7 Resources For Anyone Interested In Economics

The economy is an important aspect of society that affects the everyday lives of billions of people around the world. But to many, it seems too complicated to understand. Luckily, there are plenty of organizations and individuals that are doing important work to research the economy, develop new theories, and explain concepts big and small to the public at large. This video was made with Ezvid Wikimaker.

People & Groups That Specialize In Economics

Name Description
Economy UK-based organization working to make economics less confusing
William Easterly NYU professor and author who has published several books and articles about economics
Buddhist Economics A holistic approach to economics developed by practicing Buddhist Clair Brown
Washington Center for Equitable Growth Non-profit research and grant-making organization working to advance evidence-backed ideas and promote economic growth
Econsult Solutions, Inc. Company that uses creativity and economics to help businesses and policymakers better understand and serve their communities, markets, and customers
Local Futures Organization working to renew ecological, social, and spiritual well-being by promoting a systemic shift towards economic localization
The Hamilton Project Policy initiative of The Brookings Institute which seeks to advance America's promise of opportunity, prosperity, and growth

5 Things You Should Know About Economics

  1. There are two main types: microeconomics deals with the behavior of individuals & macroeconomics focuses on larger groups, like countries
  2. The law of supply & demand: a basic rule which says that the price of something is largely determined by how much of it there is and how much people want it
  3. Gross Domestic Product (GDP): measures the size of a country's economy, basically an estimate of the value of all goods and services produced within the country over a set period of time
  4. Interest Rates: determine how much extra you have to pay back when you take out a loan or how much you can expect a savings account to grow over time
  5. Inflation and Deflation: describe a change in the spending power of money over time, leading to a stronger or weaker currency

What Is Economic Value, And Who Creates It?

9 Interesting Books About The Economy

Title Author(s)
1. Rewriting the Rules of the American Economy Joseph E. Stiglitz
2. The Primal Prescription Doug McGuff & Robert P. Murphy
3. A Man for All Markets Edward O. Thorp
4. Utopia for Realists Rutger Bregman
5. Bad Paper Jake Halpern
6. Door to Door Edward Humes
7. Second Chance Robert T. Kiyosaki
8. Private Island James Meek
9. The Financial Diet Chelsea Fagan & Lauren Ver Hage

The History Of Short Selling

In Depth

Economists study some of the most important issues facing our society, and, for better or for worse, some of them exert a powerful influence in government and academia. But the discipline often proves confusing for the laypeople whose life this work affects. Here, in no particular order, are seven resources for anyone interested in learning more about economics.

#1 is Economy. The UK-based organization started its campaign to redefine "economics" in response to a YouGov poll showing only twelve percent of respondents felt that politicians and media discuss the discipline in an accessible way. The group's work takes three broad approaches: finding out how people feel about economics, providing products that represent the change it wants to see, and campaigning for others to communicate about the field in an approachable manner.

The website hosts a range of educational materials. There are basic explainers on subjects like home and work. Weekly posts in the "Explores" series gather public opinion on more specialized or topical subjects, like religion, love, and Brexit. It also publishes news stories with a focus on their economic dimensions. The project welcomes volunteers to run courses in their local area or otherwise spread the gospel of the economics discipline.

The website hosts a range of educational materials.

At #2, William Easterly is Professor of Economics at New York University and Co-director of the NYU Development Research Institute. He writes books and articles for specialists and the general public alike, contributing to publications including The Wall Street Journal, The Financial Times, and the New York Review of Books, as well as a range of academic journals.

Easterly's books include The Tyranny of Experts, which examines the ways in which rich countries' so-called development programs have further impoverished and repressed poor ones. He covers similar ground in The White Man's Burden: Why The West's Efforts To Aid the Rest Have Done So Much Ill and So Little Good, as well as in The Elusive Quest for Growth, a book which cost him his job at The World Bank.

In the #3 position, we've got Buddhist Economics, a holistic approach to economics developed by Clair Brown, Director of the Center for Work, Technology, and Society at the University of California, Berkeley. Inspired by the writings of Amartya Sen, Jeffrey Sachs, and Bill McKibben, Brown claims that her method integrates sustainability, equity, and compassion.

Inspired by the writings of Amartya Sen, Jeffrey Sachs, and Bill McKibben, Brown claims that her method integrates sustainability, equity, and compassion.

Brown, a practicing Buddhist, believes that by replacing the endless cycle of desire with more positive collective activities, our lives can become richer as well as happier. Her book on the subject was published in 2017, and her website supplements the case made there with reading group prompts, podcast conversations, and blog posts.

#4: The Washington Center for Equitable Growth is a non-profit research and grantmaking organization dedicated to advancing evidence-backed ideas and policies that promote economic growth. The group works to connect academics and policymakers to craft appeals on behalf of a lightly reformed capitalism.

Based in Washington, D.C., the think tank was formed in 2013. Its website hosts articles presenting and analyzing recent research in economics, and connects policymakers with specialists. The organization also funds grants for scholars working on projects concerned with growth and inequality. Additionally, it publishes books and provides news outlets with commentary on economic issues.

Based in Washington, D.C., the think tank was formed in 2013.

Coming in at #5, Econsult Solutions, Inc. provides businesses and public policymakers with consulting services in urban economics, real estate economics, transportation, public infrastructure, development, public policy and finance, community and neighborhood development, and planning. It also offers expert witness services for litigation support.

Sitting at the intersection of analysis, policy, and strategy, the group takes an interdisciplinary approach to its clients' most challenging issues. The company's services are used by businesses, governments, and non-profit organizations alike. Econsult makes many of its reports available to the general public online.

For #6, we've got Local Futures. Partisans of the new economy movement, the group promotes economic localization, on behalf of ecological, social, and spiritual causes. It descends from The Ladakh Project, focused on supporting the indigenous culture of a region in The Himalayas against the encroachments of commercial Western culture.

Partisans of the new economy movement, the group promotes economic localization, on behalf of ecological, social, and spiritual causes.

It produces books, films, and other "education for action" tools, as well as organizing activist-oriented conferences and workshops worldwide. The group maintains a blog called The Economics of Happiness, addressing a variety of current events. The organization's staff contributes commentary to a range of online publications and podcasts.

Concluding our list at #7, The Hamilton Project is an initiative of The Brookings Institute that produces policy proposals and political strategies on behalf of broad-based economic growth. Guided by an Advisory Council of academics, business leaders, and former public policy makers, the Project sees its mission as the promotion of individual economic security and public investment by government.

The group collaborates with leading experts to produce white papers and policy proposals on the issues it considers key to stimulating economic growth. It also maintains a blog that features commentary from a stable of contributors drawn from the fields in which it intervenes, and promotes the approaches it endorses in multimedia content, including photos, videos, and podcasts.