What's Economics Worth? : Valuing Policy Research

by Pardey, Philip G.; Smith, Vincent H.

• ISBN13: 9780801879401
• ISBN10: 080187940X
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2004-06-23
• Publisher: Johns Hopkins Univ Pr

Summary

In an era of limited research resources and limitless research needs, demonstrating the worth of any research discipline to policymakers and administrators is a prerequisite for obtaining future funding and making an impact in policy matters. Economists have worked diligently in developing both quantitative and qualitative indicators of the value of science and technology R & D. At the same time, they have paid little or no attention to valuing their own work. In What's Economics Worth? Valuing Policy Research, several expert economists take an important first step towards redressing this imbalance. Anyone who wants to understand what economists do and how to think about valuing their work will find this book intriguing and worthwhile.Contributors: Jeffrey Alwang, Connie Chan-Kang, John Freebairn, Bruce Gardner, Arnold Harberger, Amir Heiman, Anne Krueger, Paul Krugman, Bob Lindner, George Norton, Philip G. Pardey, James Ryan, Vincent H. Smith, C. Peter Timmer, and David Zilberman

Author Biography

Vincent H. Smith is a professor in the department of agricultural economics and economics at Montana State University and codirector of the Agricultural Marketing Policy Center at Montana State University. Philip G. Pardey is a professor of science and technology policy in the department of applied economics at the University of Minnesota. Formerly, he was a Senior Research Fellow at the International Food Policy Research Institute.

Table of Contents

List of Figures	xi
List of Tables	xiii
Foreword	xv
Acknowledgments	xvii
PART I Context
1 Overview	3	(9)
PHILIP G. PARDEY AND VINCENT H. SMITH
2 The Economics Research Industry	12	(57)
VINCENT H. SMITH, PHILIP G. PARDEY, AND CONNIE CHAN-KANG
PART II Economists and Applied Economics Research
3 Assessing the Benefits of Economics Research: What Are the Problems?	69	(18)
PAUL KRUGMAN
4 The Relevance of Economists	87	(21)
ARNOLD HARBERGER
5 The Benefits of Social Science Research	108	(21)
VINCENT H. SMITH AND JOHN FREEBAIRN
6 Adding Value through Policy-Oriented Research: Reflections of a Scholar-Practitioner	129	(24)
C. PETER TIMMER
PART III Economic Information in the Policy Process
7 Second Thoughts on a Framework for Evaluating Agricultural Economics Research	153	(21)
BOB LINDNER
8 Trade Policy and Economic Development: How We Learn	174	(27)
ANNE O. KRUEGER
9 Returns to Policy-Related Social Science Research in Agriculture	201
BRUCE GARDNER
PART IV Estimating the Value of Economics Research
10 Measuring the Benefits of Policy-Oriented Social Science Research: Evidence from Two Developing Countries	225	(27)
GEORGE W. NORTON AND JEFFREY ALWANG
11 Rice Trade Policies in Vietnam: The Impact of Policy-Oriented Economics Research	252	(23)
JAMES G. RYAN
12 The Value of Economics Research	275	(25)
DAVID ZILBERMAN AND AMIR HEIMAN
13 What's Economics Worth? A Summing Up	300	(7)
PHILIP G. PARDEY AND VINCENT H. SMITH
Contributors	307	(2)
Index	309