Does Economics Matter?

Chris Dillow:

Does economics matter?: Does economics matter? I ask because I suspect I would understand political debate better if I realized that it doesn’t.

Everybody tends to over-rate the importance of their profession: it’s part of deformation professionelle. Lawyers over-rate the importance of the law, artists of the arts and so on. Maybe economists do the same. Perhaps we should realize that most people who are interested in politics just aren’t interested in economics.

If we adopt this perspective, a lot falls into place. ...