Economist Analyst Skill

Purpose

Analyze events through the disciplinary lens of economics, applying established economic frameworks (supply/demand analysis, game theory, general equilibrium), multiple schools of thought (Classical, Keynesian, Austrian, Behavioral), and rigorous methodological approaches to understand market dynamics, incentive structures, resource allocation efficiency, and policy implications.

When to Use This Skill

• Economic Policy Analysis: Evaluate fiscal policy, monetary policy, regulatory changes
• Market Event Analysis: Assess supply shocks, demand shifts, price movements, market structure changes
• Financial Crisis Analysis: Understand systemic risks, contagion effects, market failures
• Business Decision Analysis: Evaluate mergers, pricing strategies, market entry/exit
• Distributional Impact Analysis: Assess who gains/loses from economic events
• Resource Allocation Questions: Analyze efficiency, opportunity costs, trade-offs
• Institutional Change Analysis: Evaluate impacts of new rules, organizations, governance structures

Core Philosophy: Economic Thinking

Economic analysis rests on several fundamental principles:

Incentives Matter: People respond to incentives in predictable ways. Understanding incentive structures reveals likely behavioral responses and outcomes.

Opportunity Cost: Every choice involves trade-offs. The true cost of any action is the value of the next-best alternative foregone.

Marginal Analysis: Decisions are made at the margin. Small changes in costs or benefits can shift behavior and outcomes significantly.

Markets Coordinate: Through price signals, markets coordinate the independent decisions of millions of actors, often efficiently allocating resources.

Information Matters: Information asymmetries, signaling, and market transparency profoundly affect economic outcomes.

Multiple Time Horizons: Economic effects unfold over different timeframes. Short-term impacts may differ dramatically from long-term equilibrium effects.

Unintended Consequences: Economic interventions often produce unexpected results due to complex feedback loops and strategic responses.

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Theoretical Foundations (Expandable)

School 1: Classical Economics (18th-19th Century)

Core Principles:

• Free markets tend toward self-regulation through the "invisible hand"
• Division of labor and specialization increase productivity
• Supply and demand determine prices and quantities
• Markets naturally tend toward equilibrium
• Government intervention generally reduces efficiency

Key Insights:

• Individuals pursuing self-interest can generate socially beneficial outcomes
• Competition drives efficiency and innovation
• Price mechanisms transmit information and coordinate behavior
• Trade creates mutual gains

Founding Thinker: Adam Smith (1723-1790)

• Work: The Wealth of Nations (1776)
• Contributions: Invisible hand mechanism, division of labor, market self-regulation

When to Apply:

• Analyzing long-run market equilibria
• Evaluating effects of market liberalization
• Understanding competitive dynamics
• Assessing trade and specialization benefits

Sources:

• Schools of Economic Thought - Wikipedia
• Classical Economic Theory - Mises Institute

School 2: Keynesian Economics (1930s-Present)

Core Principles:

• Aggregate demand determines economic activity, not just supply
• Markets can fail to clear, leading to prolonged unemployment
• Price and wage rigidities prevent instant adjustment
• Government intervention can stabilize economic fluctuations
• Countercyclical fiscal policy appropriate during recessions

Key Insights:

• Economies can get stuck at sub-optimal equilibria
• Demand management matters for short-run economic performance
• Animal spirits and expectations affect investment and consumption
• Multiplier effects amplify fiscal policy impacts

Founding Thinker: John Maynard Keynes (1883-1946)

• Work: The General Theory of Employment, Interest, and Money (1936)
• Contributions: Theory of aggregate demand, involuntary unemployment, case for stabilization policy

When to Apply:

• Analyzing recessions and economic downturns
• Evaluating fiscal stimulus or austerity
• Understanding short-run economic fluctuations
• Assessing demand-side policies

Modern Relevance: "Theoretical developments of Keynes are extremely relevant in the modern turbulent period of crises and stagnation in the world economy" (2025)

Sources:

• Keynesian Economics - Wikipedia
• The Two Main Macroeconomic Theories - PMC

School 3: Austrian Economics (Late 19th Century-Present)

Core Principles:

• Subjective value theory (value is in the eye of the beholder)
• Entrepreneurial discovery process drives innovation
• Time preference and capital structure matter
• Spontaneous order emerges from individual actions
• Central planning cannot replicate market information processing
• Emphasis on logic and "thought experiments" over empirical data

Key Insights:

• Entrepreneurs drive economic change by discovering profit opportunities
• Government intervention creates unintended consequences
• Market processes are discovery mechanisms, not just allocation mechanisms
• Knowledge is dispersed; no central planner can access all relevant information

Key Thinker: Friedrich Hayek (1899-1992)

• Contributions: Knowledge problem, spontaneous order, critique of central planning
• Warned against centralized economic planning

Classification: Heterodox (non-mainstream) school

When to Apply:

• Analyzing entrepreneurship and innovation
• Evaluating consequences of regulation or intervention
• Understanding knowledge and information problems
• Assessing spontaneous vs. planned order

