The Virginia School

AFF Doublethink ^ | 25 Feb 2008 | Nicholas Desai

[oblomov]

Even academic departments famous for having a “character” are far from intellectually homogenous, but they do suggest certain family resemblances. George Mason University’s economics department is populated by many libertarians, but libertarianism is not its most salient feature. In speaking with several members of the department, I searched for le mot juste: “Freakonomics”? “Weird economics”? “Interesting economics” turned out to be the least inaccurate term for a sub-discipline that encompasses such questions as whether bounty hunters are (and pirates were) as violent as is commonly supposed, how best to survive torture, and whether one ought to pay to have one’s head frozen after snuffing it.

Northern Virginia’s GMU was once known mainly as a commuter school, but its economics department has risen to national prominence in part because of the two Nobels awarded to faculty members in the past 20 years, and also because of its brand of “interesting economics,” which has helped make it one of the most-quoted economics departments in the world.

At an Asian noodle joint in Fairfax, I asked faculty member Alex Tabarrok what he meant by “interesting,” to which he replied, “Initial surprise, followed by obviousness.”

His colleague Robin Hanson plunged in. “And that’s the definition of news, right? News is something you wouldn’t have expected beforehand, but after you read the article, you have to be persuaded.” But there are other factors at work that might account for GMU’s most-quoted status, Hanson admits. There’s certainly an effect, he explained, whereby reporters want politically-balanced coverage and, given the smaller pool of academics on the Right, GMU benefits. “There’s more of a priority on plain-speaking, too,” he said, and finally for some departments topics that are of interest “to ordinary people are for that reason suspect.”

[oblomov]

GMU has picked up the free market advocacy role where UChicago has fallen. I don't consider Austan Goolsbee and Steven Leavitt to be in the same class as Friedman, Stigler, Coase, and Buchanan.

BTW, Walter Williams is the chair of the GMU Econ department.

[acapesket]

I was just gonna say.. “What about Walter E.”?
I LOVE that MAN!!
Of course, we all know that Mrs. Williams should be annointed for Sainthood!

[angkor]

Not to mention Tyler Cowen, who's probably most famous in the DC Metro area for his comprehensive, enduring, and indispensable Web blog "Tyler Cowen's Ethnic Dining Guide", which attempts to cover every ethnic foodery from the lowliest (but best) pho joint in Northern Virginia to the high-end Brazilian, French, steak places downtown.

He has a Freakonomics-style book (well reviewied) as well as a few Web sites:

http://www.gmu.edu/jbc/Tyler/tyler_cowen.htm

http://www.tylercowensethnicdiningguide.com/2006/09/welcome_1.php