Research Frontiers in the Economics of Climate Change

Academic and policy debates over climate change risks and policies have stimulated economic research in a variety of fields. In this article I briefly discuss eight overlapping areas of current research in which further effort is particularly warranted. These areas include decision criteria for policy; risk assessment and adaptation; uncertainty and learning; abatement cost and the innovation and diffusion of technology; and the credibility of policies and international agreements. Further analysis in these areas not only will advance academic understanding but also will provide insights of considerable importance to policymakers.     

Class Debates in Intermediate Microeconomics: Social Economics and Pluralist Perspectives

Abstract

This paper proposes the use of class debates in an intermediate-level microeconomics course to introduce early to mid-career undergraduate students to socially embedded and pluralist perspectives, political-economic processes, and policy analyses. Using data from three semesters of class debates in an intermediate microeconomics course, we argue that this activity is a beneficial way to stimulate student interest in social economics, especially in the ethical, political economy, and economic justice aspects of economics and policy. We carried out three allied activities: participation in the debate, a learning self-assessment survey, and a five-page memo providing a balanced analysis of the policy conundrums surrounding the issue under discussion. We discuss three aspects of these class debates relevant to social economists: student attention to processes of knowledge construction, cognizance of power in socioeconomic life, and engagement with economic justice and ethics.     

What Australian Economics Professors Think

In this article we present the results of a recent survey of economics professors in Australia. We found that there is a comfortable measure of consensus in many areas of economic science, including several contentious issues which currently worry policymakers and the general public alike. We show that there is good evidence to suggest that Australian academic economists share a world economic culture with their western European and (to an even greater extent) their American colleagues.
We also asked the professors to share their thoughts on university economics education. There was good consensus that the professors wanted a rigorous classical economics education for their students, but they were not willing to sacrifice breadth: the ideal student, it appears, is one technically competent in economics with a head for the social and political dimensions of the profession. Overwhelmingly, the professors voted the economics department of the Australian National University as the best place for such an education, with those of Melbourne, the University of New South Wales, and Monash, close behind.
Finally, the professors gave their opinions on the understanding of economics by government agencies, business and community groups.     

Encouraging Tutorial Attendance at University Did Not Improve Performance

When tertiary education is subsidised the cost of poor student performance in university subjects falls not only on the individual student but also on society in general. Society therefore has an interest in promoting student performance. There is evidence in the literature that absenteeism from university classes is widespread and that absenteeism adversely affects student performance. In this paper I describe an incentive scheme that increased attendance of business and economics students in an introductory statistics subject at a typical Australian university. Like other authors I find a strong positive association between attendance and academic performance, both in the presence and absence of the scheme. However, there is no evidence that the incentive scheme caused student performance to improve. Although students attended more classes they did not perform better than students in the previous year's class who had the same observable characteristics and attendance levels but who were not exposed to the scheme.     

The international policies of brain gain: A review

Policymakers across OECD countries have become increasingly concerned with the national and international debate about brain drain and have launched appraisal processes of the situations in their respective countries. The debates took different turns in different countries, but nevertheless, some common issues cut across a number of countries. The issues of academic structures and traditions, legislation and management, and reputation and image have surfaced as critical factors for brain drain and brain gain. In this paper I provide a systematic analysis of the international policy debates surrounding the issue of brain drain and brain gain and make an attempt to distinguish between them by classifying them into different categories.     

The international policies of brain gain: A review

Policymakers across OECD countries have become increasingly concerned with the national and international debate about brain drain and have launched appraisal processes of the situations in their respective countries. The debates took different turns in different countries, but nevertheless, some common issues cut across a number of countries. The issues of academic structures and traditions, legislation and management, and reputation and image have surfaced as critical factors for brain drain and brain gain. In this paper I provide a systematic analysis of the international policy debates surrounding the issue of brain drain and brain gain and make an attempt to distinguish between them by classifying them into different categories.     

