Economist's Need to Change Their Writing Style

Economists need to change their writing style if they are going to have any success educating the public. Call me naive but isn’t that the purpose of their writing or are they just writing for other economists? My hope is that economists will change their style in order to broaden their audience. Why? Economics is so important; it is the study of human cooperation. It involves critical elements of political, cultural, scientific and even spiritual thought. It impacts the very nature of how humans relate to one another and determines how and where a person can make a living. In other words, economics explains how people use their means to achieve their own desired ends. It is most broadly speaking, a subject which looks at how people live as individuals and communities.

In order to communicate more effectively and honestly, I suggest that economists begin writing their articles with their recommendations placed at the beginning of their pieces; admitting right away what their motivations and political biases are. In the remainder of their papers they can support their conclusions with economic fundamentals and historical illustrations.

By stating their concluding points first, economists reveal their personal biases. For example, they will show whether they believe that business cycles are natural market phenomena which are optimal responses to changing circumstances, or whether they are the result of institutional or political flaws. These different perspectives on the causes of business cycles represent very important disagreements which exist between competing schools of economic thought. I could go on about this topic forever. I wrote my honors thesis on competing free market schools of thought and how they each explain the causes of business cycles in their own unique way. It was a fascinating topic to write about.

All the best,
Betsy