Methodological Note: Some economists criticize Austrian rejection of econometrics and empirical testing

Sources:

• Austrian School of Economics - Wikipedia
• Austrian Economics - Econlib
• Austrian Economics: Historical Contributions - INOMICS

School 4: Behavioral Economics (Late 20th Century-Present)

Core Principles:

• Cognitive biases systematically affect decision-making
• People have bounded rationality, not perfect rationality
• Framing effects matter
• Loss aversion and reference points shape choices
• Social norms and fairness considerations influence behavior
• Experimental methods can test economic theories

Key Insights:

• Actual human behavior deviates predictably from rational choice models
• "Nudges" can improve decision-making without restricting choice
• Market anomalies may reflect psychological factors
• Default options and choice architecture profoundly affect outcomes

Key Thinker: Daniel Kahneman (1934-2024)

• Nobel Prize 2002
• Applied experimental psychology to economics
• Showed psychological factors undermine rational utility maximization assumption

When to Apply:

• Analyzing consumer behavior and marketing
• Understanding financial market anomalies
• Designing choice architectures and policies
• Evaluating savings, health, and retirement decisions

Sources:

• Exploring Schools of Thought - maseconomics
• Significant Economic Philosophers - K12 LibreTexts

School 5: Monetarism / Chicago School (Mid-20th Century)

Core Principles:

• Money supply is the key determinant of economic activity
• Money supply should grow steadily with the economy
• Monetary policy more effective than fiscal policy
• Free markets and minimal government intervention
• Inflation is always and everywhere a monetary phenomenon

Key Insights:

• Central banks control inflation through money supply management
• Rules-based monetary policy superior to discretionary policy
• Long and variable lags make policy timing difficult
• Market forces generally allocate resources efficiently

Key Thinker: Milton Friedman (1912-2006)

• Contributions: Monetarism, permanent income hypothesis, case for free markets
• Influenced monetary policy globally

When to Apply:

• Analyzing inflation and deflation
• Evaluating monetary policy decisions
• Understanding business cycles
• Assessing central bank actions

Sources:

• 20 Most Influential Living Economists
• The Two Main Macroeconomic Theories - PMC

School 6: Neoclassical Synthesis (Modern Mainstream)

Status: Foundation of contemporary mainstream economics

Core Principles:

• Rational actors maximize utility subject to constraints
• Marginal analysis drives decision-making
• Markets generally reach equilibrium
• Market failures exist and may justify intervention
• Incorporates insights from Keynesian and other schools

Key Insights:

• Microeconomic foundations support macroeconomic analysis
• Both supply and demand matter
• Institutions, information, and incentives shape outcomes
• Empirical evidence should guide theory

When to Apply:

• Standard economic analysis of most events
• Combining micro and macro perspectives
• Empirically-grounded policy evaluation

Source: Evolution of Economic Thought - Medium

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Core Analytical Frameworks (Expandable)

Framework 1: Supply and Demand Analysis

Definition: "Economic model of price determination in a market that postulates the unit price will vary until it settles at the market-clearing price, where quantity demanded equals quantity supplied."

Significance: "Forms the theoretical basis of modern economics"

Key Components:

• Demand Curve: Relationship between price and quantity demanded (typically downward-sloping)
• Supply Curve: Relationship between price and quantity supplied (typically upward-sloping)
• Market Equilibrium: Price and quantity where supply equals demand
• Elasticity: Responsiveness of quantity to price changes
• Shifts vs. Movements: Distinguish changes in quantity vs. changes in demand/supply

Applications:

• Analyzing price changes
• Evaluating market shocks (supply or demand shifts)
• Understanding shortages and surpluses
• Predicting market responses to policies (taxes, subsidies, price controls)

Example Analysis:

• Supply shock (e.g., oil production disruption) → Supply curve shifts left → Higher price, lower quantity
• Demand shock (e.g., income increase) → Demand curve shifts right → Higher price, higher quantity
• Price ceiling below equilibrium → Shortage emerges

Sources:

• Supply and Demand - Wikipedia
• Competitive Equilibrium - Core-Econ

Framework 2: Game Theory and Strategic Interaction

Definition: "Set of models of strategic interactions widely used in economics and social sciences"

Key Concepts:

• Players: Decision-makers in strategic situation
• Strategies: Available actions for each player
• Payoffs: Outcomes depending on all players' strategies
• Nash Equilibrium: Strategy profile where no player can improve by unilaterally changing strategy
• Dominant Strategy: Strategy that's best regardless of what others do
• Prisoner's Dilemma: Situation where individual incentives lead to suboptimal collective outcome

Applications:

• Oligopoly behavior and pricing
• Auction design
• Public goods provision
• Bargaining and negotiation
• Regulatory compliance and enforcement
• International trade negotiations

Example Analysis:

• Two firms deciding on pricing: Nash equilibrium may involve both charging low prices, even though both would be better off charging high prices (prisoner's dilemma structure)
• Auction bidding: Bidders must consider others' strategies and information
• Public goods: Free-rider problem emerges from dominant strategy to not contribute

Source: Game Theory - Core-Econ Microeconomics

Framework 3: General Equilibrium Analysis

Definition: "Attempts to explain the behavior of supply, demand, and prices in a whole economy with several or many interacting markets, seeking to prove that the interaction of demand and supply will result in an overall general equilibrium."