The psychological effects of academic labeling: The case of class tracks

This paper studies the psychological effects of academic labeling. Exploiting the class tracking policy in a Chinese university, we identify the psychological impacts of the academic labels associated with class tracks on the students via a regression discontinuity design in the track assignment rule. We establish causal evidence of positive effects of a better academic label on the academic self-concept and self-expectation of students as well as their academic interest. Our setup ensures that the identified effects of the labels are through the mechanism of student responses, not teachers and schools, suggesting that previous literature focusing on the mechanism of teachers and schools may have neglected an important channel through which academic labels may impact students.     

Developing Critical Thinking by Using the Web in a Principles of Macroeconomics Course

This short exploration details one example of how the web can be used to present, discuss, and search for alternative perspectives on many economic issues as well as to teach students the importance of identifying the author(s) or institution(s) presenting the website information.     

Collaborative teaching pedagogy used in conjunction with a simulation economy

In order to enhance the interest and motivation for students to learn introductory economics, the authors have initiated the creation of a simulation game in which the students are the actors in a self-contained class economy. The students are placed in competitive groups in which they have the role of a firm that produces a good and a household that consumes products. A collaborative learning pedagogy with the simulation was also instituted. Using collected data that measure the impact of this alternative approach, compared to a class taught without the collaborative exercises or the simulation game, it was found that students enjoyed the simulation game and found it worthwhile. Overall, the simulation game and this new approach to teaching introductory economics did not have a negative impact on academic achievement.     

Students' persistent preconceptions and learning economic principles

Economic views held by the general public tend to differ significantly from those of economic experts. Would these differences fade away if people were exposed to some economic instruction? In this article, the authors identify college students' preconceptions about economic issues at the beginning of the semester, verify their persistence throughout the semester, and test whether their beliefs are correlated to course performance. The authors conduct a survey at the beginning and end of the semester on a sample of first-year students taking an economic principles course. They find evidence of preconception persistence and reasoning inconsistencies, pointing to some cognitive biases as a plausible cause. Most students do not integrate the newly learned tools into their thinking process, even if they perform well in tests.     

Teacher training for PhD students and new faculty in economics

Past studies suggest that a majority of economics graduate students engage in teaching-related activities during graduate school and many go on to academic positions afterwards. However, not all graduate students are formally prepared to teach while in graduate school nor are they fully prepared to teach in their first academic position. The authors characterize current teaching experience and training of graduate students from the point of view of directors of graduate studies and of newly minted academic economists. The authors also query department chairs and new faculty about teacher training, support available for new faculty, and the degree to which newly hired Ph.D. economists are prepared to teach. Findings indicate that while some training is available, there is room for enhancing teacher training in economics.     

试论政府网络新闻发言人的角色——兼及政府网络新闻发言人与传统政府新闻发言人的异同

政府网络新闻发言人在一些地方已经开始试水,但是学术界对这一问题的研究还没有及时跟上。政府网络新闻发言人必然有其存在的必然性,政府网络新闻发言人与传统政府新闻发言人是否有区别,如果有又在何处？它在当前及其以后该怎样发展,应当承担起何种角色以及如何有效的发挥其作用？对于这些问题还有待于探讨。     

Does reducing student support affect scholastic performance? Evidence from a Dutch reform

This paper investigates the impact of student support on performance and time allocation of students in Dutch higher education. In 1996 the maximum duration of grants was reduced by 1 year, and thereby limited to the nominal duration of the study program. This reform could have had substantial financial consequences for students. We evaluate the effects of the reform using a difference-in-differences approach. Our main findings are that after the reform, students early in their study (i) switched less to other programs, (ii) obtained higher grades, while (iii) they did not spend more time studying or working. In addition, for students not older than 20 years when they started their study we find larger effects on all performance variables (switching, percentage of completed courses, graduation in the first year and grade point averages). These findings are consistent with recent evidence on heterogeneous treatment effects for higher ability students.     

Is there selection bias in laboratory experiments? The case of social and risk preferences

Laboratory experiments are frequently used to examine the nature of individuals’ social and risk preferences and inform economic theory. However, it is unknown whether the preferences of volunteer participants are representative of the population from which the participants are drawn, or whether they differ due to selection bias. To answer this question, we measured the preferences of 1,173 students in a classroom experiment using a trust game and a lottery choice task. Separately, we invited all students to participate in a laboratory experiment using common recruitment procedures. To evaluate whether there is selection bias, we compare the social and risk preferences of students who eventually participated in a laboratory experiment to those who did not, and find that they do not differ significantly. However, we also find that people who sent less in a trust game were more likely to participate in a laboratory experiment, and discuss possible explanations for this behavior.     

