How Economics Can Save the World 9780241502723, 0241502691, 0241502705
Economics has the power to make the world a better, happier and safer place: this book shows you how Our world is in a
755 112 1MB
English Pages 277 Year 2022
Table of contents :
Contents
Preface
Introduction: How to Save the World
What is economics?
The economic way
The tools of economics
Why care?
Looking ahead
1. How to Eliminate Poverty
Give them money
Randomize it
The feeling of scarcity
The dismal science
Analytical egalitarianism
Anti-egalitarianism today
A moral science
2. How to Raise Happy Children and Remain Sane
The parenting economist
Selfish reasons to have more kids
The economics of it
Yale or jail?
Economics and tolerance
3. How to Fix Climate Change
The proposal
The economics of externalities
But does it work?
Why trust an economist?
Rationality and irrationality
4. How to Change Bad Behaviour
Norms and behaviour
Norms can change
How to change norms
Solving for the equilibrium
Economics as social science
Hope and change
5. How to Give People What They Need
A mechanism for kidneys
Making good things happen
Markets that work, and markets that don’t
Economics, markets, and values
6. How to Be Happy
The economics of happiness
Most people are happy
Can money buy happiness?
Adaptation, aspiration, and social comparison
What gives?
7. How to Be Humble
What is overconfidence?
What do we know about overconfidence?
Sources of overconfidence
Avoiding overconfidence
Building overconfidence-proof teams
Discussion
8. How to Get Rich
Save when you can
Invest in index funds
Borrow judiciously
Improve your skills
Why aren’t we rich already?
Having it all
9. How to Build Community
What’s the problem?
Ostrom’s design principles
Ostrom’s polycentric vision
Economics, expertise, and values
10. Conclusion
Whence the scepticism?
Final words
Further Reading
Glossary
Acknowledgements
Notes
Bibliography
Index
Contents
Preface
Introduction: How to Save the World
What is economics?
The economic way
The tools of economics
Why care?
Looking ahead
1. How to Eliminate Poverty
Give them money
Randomize it
The feeling of scarcity
The dismal science
Analytical egalitarianism
Anti-egalitarianism today
A moral science
2. How to Raise Happy Children and Remain Sane
The parenting economist
Selfish reasons to have more kids
The economics of it
Yale or jail?
Economics and tolerance
3. How to Fix Climate Change
The proposal
The economics of externalities
But does it work?
Why trust an economist?
Rationality and irrationality
4. How to Change Bad Behaviour
Norms and behaviour
Norms can change
How to change norms
Solving for the equilibrium
Economics as social science
Hope and change
5. How to Give People What They Need
A mechanism for kidneys
Making good things happen
Markets that work, and markets that don’t
Economics, markets, and values
6. How to Be Happy
The economics of happiness
Most people are happy
Can money buy happiness?
Adaptation, aspiration, and social comparison
What gives?
7. How to Be Humble
What is overconfidence?
What do we know about overconfidence?
Sources of overconfidence
Avoiding overconfidence
Building overconfidence-proof teams
Discussion
8. How to Get Rich
Save when you can
Invest in index funds
Borrow judiciously
Improve your skills
Why aren’t we rich already?
Having it all
9. How to Build Community
What’s the problem?
Ostrom’s design principles
Ostrom’s polycentric vision
Economics, expertise, and values
10. Conclusion
Whence the scepticism?
Final words
Further Reading
Glossary
Acknowledgements
Notes
Bibliography
Index
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