Undisciplined Preferences: How People Think About Economic Policy

Politicians and voters alike recognise the importance of "the economy" in politics, and vice versa. Yet our understanding of the politics of many of the most critical economic policy questions of the day remains limited. Why did public opinion react to the 2010 financial crisis with such support for austerity, for so long? What do the public value in economic performance? How do politicians think about what a successful economy looks like? How do people respond to the economic policy questions which take the form of complex trade-offs?

This lecture examines these questions, exploring how non-economists make sense of economic policy. Public opinion and politicians’ thinking can, on a first glance, seem undisciplined in the sense of lacking coherence. But equally important in understanding opinions in today’s political economy may be recognising the need to “undiscipline” quantitative approaches to the study of economic beliefs, interrogating disciplinary assumptions with new data.

There will be a drinks reception following the event, and everyone is welcome!

This event will be recorded and the video will be uploaded to our YouTube channel.

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Accessibility

There is step free access into the lecture theatre(s).
The door opening width(s) is/are 75cm+ for the lecture theatre(s).
There are designated spaces for wheelchair users within the lecture theatre(s).
There is space for an assistance dog.
There is a hearing assistance system for the lecture theatre(s).
There is not a visual fire alarm beacon in the lecture theatre(s).

More info can be found here.