协同创新的内涵、层次与框架

协同创新在我国不仅是一个学术概念,更是一个政治概念,然而现有研究对协同创新的理解与把握较少关注我国协同创新现状,局限于从中观层次（组织机构）探讨协同创新。从我国协同创新现实情境出发,在充分理解我国政府推动协同创新意图的基础上,从微观、中观和宏观3个层次分析协同创新的内涵及功能,发现不同层次的活动主体在外在动因和内在动因共同影响下,形成了相应的协同互动模式;各层次活动主体采取不同的协同创新模式及机制,从而实现了不同层次协同创新绩效。最后,基于协同创新“前因后果”的思路,从多层次视角构建理论分析框架,并提出未来研究展望。     

Developing business ethics theory and integrating economic analysis into business ethics teaching – a conceptualization based on externalities and diminishing marginal utility

Contrary to understandings that treat ethical considerations and economic thinking as separate if not antagonistic issues, we advocate a holistic view that links business ethics to consequentialist economic concepts and their concern about how scarce means should be used for the attainment of (given) ends. We believe that business ethics students will profit from a development of business ethics theory that facilitates an outcome-based evaluation of business strategies anchored in the economic concepts of externalities, game theory, equilibria, efficiency, transaction costs, and diminishing marginal utility. We outline how moral judgments about (socially irresponsible) business behaviors, which often lack theoretical grounding and self-critical examination, can be made both more consistent and transparent through a systematic application of these theoretical concepts. We furthermore point out that, in this evaluative exercise, business ethics analysts should make all assumptions explicit to meet their task of facilitating informed public debates and informed moral choices.     

The economics term paper as an effective teaching tool: Another approach

Summary and conclusion Combining the term paper with the format of a professional conference session provided a learning experience with a lasting positive impact. Students' role playing as chairperson, presenters, and discussants helped to enhance the learning process. Students were motivated go the extra mile not only for peer approval but also because of the impact on their final grade. This approach also helped to develop their oral and written communications skills. These skills are equally relevant for students planning academic and business careers.The presenter-discussant format encouraged critical thinking and provided students with immediate feedback on the success of their efforts. Students who have experienced the process are more knowledgeable about their topic. Most importantly, they are better prepared to succeed at future research projects on other topics.     

气候变化伦理研究评述

气候变化日益成为国际社会的一个热门话题。关于对气候变化问题的国际辩论经历了一个从科学、经济学和政治学争论到伦理争论的历程。气候变化是一个典型的＂全球伦理问题＂,气候变化伦理问题的关键是利益冲突。要解决＂缓解＂和＂适应＂气候变化、碳排量分配的合理性、发展中国家的发展空间及其补偿等一系列问题,必须要对气候公正原则、共同而有区别的责任等问题获得共识。     

Learning to Argue with Intermediate Macro Theory: A Semester-Long Team Writing Project

The authors describe their experience with integrating a semester-long economic analysis project into an intermediate macroeconomic theory course. Students work in teams of “economic advisors” to write a series of nested reports that analyze the current state of the economy, and propose and evaluate policies for a decision-maker. The project simulates real-world policy consulting with an emphasis on applying economic theory and models. The authors describe the project setup and how to tailor its theme to current events, explain methods for keeping it manageable in larger classes, discuss student learning outcomes, and document course evaluation results. Besides improving the learning experience, this project prepares economics students to contribute their own views to policy debates and buttress them with tight macroeconomic reasoning.     

Further Evidence on the Value of Lectures in Elementary Economics

Buckles and McMahon have designed an experiment which can be used in all types of colleges to provide evidence on the best methods of teaching elementary economics. They have tested the hypothesis that class lectures which do no more than recapitulate assigned readings fail to help students learn elementary microeconomic theory. Grade point average and performance on the TUCE pretest were found to be important variables, but attendance at lectures was not. The authors discuss the implications of their findings and suggest further research efforts.