Distinction: Contrasts with partial equilibrium (analyzes one market holding others constant)

Key Insights:

• Markets are interdependent; changes in one affect others
• Economy-wide effects can differ from single-market analysis
• Feedback loops and spillovers matter
• Distributional effects emerge from market linkages

Applications:

• Tax incidence analysis (who really bears the burden?)
• Trade policy evaluation (effects ripple through economy)
• Large-scale policy assessment
• Understanding macroeconomic interdependencies

Example Analysis:

• Carbon tax: Direct effect on fossil fuel markets, but also affects transportation, manufacturing, electricity, consumer goods → General equilibrium captures full effects

Sources:

• General Equilibrium Theory - Wikipedia
• General Equilibrium - Stanford (Levin)

Framework 4: Market Structure Analysis

Types of Market Structures:

1. Perfect Competition

   • Many buyers and sellers
   • Homogeneous product
   • Free entry/exit
   • Perfect information
   • Price takers
   • Result: P = MC, efficient allocation

2. Monopoly

   • Single seller
   • Barriers to entry
   • Price maker
   • Result: P > MC, deadweight loss

3. Oligopoly

   • Few sellers
   • Strategic interaction matters
   • Potential for collusion
   • Result: Depends on strategic behavior

4. Monopolistic Competition

   • Many sellers
   • Differentiated products
   • Some price-making power
   • Free entry/exit
   • Result: P > MC, but competitive entry limits profits

Applications:

• Antitrust analysis
• Industry structure evaluation
• Pricing strategy assessment
• Entry/exit decisions

Analysis Questions:

• How many firms? How much market power?
• Are there barriers to entry?
• How intense is competition?
• What are efficiency implications?

Framework 5: Market Failures and Externalities

Definition: Situations where markets fail to allocate resources efficiently, requiring potential intervention

Types of Market Failures:

1. Externalities

   • Negative externality: Cost imposed on third parties (pollution, congestion)
   • Positive externality: Benefit to third parties (education, vaccination)
   • Result: Market overproduces goods with negative externalities, underproduces goods with positive externalities
   • Efficiency loss: Social cost/benefit differs from private cost/benefit

2. Public Goods

   • Non-excludable (can't prevent use)
   • Non-rivalrous (one person's use doesn't reduce availability)
   • Problem: Free-rider problem → Underprovision
   • Examples: National defense, clean air, lighthouse

3. Information Asymmetries

   • Adverse selection: Hidden characteristics (used car quality)
   • Moral hazard: Hidden actions (insurance reduces care)
   • Result: Market unraveling or inefficiency

4. Market Power

   • Monopoly or oligopoly
   • Ability to set prices above marginal cost
   • Result: Deadweight loss, reduced output

Pigouvian Taxation:

• Purpose: Tax equal to marginal external cost
• Effect: Internalizes externality, restores efficiency
• Example: Carbon tax = social cost of carbon
• Named after: Arthur Pigou (1877-1959)

Coase Theorem:

• If transaction costs are low and property rights well-defined, private bargaining can solve externalities
• Implication: Government intervention not always needed
• Reality: Transaction costs often high, making Pigouvian solutions necessary

Applications:

• Environmental policy (carbon tax, cap-and-trade)
• Public goods provision (taxes for defense, infrastructure)
• Regulation (information disclosure, safety standards)
• Antitrust policy (prevent market power abuse)

Policy Tools:

• Pigouvian taxes: Tax externalities
• Subsidies: Subsidize positive externalities
• Regulation: Direct control (emissions standards)
• Cap-and-trade: Market-based quantity control
• Property rights: Assign and enforce rights (Coase)

Example - Carbon Tax:

• Negative externality: CO2 emissions cause climate damage
• Social cost > private cost
• Pigouvian tax ($50/ton) = estimated social cost of carbon
• Internalizes externality → Efficient outcome
• Revenue recycling can address distributional concerns

Framework 6: Microeconomics vs. Macroeconomics

Microeconomics:

• Focus: Individual markets, firms, consumers
• Tools: Supply/demand, utility theory, game theory
• Questions: How do individual actors make decisions? How do markets allocate resources?
• Assumes: Market clearing, optimization

Macroeconomics:

• Focus: Aggregate economy-wide variables
• Variables: GDP, unemployment, inflation, interest rates
• Tools: Aggregate demand/supply, IS-LM, growth models
• Questions: What determines economic growth? What causes recessions? How should policy respond?

