We take classes for two reasons - to expand our view of the world and gain skills that the work force values.  

 

To expand our view of the world: Economics has fallen under many categories over the years.  It is philosophy; it is a science; it is a business tool, it sometimes indicates strong political views.  It is a social science.  

 

As a social science, economics requires both a thorough understanding of the science and the ability to relate it to the real world.  To these ends, I begin my teaching semesters with heavy emphasis on the basic economic tools and work towards policy analysis.  By the end of the semester students should be able to open the daily paper and recognize several economics problems.  Once the problem has been assessed, they should be able to apply the relevant scientific tools, come to a conclusion, and communicate their views.  This last step is perhaps the most crucial.