More on the economics Nobels from Paul Krugman, Vernon Smith, David Henderson, and Tyler Cowen (1, 2).
UPDATE: Like my co-bloggers, I am very pleased with the selection of Ostrom and Williamson. They are both very important figures who are well deserving. On a personal note, they have also both been influential on my own work, particularly the research on this article, which discusses the tension between antitrust law and resource conservation.
Sara says:
I guess it is reasonable for a political-economist that people seem to be judging her work by its political implications. I congratulate the winners. At any rate, if Vernon Smith is right, we know at least, Dr. Olstrom would not make a good blogger: “She listens carefully to data, and avoids muckraking.”
October 13, 2009, 9:24 ams says:
This Krugman link and the Levitt link posted by someone here yesterday have a point of disagreement about the importance of Williamson, with Levitt claiming that his influence is basically past and Krugman emphasizing his increasing importance. I can’t say for social scientists in general, but in the field of “mainstream” economics my experience has been that Levitt is right here. Running a non-random straw poll of dissertation level PhD students (mostly age 30 and below), about 2 of 15 had ever even heard of Williamson, and neither of those who had heard of him had read anything by him.
October 13, 2009, 11:33 am