The rhetoric of positivism had a profound effect on the worldview and practice of economists in the middle of the last century. Though this influence has greatly diminished, it still may be found in the attitude of many economists toward the history of their discipline. This article traces the...

Ph.D. programs in economics are ranked overall and by subject field. The results provide insight to students researching graduate programs in economics in specific subject fields. Results indicate that (i) differences in overall research productivity measures diminish as a university's rank...

In many economics programs, both graduate students and new assistant professors are thrown into the classroom without guidance, with the potential for negative ramifications that can last throughout their careers as teachers. This article is a primer in which we offer unique insights into useful...

This article describes a general equilibrium market experiment that allows students to generate goods prices, exchange rates, and trade flows by trading with each other. Instructors can set experiment parameters, and output data are automatically generated as a spreadsheet file. Exchange rate...

If individuals process information differently when it is accessed electronically rather than on paper, then the transition from paper to electronic text may affect learning and retention. Using a randomized experiment, we compare learning outcomes of economics students who use electronic...

We assess the effect of the completion of online homework assignments on exam performance in “Principles of Economics” using a unique experimental method. For specific homework assignments we randomize students into two groups: those for whom the assignment is optional and those for whom it...

Twenty-six undergraduate students explored the meaning of the classics (Adam Smith and Karl Marx) and two lesser-known contributions in ethics and economics (Robert Owen and John Ruskin) in a spring 2007 history of economic thought course. This article introduces the inquiry-based discussion...

The principles of economics course is the most common entry point for economic education and commands more attention among researchers than any other college-level course in the discipline. Over a period of 40 years, the senior author of this paper (K.G.E.) has taught this course to over 35,000...

This article details an experiment that is easily run in the classroom. It demonstrates how two-candidate elections quickly converge to an equilibrium. It points out that the equilibrium is centered on the median voter. Finally, it illustrates what happens when preferences or institutions...

This article presents a classroom game that allows students to directly experience the welfare improvements that can result from price discrimination. The demonstration uses a very familiar decision-making scenario, campus parking, to introduce the concept of price discrimination as well as...