Communicating Economics

Overview

Economics is a challenging subject that has a very specific vocabulary. Yet most consumers of economic advice are non-economists. This has sometimes hindered the ability of economists to persuade the general public of their insights, and even to justify their societal function. Nowhere has this been more evident than in the debates preceding the 2016 Brexit referendum. This module aims to equip students with an ability to communicate complex economic arguments in ways that can be understood by wider audiences, beyond academia. In so doing, students will learn how economists persuade by unpicking the economics of the arguments presented by politicians, commentators and other public figures. They will learn how to use, and spot the abuse, of economic and financial statistics. They will learn first-hand how to write like a financial journalist or economic analyst. And they will also learn how to present their arguments like a political commentator.

Learning Objectives

Knowledge and understanding: Students should have a greater understanding of how economics is
communicated to diverse audiences. They should be equipped with the knowledge to critically evaluate
economic arguments presented in the media and elsewhere. They should have a better understanding of
key economic concepts that will be useful in their other economics modules. They should be familiar
with how key (macro-)economic indicators are constructed, presented and used in public discourse.
Intellectual skills: Students should be familiar with the arguments presented in controversial issues and
how they are presented in different media. They should be able to identify and use objective arguments,
critically evaluate the use of evidence in public discourse, and decide for themselves on the validity of
economic opinions.
Practical skills: Students should develop the necessary oral and written communication skills to be able
to function effectively as an economist. In particular, students should learn how to speak in public, for
different audiences. Additionally, students should learn about big data analysis and data visualisation
tools, e.g., as offered by software such as Excel.
Study skills: Students should develop the ability to independently investigate and analyse controversial
economic questions. They should develop the ability to read complex economic arguments in an
efficient manner, and then communicate these to others in simple ways

Skills

Module Aims
1. To acquaint students at an introductory undergraduate level with the skillset required to communicate their economic ideas to both economists and non-economists.
2. To help students to appreciate the purpose of economics as an academic discipline, and how academic insights can be used to improve our understanding of, and participation in, controversial public debates.
3. To provide students with an awareness of key concepts from the philosophy of science and the history of economic thought, and how these influence the way economists attempt to persuade.
4. To develop students’ ability to critically evaluate economic arguments written and presented by
journalists and other public commentators, including how to interpret data, weigh evidence, and draw independent conclusions.
5. To provide students with the requisite skills to identify and frame important societal questions.

Assessment

Students must achieve an overall mark of 40% in the module to pass