Exploring The Economist’s View of the World

When: April 11, 2021 11:30 AM ET
Where: Virtual

Featuring:
● [Moderator] Jonathan Bydlak, Director of the Governance Program, R Street Institute
● Dr. Steven Rhoads, Author, The Economist’s View of the World: And the Quest for Well-Being
● Megan McArdle, Columnist, The Washington Post
● Doug Holtz-Eakin, President, American Action Forum

The economic way of thinking permeates all aspects of modern life. This has never been truer than in our age of pandemics, unprecedented sanctions and the reemergence of inflation. Policymakers have no choice but to engage with cost-benefit analyses in their work, and journalists of all stripes increasingly are tasked with communicating complex economic topics to lay audiences.

But just what does it mean to “think like an economist”? And how can economic insights be incorporated into the policymaking process and public conversation? Steven Rhoads’ classic 1984 book, The Economist’s View of the World: And the Quest for Well-Being, has some answers. Considered by many to be among the best introductions to economic thought ever published, the new 35th anniversary edition tackles these questions head-on while accounting for political and economic developments that have come about since its first printing.

Join us for a wide-ranging conversation with author Steven Rhoads, The Washington Post’s Megan McArdle and American Action Forum president and former Congressional Budget Office director Doug Holtz-Eakin as we discuss how lawmakers can incorporate economic insights into the policymaking process and convey them to the broader public.