Do Economists Make Bad Citizens?

Frank, Robert H.; Gilovich, Thomas D.; Regan, Dennis T.

doi:10.1257/jep.10.1.187

This setting lets you change the way you view articles. You can choose to have articles open in a dialog window, a new tab, or directly in the same window.

Open in Dialog
Open in New Tab
Open in same window

Journal of Economic Perspectives: Vol. 10 No. 1 (Winter 1996)

JEP Volume. 10, Issue 1 | left

Previous Article Next Article right

Expand

Quick Tools:

Print Article Summary Email Link to this Article Export Citation
Sign up for Email Alerts Follow us on Twitter

Explore:

JEP - All Issues

Do Economists Make Bad Citizens?

Article Citation

Frank, Robert H., Thomas D. Gilovich, and Dennis T. Regan. 1996. "Do Economists Make Bad Citizens?." Journal of Economic Perspectives, 10(1): 187-192.

DOI: 10.1257/jep.10.1.187

Abstract

Although field experiments and classroom surveys are ambiguous about whether economists are less likely than others to cooperate in social dilemmas, three important points remain clear: economics training encourages the view that people are motivated primarily by self-interest; there is clear evidence that this view leads people to expect others to defect in social dilemmas; and there is also evidence that, when people expect partners to defect, they are overwhelmingly likely to defect themselves. These points' logical implications appear to place a heavy burden of proof on those who insist economics training does not inhibit cooperation.

Article Full-Text Access

Full-text Article (Complimentary)

Authors

Frank, Robert H. (Johnson Graduate School of Management, Cornell U)
Gilovich, Thomas D. (Cornell U)
Regan, Dennis T. (Cornell U)

JEL Classifications

A11: Role of Economics; Role of Economists
A13: Relation of Economics to Social Values

Comments

View Comments on This Article (0) | Login to post a comment