Integration: Modern economics seeks microfoundations for macroeconomic phenomena

Source: Micro and Macro - IMF

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Methodological Approaches (Expandable)

Method 1: Econometric Analysis

Definition: "Application of statistical methods to economic data to give empirical content to economic relationships. Uses economic theory, mathematics, and statistical inference to quantify economic phenomena."

Two Approaches:

1. Nonstructural Models: Primarily statistical, limited economic theory
2. Structural Models: Based on economic theory, can estimate unobservable variables (e.g., elasticity)

Standard Process:

1. Develop theory/hypothesis
2. Specify statistical model
3. Estimate parameters
4. Test hypotheses and evaluate fit

Challenge: "Economists typically cannot use controlled experiments. Econometricians estimate economic relationships using data generated by a complex system of related equations."

Applications:

• Testing economic theories
• Estimating causal effects
• Forecasting
• Policy evaluation

Sources:

• What Is Econometrics? - IMF
• Econometrics - Wikipedia
• Methodology of Econometrics - Wikipedia

Method 2: Comparative Analysis

Purpose: Analyze differences across countries, time periods, policy regimes, or market structures

Approaches:

• Cross-sectional: Compare different units at one point in time
• Time-series: Analyze one unit over time
• Panel data: Combine cross-sectional and time-series (multiple units over time)

Applications:

• Policy evaluation (comparing jurisdictions with different policies)
• Historical analysis (before/after comparisons)
• International economics (cross-country analysis)

Strength: Can reveal causal relationships through natural experiments

Method 3: Theoretical Modeling

Types:

• Mathematical models: Formal representation of economic relationships
• Simulation models: Computational models for complex systems
• Forecasting models: Predictive models
• Policy evaluation models: Assess intervention effects

Process:

1. Simplify reality to capture essential features
2. Derive implications mathematically or computationally
3. Test predictions against data
4. Refine model based on evidence

Value: Clarifies assumptions, ensures logical consistency, generates testable predictions

Source: Econometric Modeling - ScienceDirect

Method 4: Natural Experiments and Quasi-Experimental Methods

Purpose: Approximate experimental evidence when true experiments are infeasible

Approaches:

• Difference-in-differences: Compare treated vs. control groups before/after treatment
• Regression discontinuity: Exploit sharp cutoffs in treatment assignment
• Instrumental variables: Use exogenous variation to identify causal effects
• Natural experiments: Analyze settings where nature or policy creates quasi-random assignment

Value: Can provide credible causal inference

Method 5: Case Studies and Historical Analysis

Purpose: Deep understanding of specific events or episodes

Process:

• Detailed examination of context
• Identification of causal mechanisms
• Pattern recognition across similar events
• Lessons for theory and policy

Applications:

• Financial crises
• Policy reforms
• Technological changes
• Institutional innovations

Value: Rich contextual understanding, hypothesis generation

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Analysis Rubric

Domain-specific framework for analyzing events through economic lens:

What to Examine

Incentive Structures:

• Who gains? Who loses?
• How do costs and benefits align?
• What behavioral responses are likely?
• Are there perverse incentives?

Market Dynamics:

• Supply and demand effects
• Price movements and signals
• Quantity adjustments
• Market structure implications

Resource Allocation:

• Efficiency: Is allocation Pareto optimal?
• Opportunity costs: What is foregone?
• Transaction costs: How costly are exchanges?
• Distributional effects: Who gets what?

Information and Knowledge:

• Information asymmetries (do all parties have same information?)
• Signaling and screening mechanisms
• Market transparency
• Knowledge problems (can actors access needed information?)

Institutional Context:

• Property rights and enforcement
• Regulatory framework
• Contractual arrangements
• Governance structures

Questions to Ask

Microeconomic Questions:

• How will rational actors respond to incentives?
• What are the opportunity costs involved?
• How does market structure affect outcomes?
• Are there information asymmetries?
• What efficiency gains or losses result?

Macroeconomic Questions:

• How does this affect aggregate demand or supply?
• What are implications for growth, employment, inflation?
• How might monetary/fiscal policy respond?
• What are business cycle implications?

Policy Questions:

• What market failures (if any) exist?
• Would intervention improve outcomes?
• What unintended consequences might arise?
• Who are winners and losers from policy?

Dynamic Questions:

• Short-run vs. long-run effects?
• Transition paths and adjustment dynamics?
• Expectations and forward-looking behavior?
• Path dependence and hysteresis?

Factors to Consider

Market Context:

• Competition intensity
• Entry/exit barriers
• Product differentiation
• Network effects

Macroeconomic Environment:

• Business cycle position
• Inflation and interest rates
• Exchange rates
• Global economic conditions

Institutional Environment:

• Legal and regulatory framework
• Political economy considerations
• Social norms and culture
• Historical precedents

Stakeholder Impacts:

• Consumers
• Producers
• Workers
• Government
• Society at large

Historical Parallels to Consider

• Similar economic events or shocks
• Comparable policy interventions
• Analogous market dynamics
• Previous crises or booms
• Lessons from economic history

Implications to Explore

Economic Implications:

• Efficiency effects (deadweight losses, gains from trade)
• Distributional consequences (who gains, who loses)
• Growth and productivity impacts
• Employment effects

Policy Implications:

• Need for intervention?
• Appropriate policy response?
• Implementation challenges?
• Political feasibility?

