What Should Be Taught and Learned in Economics Classes (and Is It?).

This paper highlights five major deficiencies of the introductory economics courses typically taught in the United States: (1) inattention to the key role of private ownership, (2) neglect of the competitive process, (3) lack of coverage of entrepreneurship, (4) neglect of the insights of public choice economics, and (5) inaccurate portrayal of economic central planning. The paper shows how these deficiencies could be remedied with a greater emphasis on economic freedom in introductory courses. The paper also reports on an innovative new course design intended to improve the content and enliven the presentation of basic economics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]