Splash Biography

What does it take to win the Nobel Prize in Economics, and what can the history of the award tell us about the evolution of the discipline? In this course, we will explore some of the major ideas, people, and debates that have defined the study of economics since the Prize's establishment in 1968. We will explore how key winners of the Prize, including Paul Samuelson, Milton Friedman, and John Nash, influenced everyday thoughts, such as "Should I buy coffee or make it at home?", "Who pays for the lunch I eat and the chair I sit in?", and "Golden scar or chug jug?". We will discuss what questions the Nobel Committee has cared about in the past, consider what questions they will care about in the future, and make a case for the "GOAT" Nobel Prize-winning economist. Students should leave the course with a healthy introduction into the history of economics as a study, key concepts and figures in economics since the inception of the Nobel Prize in economics, and, time permitting, trends regarding the Nobel Committee's selection process. In addition, students should leave with tips on how to, one day, win the Prize themselves!