Systemic Implications:

• Spillover effects to other markets
• Macroeconomic stability risks
• Financial system impacts
• Long-term structural changes

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Step-by-Step Analysis Process

Step 1: Define the Event and Context

Actions:

• Clearly state what event is being analyzed
• Identify relevant markets, actors, and institutions
• Establish baseline (pre-event conditions)
• Determine scope (micro vs. macro, partial vs. general equilibrium)

Outputs:

• Event description
• Key actors identified
• Relevant markets listed
• Baseline conditions documented

Step 2: Identify Relevant Economic Frameworks

Actions:

• Determine which school(s) of thought apply
• Select appropriate analytical frameworks (supply/demand, game theory, etc.)
• Identify relevant time horizons
• Choose micro vs. macro perspective

Reasoning:

• Market event → Supply/demand analysis
• Strategic interaction → Game theory
• Aggregate effects → Macroeconomic frameworks
• Long-run analysis → Classical perspectives
• Short-run rigidities → Keynesian perspectives
• Entrepreneurial change → Austrian perspectives
• Behavioral anomalies → Behavioral economics

Outputs:

• List of applicable frameworks
• Justification for selections

Step 3: Analyze Incentive Structures

Actions:

• Map out who gains and who loses
• Identify how costs and benefits are distributed
• Predict behavioral responses to changed incentives
• Look for perverse incentives or unintended consequences

Tools:

• Cost-benefit analysis
• Payoff matrices (game theory)
• Opportunity cost reasoning

Outputs:

• Incentive map
• Predicted behavioral responses
• Identification of likely winners/losers

Step 4: Apply Core Frameworks

For Market Events:

• Draw supply and demand diagrams
• Identify shifts vs. movements along curves
• Determine new equilibrium
• Calculate changes in surplus

For Strategic Situations:

• Specify players, strategies, payoffs
• Identify Nash equilibrium
• Analyze stability and efficiency

For Policy Events:

• Analyze direct effects (intended)
• Identify indirect effects (spillovers)
• Assess efficiency and distribution
• Consider general equilibrium effects

Outputs:

• Formal analysis using chosen frameworks
• Quantitative predictions where possible
• Qualitative insights

Step 5: Consider Multiple Time Horizons

Short-Run Analysis (weeks to months):

• Immediate market reactions
• Price and quantity adjustments
• Liquidity and flow effects

Medium-Run Analysis (months to years):

• Adjustment of production capacity
• Entry/exit of firms
• Consumer habit changes

Long-Run Analysis (years to decades):

• Full equilibrium adjustments
• Structural changes
• Growth and productivity effects

Outputs:

• Timeline of expected effects
• Distinction between transitory and permanent impacts

Step 6: Assess Distributional Effects

Actions:

• Identify who gains and who loses
• Quantify magnitude of gains/losses if possible
• Consider equity implications
• Analyze political economy (who has power to influence outcomes)

Dimensions of Distribution:

• Income groups (rich vs. poor)
• Producers vs. consumers
• Workers vs. capital owners
• Regions or countries
• Generations (intergenerational effects)

Outputs:

• Distributional impact summary
• Equity assessment
• Political economy analysis

Step 7: Evaluate Policy Implications

Questions:

• Is there a market failure justifying intervention?
• What policy responses are available?
• What are costs and benefits of each response?
• What unintended consequences might arise?
• What are political and institutional constraints?

Frameworks:

• Market failure analysis (externalities, public goods, information problems, market power)
• Cost-benefit analysis of policy options
• Comparative institutional analysis

Outputs:

• Policy recommendations (if appropriate)
• Analysis of trade-offs
• Implementation considerations

Step 8: Ground in Empirical Evidence

Actions:

• Cite relevant data and studies
• Reference historical precedents
• Acknowledge data limitations and uncertainties
• Use quantitative estimates where available

Sources:

• Economic data (NBER, Federal Reserve, etc.)
• Academic research
• Historical analogies
• International comparisons

Outputs:

• Evidence-based analysis
• Quantitative context
• Acknowledged limitations

Step 9: Synthesize Insights

Actions:

• Integrate insights from different frameworks
• Reconcile tensions between schools of thought
• Provide clear bottom-line assessment
• Acknowledge areas of uncertainty

Key Questions:

• What are the most important economic effects?
• What are the key uncertainties?
• How robust are the conclusions?
• What additional information would help?

Outputs:

• Integrated economic analysis
• Clear conclusions
• Uncertainty assessment

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Usage Examples

Example 1: Supply Shock - Global Oil Production Disruption

Event: Major oil-producing region experiences production disruption, reducing global oil supply by 10%.

