Hayek in Texas

by Russ Roberts on March 16, 2010

Is Hayek an important enough economist to be taught in Texas schools alongside Keynes and Friedman? Justin Wolfers says no. Bill Easterly says yes.

I’m always happy to spread Hayek’s name around. But the real question isn’t whether F. A. is worthy. The real question is why is there a state-wide board making a decision like this. Of course it’s going to a political decision instead of the one that’s best for the students. But maybe just as importantly, it imposes a one-size-fits-all solution. So while I happen to like more Hayek, I’m sure there are many things I wouldn’t like about the Texas state schoool decision. But all parents are stuck with the state-wide decisions.

Wolfers thinks Hayek’s unworthy. I’m sure there are thousands if not millions of Texas parents who agree. But instead of competition among schools over what children should learn, it’s a top-down decision. Bad idea.

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vikingvista

Why on earth would a government school want to teach real economics? Economics does not favor the state or statists, particularly government schools and the unions that they are meant to serve.

Keynes has a proper place in school. But not in economics class, except maybe in a lesson on popular economic fallacies. Maybe in history class, or in whatever class kids learn about astrology. I'd say religious studies, but I don't think government schools offer that.
Rien Huizer

Hayek was an important political economist. To what extent his contribution to the discipline of economics is meaningful to an audience, depends on the audience. Just giving kids "the road to serfdom" for instance does not teach them a lot about economics, but would make them more aware of the weaknesses in interventionist policy arguments and doctrines. But that would probably also make them more critical towards other irrational doctrines , like creationism...
J Cortez

It's public school. And therefore unlikely to be the most efficient system for teaching children.

The question shouldn't be whether top down management is better (it's not.)

The question should be: How soon can public schools be privatized?
federalfarmer

I think it's absolutely hilarious that Wolfers uses JUSTOR to "quantify" the influence of economists... thank goodness we have JUSTOR to help make such difficult decisions.
federalfarmer

I think it's absolutely hilarious that Wolfers evaluates Hayek's influence via JUSTOR. Thank goodness JUSTOR was invented to help us make such complicated decisions, such as "quantifying" the influence of deceased economists.
donnoone

Wolfers's argument is stupid. Academic citations are not a measure of worth and Hayek's time was before the "publish or perish" mantra that has overtaken higher education and inflicted the world with oceans of drivel, but "published" drivel. Hayek is a world-historical figure. Larry Summers is not.
Ryan Vann

The confirmation bias is strong in Wolfers. Seriously, that was one of the most laughable attempts to quantify a subjective opinion I've seen in a long time.
A.J. Lenze

I'd just be happy with a school curriculum that just plants a seed of doubt about Keynes and in favor of free markets. However, if there's anything a public school system wants kids to learn, it's that top-down government control is best.
Lee Jamison

Wolfers just proves that the sociology of any profession is simply a fashion show.
Ryan Vann

Yep, I made a similar comment on Bill Easterly's response to this.
aussieBComm

When I studied economics at Melbourne University in the 1970s Hayek was not on the reading list.

It is my view that students of all ages should be encouraged to do wide reading. If they are given a diet of Marxist type economics such as espoused by Krugman then that needs to be balanced by other views. Any school reading list should be as wide as possible, and not something that is narrow with regard to what is being taught.

Unfortunately, I cannot see my point of view being adopted.
Rocky Ramirez

I was a little surprised and disappointed to read the comment sections of other popular libertarian blogs related to this story. The comments tended to be largely in favor of the Texas policy decision with very very few dissenters. Although it's not scientific, I find it interesting that the comment sections which were most in favor of Texas' action happened to be those which were supposed to lean more towards the anarcho-capitalist side of the libertarian spectrum. Does that make any sense?

Thanks for sticking to your principles Mr. Roberts!

"The power to do good is also the power to do harm." -M.F.
lukas

Apparently, no one has told the Texas BOE about this.
politicalcalcs

The decision is more decentralized than it might first appear - it's the Texas State School Board making the call for the people of the state of Texas, not the U.S. Department of Education or U.S. Congress doing something similar that affects the whole population of the United States. It's a top-down decision within that context, but compartmentalized to contain any potential damage from such a top-down decision.

Of course, if there had been any big name economists from Texas, they probably would have skipped over guys like Smith, Keynes and Friedman altogether.
vidyohs

Actually sir, the sad truth is that a great deal of the nation looks at what Texas puts in their school books and follows suit.

Look it up if you don't believe me.

