Standard introductory textbook authors assert that an increase in government spending expands aggregate demand in the short run but also raises the interest rate and, thus, crowds out private investment in the long run. Because the decrease in investment results in a smaller capital stock, potential output or production capacity decreases. The…

Getting a "wrong" sign in empirical work is a common phenomenon. Remarkably, econometrics textbooks provide very little information to practitioners on how this problem can arise. The author exposits a long list of ways in which a wrong sign can occur and how it might be corrected.

There is a difference between the private and social cost of preserving the past. Although it may be privately rational to forget the past, the social cost is significant: We fail to see that classical political economy is analytically egalitarian. The past is a rich source of surprises and debates, and resources on the Web are uniquely suited to…

Academic departmentalization has limited the dimensionality and thus the richness of analysis in the social sciences. The author examines the case of a modern economics as an example. He reviews the ideas of Williamson (2000), who cites the limits of scope in the New Institutional Economics; Buchanan, who lays bare the ethical foundations of…

Reviews "Learning from the Market: Integrating 'The Stock Market Game' across the Curriculum" guide for teachers in grades 4 to 12. Believes the guide suffers from errors of fact and omission. Suggests corrections and alternative activities that enable instructors to continue to use the material. (JEH)

Updates a study of the coverage of entrepreneurship contained in principles of economics textbooks originally carried out in the mid-1980s. Analyzes coverage of the same topics in 14 popular introductory texts. Concludes that entrepreneurship still has not worked its way into economics-principles texts. (DSK)

Summarizes studies which include student gender as a variable in economics test performance and examines the effect of gender on understanding and learning economics. Discusses gender differences in the effectiveness of alternative teaching techniques and in the enjoyment of and interest in economics. (KC)

Describes recent currents in psychological literature pertaining to the learning process, specifically the left and right hemispheres of the brain. Demonstrates how these psychological advances can help with economic analysis. (Author/KC)

What has happened to the teaching of the beginning course in economics over the past century is discussed. The relative effectiveness of various teaching methods is examined. (Author/RM)

The general educational research literature indicates that computer-assisted instruction (CAI) can be an effective instructional strategy. However, there is a need for methods and tools for measuring the cost effectiveness of CAI. A taxonomy for addressing questions of cost in CAI is presented. (Author/RM)

Using evidence from recent research studies, it is argued that population growth is not a major obstacle to the social and economic growth of developing nations. (RM)

Traces student comprehension in beginning economics course examinations in the United Kingdom from 1969 to 1973. Demonstrates that males performed better on multiple-choice tests, females performed better on essay examinations, and that female learning rates were lower than male learning rates. Reviews the influence of precollege courses. Includes…

Reviews widely-used introductory economics textbooks, examining how issues relating to race and gender are treated. Suggests how stereotypical roles could be avoided in the future. Includes a table summarizing data from 21 textbooks. (Author/DH)

Provides an historical, quantitative, and analytical description of the origins, nature, and broader implications of agriculture's recent economic problems. Discusses current research on the connections between agriculture and the national economy. Includes tables showing agricultural statistics from 1985. (Author/DH)

Reviews undergraduate public finance textbooks for content, difficulty, and ideology. Includes tables summarizing the percentage space devoted to specific topics in 13 popular textbooks. Offers suggestions for supplementary materials. (Author/DH)