Analysis Approach:

Step 1 - Context:

• Event: Supply shock in oil market
• Scope: Global commodity market, macroeconomic implications
• Baseline: Pre-disruption oil price, production, consumption

Step 2 - Frameworks:

• Primary: Supply and demand analysis (partial equilibrium)
• Secondary: General equilibrium (ripple effects across economy)
• Macroeconomic: Aggregate supply shock

Step 3 - Incentives:

• Producers: Incentive to increase production where possible, higher profits for remaining supply
• Consumers: Incentive to conserve, substitute to alternatives
• Governments: May intervene with strategic reserves

Step 4 - Supply/Demand Analysis:

• Supply curve shifts left (10% reduction)
• Given inelastic short-run demand, price rises sharply
• Quantity transacted decreases (but less than 10% due to demand response)
• Consumer surplus falls, producer surplus may rise or fall depending on elasticity

Step 5 - Time Horizons:

• Short-run (weeks-months): Sharp price spike, limited quantity adjustment, consumers reduce discretionary travel
• Medium-run (months-years): Increased production from other regions, investment in alternatives, behavioral changes
• Long-run (years): Structural shifts to energy efficiency, renewables, electric vehicles

Step 6 - Distributional Effects:

• Winners: Oil producers in unaffected regions, alternative energy providers
• Losers: Oil consumers, oil-intensive industries (airlines, transportation), oil-importing countries
• Regional: Oil-exporting countries gain, oil-importing countries lose

Step 7 - Policy Implications:

• Strategic Petroleum Reserve release (short-run supply increase)
• Monetary policy: Central banks may face stagflation dilemma (supply shock causes both inflation and economic contraction)
• Fiscal policy: Potential subsidies for consumers or alternatives

Step 8 - Empirical Evidence:

• Historical precedents: 1970s oil shocks, 1990 Gulf War, 2008 price spike
• Empirical elasticities: Short-run demand elasticity ~-0.05 to -0.1, long-run ~-0.3 to -0.5
• Macroeconomic impacts: 10% oil price increase historically associated with 0.2-0.3% GDP reduction

Step 9 - Synthesis:

• Sharp short-run price increase due to inelastic demand
• Significant wealth transfer from consumers to producers
• Negative macroeconomic impact (higher costs, reduced consumption)
• Long-run structural adjustment toward alternatives
• Policy response limited but can moderate short-run impacts

Example 2: Policy Change - Minimum Wage Increase

Event: Government increases minimum wage by 20%.

Analysis Approach:

Step 1 - Context:

• Event: Labor market policy change
• Scope: Low-wage labor markets, potentially economy-wide
• Baseline: Current minimum wage, employment levels, wage distribution

Step 2 - Frameworks:

• Classical/Neoclassical: Labor supply and demand → unemployment
• Keynesian: Demand-side effects → stimulus
• Monopsony model: Labor market power → potential employment increase

Step 3 - Incentives:

• Workers: Higher wages for those who remain employed
• Employers: Incentive to reduce labor use, substitute capital for labor, raise prices
• Consumers: Face higher prices

Step 4 - Multiple Perspectives:

Competitive Labor Market Model (Classical):

• Labor demand curve shifts up along supply curve
• Wage increases → Quantity of labor demanded decreases → Unemployment
• Prediction: Employment falls, some workers benefit (higher wage) but others lose (unemployment)

Monopsony Model (Alternative):

• If employers have market power, they pay below competitive wage
• Minimum wage increase can increase both wages AND employment
• Prediction: Depends on degree of monopsony power

Demand-Side Effects (Keynesian):

• Low-wage workers have high marginal propensity to consume
• Higher wages → Increased spending → Demand stimulus → Job creation
• May offset labor demand reduction

Step 5 - Time Horizons:

• Short-run: Limited adjustments, most workers keep jobs at higher wage
• Medium-run: Firms adjust staffing levels, prices rise, automation investment
• Long-run: Structural changes in industry composition, labor market equilibrium

Step 6 - Distributional Effects:

• Winners: Low-wage workers who retain jobs at higher pay
• Losers: Workers who lose jobs or can't find jobs (if disemployment occurs), potentially consumers (higher prices)
• Variation: Effects differ by industry, region, worker demographics

Step 7 - Policy Implications:

• Trade-off: Equity (higher wages for low-wage workers) vs. efficiency (potential unemployment)
• Magnitude matters: Small increases may have minimal effects, large increases more disruptive
• Complementary policies: Job training, EITC expansion may address concerns

Step 8 - Empirical Evidence:

• Mixed evidence: Some studies find small disemployment effects, others find minimal impacts
• Seattle minimum wage study: Modest negative employment effects
• Card-Krueger study: Famous finding of no negative effect (New Jersey/Pennsylvania comparison)
• Meta-analyses: Elasticity of employment with respect to minimum wage around -0.1 to -0.3

Step 9 - Synthesis:

• Economic theory predicts competing effects
• Empirical evidence suggests modest impacts, context-dependent
• Distributional effects: Likely helps low-wage workers who remain employed
• Net effect depends on labor market structure (competitive vs. monopsony), magnitude of increase, and complementary policies
• Reasonable economists can disagree given theoretical ambiguity and mixed evidence

Example 3: Financial Crisis - Bank Run and Credit Crunch

Event: Major financial institution fails, triggering bank runs and credit market freeze.

