Economics: A User’s Guide (Part 2)

Russell David “Russ” Roberts (born 1954) is an American-born Israeli economist. He is currently a research fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution and president of Shalem College in Jerusalem.

He is known for communicating economic ideas in understandable terms as host of the EconTalk podcast.

Roberts describes himself as a classic liberal, stating, he believes in limited government combined with personal responsibility. He says I am somewhat of a libertarian, but that term comes with some baggage and some confusion.”

In the world of economics ‘classic liberal’ translates as ‘neoclassical’. For non-economists, that really means ‘conservative’.

For Part Two of our guide, we wanted to highlight a conservative, neoclassical approach. Like Ha-Joon Chang, Roberts is not only a great communicator, but also particularly self-aware. His entertaining 2014 book: How Adam Smith Can Change Your Life, gives contemporary readers some great insights into the founder of modern economics’ other book – The Theory of Moral Sentiments.

Economics: A User’s Guide (Part 2) –

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Accounting Software for Micro-Businesses (Part 2)

About THE MAIN STREET JOURNAL

FIGHTING THE BIAS AGAINST SMALL BUSINESS

The Main Street Journal challenges the tendency to overestimate medium-sized and large businesses and overlook the smallest firms that make up Canada’s economy

THE REALITY OF CANADA'S SMALLEST BUSINESSES

Half of workers in business with fewer than 50 employees work for micro-businesses with 0-4 employees.

87%

of private-sector firms are self-employed or micro-business

0-4

employees defines a micro-business

99.7%

of Canadian firms are not large

WHY SMALL BUSINESSES ARE OVERLOOKED

Our hope is to challenge our own perspectives and those of public-sector and corporate finance counterparts to deliver perspectives relevant to the ‘missing middle’ of Canada’s economy.

Critical Thinking