply
That's pretty dickish. You're normally more respectful than that. I'm telling you how someone from within the profession you're talking about thinks about its boundaries. I'm not sure why that's to be disregarded as "personal", rather than representative.
If you could show that he's either received formal economic training (not a masters degree that touches on economics) or has held a position as an economist, I would gladly admit to having been mistaken.
We can have different definitions here, but I'm not even sure what yours is. The reason there are separate departments for public policy and economics is because they are not the same thing, even if there's overlap and collaboration.