Two Speeches On Behavioral Economics

Two Speeches On Behavioral Economics by Timothy Taylor, Conversable Economist

If you want to get up to speed on what behavioral economics is all about, two prominent speeches recently given at the annual meetings of the American Economic Association, held earlier this month in San Francisco, offer a useful starting point. The AEA Presidential Address was given by Richard Thaler on the subject of "Behavioral Economics: Past, Present, and Future." The Richard T. Ely lecture was given by John Y. Campbell on the subject of "Restoring Rational Choice: The Challenge of Consumer Financial Regulation." Campbell's lecture can be thought of as an application of behavioral economics to a specific policy area. The lectures will be published in print in...