I’m guessing students that wanted to do it could sit the licence

@Miguel Sanchez

Hehehe

@Owen

Well a voluntary licence would help to clean that up – there would be a definite standard.

@Falafulu Fisi

Economics is an issue that involves how we all think and feel – and as a result it is something everyone DOES know something about. This is why economists get attacked so much, because it is an issue everyone feels they have some handle on.

However, as you say, without a clear standard it might be hard to figure out who to get information off without constant trial and error.

I think often us economists over-rate our ability, but I think sometime people downplay the importance of getting another opinion on social issues from a person like an economist.

What pisses me off more is that there are lots of wannabe economists who regularly appear on our TV evening news or front page in our daily local newspaper making (supposedly) expert comments on issues relating to economics which is way beyond their understandings. They also taking snipes frequently at the opinions of real economists. In my view, they want to do this (rubbishing economists) so as to drive more customers to their (consulting or whatever) businesses. I often find their media commentaries correct, but anecdotal.

This is in direct contrast to someone like you , Paul Walker or Eric Crampton where you can argue this issue, then back up by reputable studies which are facts and not anecdotal.

I can’t remember exactly which TV1 Close-Up that I saw this lady (non economist) arguing with Gareth Morgan about interest rates I guess, and this lady kept rubbishing Gareth despite Gareth kept bringing up with Mark Sainsbury about a few overseas studies that showed what the lady was saying was all bollocks (Ok, he didn’t use that exactly), but it was obvious to the viewers that Gareth was frustrated by this lady.

If your community will move to have something like you’re proposing (voluntary to start with perhaps), then the members of the public will definitely know who to go to for advice, etc… In this way, the public can tell the difference between real economists and wannabes.

What are the criteria for calling oneself an economist?

Matt Nolan :
Seriously, there are people who put themselves as economists out there who are pundits making things up

One of the many chuckles that I get from watching Fox News is when they bring on Ben Stein as an “economist” – while he does have some economics training, the closest he’s come to being a practicing economist is playing the teacher in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off…

No no NZ economists are lovely. Just wouldn’t it be nice to have a central test to make sure we are all on the same wavelength with regards to our underlying fundamental description of our discipline …

That is a little bit different though.

Getting a Phd isn’t a REPEATED test, so you may build up your human capital to get the Phd and then stop investing in it.

The suggestion here is to have a repeated test – something you have to sit every 3-5 years to keep the nice little sticker. That way you can’t let your human capital deteriorate below a certain level, or you’ll lose your sticker.