Analysis Approach:

Step 1 - Context:

• Event: Financial crisis
• Scope: Financial system, macroeconomy
• Baseline: Pre-crisis financial conditions, credit availability, economic activity

Step 2 - Frameworks:

• Game theory: Bank run as coordination problem
• Keynesian: Aggregate demand collapse, liquidity trap
• Market failure: Information asymmetry, externalities, systemic risk

Step 3 - Incentives:

• Depositors: Rational to withdraw funds if others are withdrawing (bank run)
• Banks: Incentive to hoard liquidity, reduce lending
• Borrowers: Credit-constrained, forced to cut spending and investment

Step 4 - Analysis:

Bank Run Dynamics (Game Theory):

• Two equilibria: (1) No one runs, bank solvent; (2) Everyone runs, bank fails
• Bank run is self-fulfilling prophecy
• Coordination failure: Individually rational actions lead to collectively bad outcome

Credit Crunch (Market Failure):

• Information asymmetry: Banks can't distinguish good from bad borrowers
• Result: Credit rationing or complete credit freeze
• Externalities: Firm failures spread through supply chains and financial linkages
• Systemic risk: Interconnected financial system amplifies shocks

Aggregate Demand Effects (Keynesian):

• Credit crunch → Investment and consumption fall → Aggregate demand shifts left
• Output and employment decline
• Potential for liquidity trap (monetary policy ineffective)

Step 5 - Time Horizons:

• Immediate: Bank runs, market panic, liquidity crisis
• Short-run (weeks-months): Credit freeze, sharp economic contraction, policy response
• Medium-run (months-years): Deleveraging, gradual recovery, financial repair
• Long-run: Regulatory reforms, structural changes in financial system

Step 6 - Distributional Effects:

• Depositors: Risk of losses (if banks fail)
• Borrowers: Credit-constrained, face higher costs
• Workers: Job losses, reduced income
• Taxpayers: Bear costs of bailouts

Step 7 - Policy Implications:

• Immediate: Lender of last resort (central bank), deposit insurance, liquidity provision
• Short-run: Bank bailouts/recapitalization, fiscal stimulus (Keynesian response)
• Long-run: Financial regulation (capital requirements, stress tests), deposit insurance reform

Rationale: Market failures justify intervention; coordination problems require government action

Step 8 - Empirical Evidence:

• Historical precedents: 2008 financial crisis, 1930s Great Depression, Japan 1990s
• Policy effectiveness: Deposit insurance prevents bank runs; fiscal stimulus supported recovery in 2008-2009
• Costs: 2008 crisis estimated to cost trillions in lost output

Step 9 - Synthesis:

• Financial crises are classic market failures: coordination problems, information asymmetries, externalities, systemic risk
• Immediate policy response essential to prevent catastrophic outcomes
• Both monetary and fiscal policy have roles
• Long-run reforms needed to reduce future crisis probability
• Trade-offs: Bailouts create moral hazard but prevent systemic collapse

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Reference Materials (Expandable)

Essential Resources

National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

• Description: "Private nonprofit research organization committed to undertaking and disseminating unbiased economic research"
• Resources: Working papers (1973-present), NBER Reporter, NBER Digest, conference reports, video lectures
• 2025 Content: NBER Macroeconomics Annual 2025 (geoeconomics, local projections, credit scores and inequality, climate policy)
• Website: https://www.nber.org/
• Data: https://www.nber.org/research/data

Federal Reserve System

• Description: U.S. central banking system providing economic data and research
• Resources: Fed in Print (working papers, conference papers), FRED (economic data)
• FRED: Federal Reserve Economic Data - https://fred.stlouisfed.org/
• Use: Authoritative source for U.S. economic data and analysis

American Economic Association (AEA)

• Description: Professional organization for economists
• Mission: "Disseminating economics knowledge to students, teachers, professionals, and the general public"
• Resources: Online resources for economics profession, journals, networking
• Website: https://www.aeaweb.org/

Key Journals

• American Economic Review (AER)
• Journal of Political Economy
• Quarterly Journal of Economics
• Econometrica
• Journal of Economic Perspectives
• Review of Economic Studies

Sources:

• Nine Facts about Top Journals - NBER
• Journal Articles - Harvard Library

Seminal Works

Adam Smith

• The Wealth of Nations (1776)
• Foundation of classical economics, invisible hand, division of labor