I am a Texan and I don't understand it.
Justin P

"I am a Texan"

I'm sorry.
vidyohs

"I'm sorry"

It probably doesn't show unless you leave your home.
politicalcalcs

That's certainly their choice - it's not like they don't have the ability to make different decisions. I do understand your point though, and for what it's worth, there's been a similar brain-deadness among a number of other states in adopting California's education policies over the years.
vidyohs

Oh no, please tell me that is not true!

Texas is bad enough, but California? Oh woe and calamity!
martinbrock

Spontaneous order, emergence, chaotic attractors, complex adaptation, self-organization, these ideas are all over academia today, in "hard" sciences like physics and biology as well as the social sciences, also in the information sciences. Mathematicians routinely work to formalize these ideas. Look at someone like Stuart Kauffman, a biologist, for respected work in the same direction. It's no accident that Hayek's father was a botanist.
vidyohs

I spent 12 years in a combination of Texas and Arizona schools and the closest I came to Hayek was when the cat coughed up a furball.

I don't even remember economics being offered as a course in our school, social studies yes, economics...I don't think so. As a matter of fact I don't remember any course specifically in business, but honestly I wasn't interested at that time, so I am an unreliable witness.

If I were on the board my input on this would be; "which one, whose ideas, has been proven wrong no matter how popular or unknown, at any given time."

From what I have learned here about Hayek compared to what I already knew about Keynes, I'd have to go with Hayek.
Greg_Ransom

Teach the controversy ...
eidolways

The problem with politics tends to be that politicians must worry about appealing to the largest number of people possible, or to the group with the greatest voting power, and that driving concern is the real motive behind most of their actions. Does this produce the most correct or helpful outcome? Well, no, quite frequently not.

I find it funny, then, that Justin Wolfers uses the measure of what can only be called popularity to judge the classroom-worthiness of Hayek. He effectively votes Hayek off the island without even trying to comment on the substance of Hayek's ideas and postulates. He relies on popularity as a determination of correctness.
lee_kelly

I wonder if they want teachers to be able to play the Kaynes vs. Hayek rap video in class, because you can't very well do that without dealing with Hayek!
Texan

Unless the school system has radically changed in the last ten years, this is a completely superfluous debate. As an advanced student in a top Texas school district(class of 99) I never even came close to reaching this level of thought in any of my classes.

Now as a Ph.D. candidate in economics, I believe to even start being a serious thinker in Political economy you need begin by knowing and understanding Smith, Marx, Keynes, and Hayek. If I ever get to the point of being a professor that will be the reading list for my "Philosophy and Political economics" class.

Although anyone who understands Hayek arguing that Hayek should be required reading by the state, would be kind of funny.
Justin P

I agree anyone that has read and agrees with Hayek can't possibly condone a force feeding.
CRC

Yet another argument for full on privatization of schools and returning to the parents full control over what gets put into their kids brains. When the government owns and controls something (e.g., the schools) the execution of that thing is inevitably politicized.
Jackie Chiles

I wonder how many that are against teaching Hayek know what Hayek stood for.

(I typed this, than read the comments already posted).

The wisdom of crowds rules (in this case).
kurlos

Throughout my entire 12-year public school experience (plus an undergrad degree at state university), the ONLY econ book I was ever required to read other than an introductory textbook was the Communist Manifesto.
martinbrock

Maybe, Capital is an econ book, maybe. The Communist Manifesto is a political tract.
Dane

"I’m sure there are thousands if not millions of Texas parents who agree."

As a Texas resident, I have to agree with Methinks. If Hayek were a high-school quarterback, Russ might be right. But to imagine "thousands if not millions of Texas parents" familiar with the name Hayek is being generous to the extreme.

The problem with the school authority is not only its top-down structure but the fact that it has been co-opted by yahoos who are unrepresentative of the other yahoos in the state.
OnlyShawn

I'm hoping that my MA in econ will allow me to find a job teaching at a high school when we move to Boston. Of course, I'm looking at charter schools for just this reason.
Methinks1776

Russ, I don't think there are thousands or even millions of Texas parents who would agree. I'm not sure that there are thousands or even millions of Texas parents who know who Hayek is. Heck, I know some Princeton econ majors who don't remember him much or at all. Bastiat isn't all that familiar to them either.

Wolfers' logic is dodgy at best, but imposing Hayek by hook or by crook (the usual government way) is no picnic either. Besides, who knows what they'll teach those kids.
yreg

Indeed, millions of Texans who know Hayek??
dream on.

Salma Hayek, perhaps.
vikingvista

They may not know Hayek, but they usually know bu!!$hit when they hear it, and that is a common Texan reaction to keynesiac pronouncements.
Mommsen1625

Ironically, Keynes would have approved of such a top-down way of doing things, Hayek would not have.