# Points on which economists agree **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 29, 2019, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/points-on-which-economists-agree/845553 "2019-12-29T16:36:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Steven\_Estes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/94ad74/32.png) [@Steven\_Estes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steven_Estes)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2019, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/points-on-which-economists-agree/845553/1 "2019-12-29T16:36:59Z")
While economists seem to virtually never agree on anything, I have heard that a number of economics textbooks all begin with ten points on which there is wide agreement. Can anyone briefly summarize these? ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2019, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/points-on-which-economists-agree/845553/2 "2019-12-29T16:53:07Z")
I have no idea about the ten they all agree on, but would assume things like - the benefits of free trade outweigh the drawbacks - corporate taxes are not a good way to have progressive taxation - rent control doesn’t work to create affordable housing ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2019, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/points-on-which-economists-agree/845553/3 "2019-12-29T17:08:36Z")
Apparently there is broad consensus among economists on key issues like the effectiveness of stimulus packages or bank bailouts, and considerable scepticism over popular political ideas like the claim that tax cuts will boost the economy. One thing almost all economists agree on is that policy should be based as far as possible on sound evidence. > **[The Secret Consensus Among Economists - Freakonomics](https://freakonomics.com/2012/07/the-secret-consensus-among-economists/)** > > If you follow the economic policy debate in the popular press, you would be excused for missing one of our best-kept secrets: There’s remarkable agreement among economists on most policy questions.  Unfortunately, this consensus remains obscured... ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2019, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/points-on-which-economists-agree/845553/4 "2019-12-29T17:10:22Z")
A bit of googling turned up this [“table of propositions to which most economists subscribe, based on various polls of the profession”](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskEconomics/comments/88fyv2/on_what_things_do_virtually_all_economists_agree/) and this short Atlantic article: [4 Politically Controversial Issues Where All Economists Agree](https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2012/04/4-politically-controversial-issues-where-all-economists-agree/255600/). ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2019, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/points-on-which-economists-agree/845553/5 "2019-12-29T17:11:29Z")
You’re likely referring to Gregory Mankiw’s ten Principles of Economics: 1. People face trade-offs 2. The cost of something is what you give up to get it 3. Rational people think at the margin 4. People respond to incentives 5. Trade can make everyone better off 6. Markets are usually a good way to organize economic activity 7. Governments can sometimes improve market outcomes 8. A country’s standard of living depends on its ability to produce goods and services 9. Prices rise when the government prints too much money 10. Society faces a short-run tradeoff between Inflation and unemployment. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2019, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/points-on-which-economists-agree/845553/6 "2019-12-29T17:22:35Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > A bit of googling turned up this [del]“table of propositions to which most economists subscribe, based on various polls of the profession”[/del] and this short Atlantic article: [4 Politically Controversial Issues Where All Economists Agree](https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2012/04/4-politically-controversial-issues-where-all-economists-agree/255600/). Dammit, wrong link. This is the link I meant to post: [Greg Mankiw's Blog: News Flash: Economists Agree](https://gregmankiw.blogspot.com/2009/02/news-flash-economists-agree.html?m=1) (It’s from Greg Mankiw’s blog, whom I now see that **Bear\_Nenno** is referencing.)