John Maynard Keynes

• The General Theory of Employment, Interest, and Money (1936)
• Aggregate demand theory, case for government stabilization

Friedrich Hayek

• The Road to Serfdom (1944)
• The Use of Knowledge in Society (1945)
• Knowledge problem, spontaneous order, critique of central planning

Milton Friedman

• A Monetary History of the United States (1963, with Anna Schwartz)
• Capitalism and Freedom (1962)
• Monetarism, case for free markets

Daniel Kahneman & Amos Tversky

• Prospect Theory: An Analysis of Decision under Risk (1979)
• Behavioral economics foundations, cognitive biases

Data Sources

• FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data): https://fred.stlouisfed.org/
• Bureau of Economic Analysis: https://www.bea.gov/
• Bureau of Labor Statistics: https://www.bls.gov/
• World Bank Data: https://data.worldbank.org/
• IMF Data: https://www.imf.org/en/Data
• OECD Data: https://data.oecd.org/

Educational Resources

• Core-Econ - Modern economics textbook
• Marginal Revolution University - Free economics videos
• Khan Academy Economics - Introductory economics

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Verification Checklist

After completing economic analysis, verify:

• Applied appropriate economic frameworks for the event
• Considered multiple schools of thought where relevant
• Analyzed incentive structures systematically
• Identified both efficiency and distributional effects
• Considered multiple time horizons (short, medium, long-run)
• Grounded analysis in empirical evidence or historical precedent
• Addressed policy implications if relevant
• Acknowledged uncertainties and limitations
• Identified winners and losers
• Considered unintended consequences
• Provided clear, actionable insights
• Used economic terminology precisely

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Common Pitfalls to Avoid

Pitfall 1: Ignoring Incentives

• Problem: Analyzing events without considering how actors will respond to changed incentives
• Solution: Always ask "How will rational actors respond?" and "What are the incentive effects?"

Pitfall 2: Partial Equilibrium When General Equilibrium Matters

• Problem: Analyzing one market in isolation when effects ripple through multiple markets
• Solution: Consider spillovers, feedback loops, and economy-wide effects for large events

Pitfall 3: Conflating Short-Run and Long-Run

• Problem: Assuming immediate effects persist, or ignoring short-run frictions
• Solution: Explicitly distinguish time horizons; short-run rigidities may prevent long-run adjustments

Pitfall 4: Ignoring Distributional Effects

• Problem: Focusing only on aggregate effects ("GDP rises") without considering who gains and loses
• Solution: Always ask "Who are the winners and losers?"

Pitfall 5: Uncritical Application of One School of Thought

• Problem: Applying only Classical or only Keynesian framework without considering alternatives
• Solution: Recognize that different schools offer different insights; be eclectic and context-dependent

Pitfall 6: Theory Without Evidence

• Problem: Making claims without empirical support or historical grounding
• Solution: Cite data, studies, historical precedents; acknowledge when evidence is limited

Pitfall 7: Ignoring Unintended Consequences

• Problem: Focusing only on intended policy effects, missing strategic responses and feedback loops
• Solution: Think through second-order effects and how actors will adapt

Pitfall 8: Assuming Perfect Rationality

• Problem: Assuming actors optimize perfectly without cognitive biases or information constraints
• Solution: Consider behavioral factors, bounded rationality, information problems

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Success Criteria

A quality economic analysis:

• Uses discipline-specific frameworks appropriately (supply/demand, game theory, etc.)
• Applies insights from relevant schools of economic thought
• Identifies incentive structures and predicts behavioral responses
• Analyzes both efficiency and distributional effects
• Distinguishes short-run and long-run effects
• Grounds analysis in empirical evidence or historical precedent
• Identifies winners and losers clearly
• Considers policy implications and trade-offs
• Acknowledges uncertainties and limitations
• Demonstrates deep economic reasoning
• Provides actionable insights
• Uses economic concepts and terminology precisely

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Integration with Other Analysts

Economic analysis complements other disciplinary perspectives:

• Political Scientist: Adds political economy, institutional analysis, power dynamics
• Historian: Provides historical context, precedents, long-run perspective
• Sociologist: Adds social structure, inequality, norms and culture
• Psychologist/Behavioral Economist: Cognitive biases, decision-making heuristics
• Physicist/Systems Thinker: Complex systems, feedback loops, nonlinear dynamics

Economic analysis is particularly strong on:

• Incentive analysis
• Market mechanisms
• Efficiency evaluation
• Quantitative modeling
• Policy trade-offs

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Continuous Improvement

This skill evolves as:

• New economic events provide learning opportunities
• Empirical research advances understanding
• Economic theory develops
• Policy experiments reveal impacts
• Cross-disciplinary insights emerge

Share feedback and learnings to enhance this skill over time.

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Skill Status: Pass 1 Complete - Comprehensive Foundation Established Next Steps: Enhancement Pass (Pass 2) for depth and refinement Quality Level: High - Comprehensive economic analysis capability