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However, the bias on the study is terrible, and I'd have loved to see the questions they suggested like: "It would have been good, for example, if a question ha
by Robin_Message 16y ago
However, the bias on the study is terrible, and I'd have loved to see the questions they suggested like: "It would have been good, for example, if a question had asked about negative consequences of drug prohibition, or the positive consequences of increased immigration from Mexico."
But even looking at the simple ones like "rent controls reduce housing availability" and "minimum wage laws increase unemployment" there is some unfortunately shocking naivety displayed.
- _delirium 16y agoOn the last one, economists are less agreed on that than they used to be. Surveys used to routinely find 90%+ of economists thinking that minimum wage laws increase unemployment, but in recent surveys it's down to ~60% or so, because a few large empirical studies have failed to find any relationship. Economic theory still claims that there should be a relationship, but it seems not to actually happen in practice when minimum wages have been raised, or at least happens at small enough magnitude that it's difficult to detect.
- andre3k1 16y agoYes, but the principles taught in introductory and intermediate level economic courses argue for a relationship between minimum wage laws and unemployment. To think that those surveyed have an understanding of economics that supersedes an intermediate level is kinda crazy, huh? I would venture to say that the majority of the population is far below that level.