Making Economics Public

“The movement for better public engagement with science often focuses on the natural sciences. Macknight and Medvecky have brought together authors who push us to the harder problem: public engagement with SOCIAL sciences. Knowing about economics is probably more fundamental to being an informed and engaged citizen than knowing about physics or biology. This important book opens new opportunities for research and practice in how publics engage with economics.” Bruce Lewenstein, Professor of Science Communication, Departments of Communication and of Science & Technology Studies, Cornell University “The stakes are high when it comes to the public discussion of economics. The subject is technical – close to a science – which means setting out an economic decision in a simple and clear way can be hard. But unlike the sciences, economics is hard-wired into policy decisions that affect all of us, every day. Making Economics Public shows the huge risks that result – from poorly understood policies to outright dishonesty – and what we must do about it. Each author contributes to establishing the central problem: while we constantly chew over the economy – markets, prices, unemployment – in public debate, discussion of the underlying economics that drive these outcomes is scant. Making Economics Public is a bold step towards rectifying this problem, packed with examples of how and why public discourse can be so thin, shallow and opaque, and what can be done about it. The book should be a mandatory read for policy economists and will be an enlightening read for anyone seeking a better understanding of the forces shaping our lives.” Richard Davies, Professor of the Public Understanding of Economics, University of Bristol