Research

From field work to focus groups, interviews to videos, our research asks how people feel about the economy, and investigates how economics can be a positive part of everyone’s lives.

Report: Doing Economics Differently

This report makes clear the importance of pluralism and communication to addressing the challenges facing the wider economics profession… Its vision of professional economics in the 21st century is ambitious. With the support it deserves, it is also achievable.

Andy Ross, Former Deputy Director of the Government Economic Service

Did you know that just 25 percent of the UK population trust economists, compared to the 71 percent who trust scientists? We at People’s Economy don’t think that’s very good at all. We want conversation between professional economists and everyday people to be understandable, pluralist… and trustworthy.

So we interviewed economic professionals in the Civil Service, finance and consultancy industries to find out what they thought economists should be doing differently. We put the results into our new report: Doing Economics Differently.

We found strong support for:

  • More communication between economists and non-economists
  • Less jargon in economic discussions
  • More diversity in the economics profession
  • More pluralism in economic perspectives and methods

Download the full report here

(note that this report was published under our old name, Economy.)

Report: Exploring How People Feel About Economics

We spoke to over 5,000 people about how they feel about economics, and we’ve captured our findings in our research report: Exploring How People Feel About Economics.

This report puts people’s emotional experience of communication around the economy under the spotlight as we investigate the extent to which we have economic literacy as individuals. It presents a perspective missing from the prevailing economics narrative and suggests ways to turn the subject into a tool for people to make more confident personal choices and participate more effectively in democracy.

Amongst other key findings, the report recommends that in order for us to move towards economic literacy, economics communication be:

  • Clear – “Speak in a language I understand.”
  • Relevant – “Tell me how it affects me.”
  • Transparent – “Tell me where the money goes.”
  • Positive – ”I would like to see more positives in the news.”
  • Available – “I wish I’d learned it in school.”
  • Human – “It should be showing how people live.”

Download the full report here

Report: The case for economic literacy

Since we were founded in 2015, we’ve travelled up and down the country, delivered courses and workshops in schools and to adults from marginalised communities, made films, launched a news and entertainment platform and worked with politicians and the media to improve their communication of economic ideas.

We have learned a huge amount about how to reimagine economics as a conversation everyone can be part of. So we created a report, The Case for Economic Literacy for Everyone, where we lay out what we have learned so far and where we would like to go next.

We hope this report will provoke, inspire, and excite you, prompting you to work with us to expand access to economics education.

We are keenly aware that in a world of rapid and profound economic change, we urgently need to increase economic literacy to empower all citizens to take part in the conversation about our future.

Download the full report here

(note that this report was published under our old name of Economy.)

Book: The Econocracy – The perils of leaving economics to the experts

One hundred years ago the idea of ‘the economy’ didn’t exist. Now, improving the economy has come to be seen as perhaps the most important task facing modern societies. Politics and policymaking are conducted in the language of economics and economic logic shapes how political issues are thought about and addressed. The result is that the majority of citizens, who cannot speak this language, are locked out of politics while political decisions are increasingly devolved to experts.

Co-authored by our  Executive Director Joe Earle, The Econocracy explains how economics came to be seen this way – and the damaging consequences. It opens up the discipline and demonstrates its inner workings to the wider public so that the task of reclaiming democracy can begin.

Buy The Econocracy here. 

Book: What is the Economy?

Why are houses so expensive? Is our banking system going to collapse again? Should we be worried that robots are going to take all our jobs? And just what exactly is the economy anyway? Economists and politicians would have you believe that ‘the economy’ is a rarified topic best left to ‘the experts’.

The experts are wrong. Co-authored by our Head of Media, Beth Leslie, this book uncovers what people really mean when they talk about ‘the economy’, taking the word off its pedestal and showing that it’s just a lens for understanding the world around us.

By explaining key economic concepts in relation to how they directly affect your life – from your money to your home, from your workplace to your future – What is the Economy? drags the obscure world of economics kicking and screaming towards the everyday and equips you with clarity and understanding. Because at its heart economics is about you, and the society you’re a part of.

Buy your copy here. 

How to get involved

Would you like to help shape our research methodology, conduct interviews, design questions, run focus groups, or just share your own insights into how people feel about economics or your experience of the economy?

Whether you’re a global company, a would-be economist in your bedroom, or simply someone who’s living in an economy, we want to hear from you.

Get in touch hello@ecnmy.org