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 towards the history of their discipline. This paper traces the...

In this work we compare the undergraduate Economics majors and their underlying structure in the top-ranked Economics departments of Europe and the United States. We identify the fundamental courses usually included in an Economics major by means of a cluster analysis. We further distinguish...

In this work we compare the undergraduate Economics majors and their underlying structure in the top-ranked Economics departments of Europe and the United States. We identify the fundamental courses usually included in an Economics major by means of a cluster analysis. We further distinguish...

Random effects estimates using panel data for 42 colleges and universities over 16 years reveal that the economics faculty size of universities offering a Ph.D. in economics is determined primarily by the long-run average number of Ph.D. degrees awarded annually; the number of full-time faculty...

Regression analysis using panel data for 42 colleges and universities over 14 years suggests that the economics faculty size of universities offering a Ph.D. in economics is determined primarily by the long-run average number of Ph.D. degrees awarded annually; the number of full-time faculty...

We investigate whether the field of study influences university students' political attitudes. To disentangle self-selection from learning effects, we first investigate whether the fields of study chosen by the incoming students correlate with their political attitudes. In a second step we...

Since opinion leaders are usually university graduates, the field of study has an influence on public support for economic policies and policy reforms intended to enhance efficiency because advocating such policies often requires appreciation of the beneficial roles of markets and economic...

The author provides a description of an innovative cooperative learning project set in the context of the 2008 U.S. presidential campaign. Student groups were tasked to become experts on one reform issue pertinent to the U.S. health care system. Students worked independently researching their...