The Journal of Economic Perspectives at 100 (Issues)

Abstract

When I was a graduate student, I discovered that the Journal of Economic Perspectives embodied much of what I love about the field of economics: the clarity that pierces rhetoric to seek the core of a question; the rigor to identify the causal relationships, tradeoffs, and indeterminancies inherent in a problem; the self-assurance to apply the disciplinary toolkit to problems both sacred and profane; and the force of logic to reach conclusions that might be unexpected, controversial, or refreshingly bland. It never occurred to me in those years that one day I would edit the journal. While doing so is a privilege and a pleasure, I equally confess that it's no small weight to be the custodial parent of one of our profession's most beloved offspring. No less intimidating is the task of stipulating what this upstart youth has accomplished in its first 25 years and 100 issues in print. Like any empiricist, I recognize that the counterfactual world that would exist without the JEP is unknowable, but my strong hunch is that our profession would be worse off in that counterfactual world. In this essay, I reflect on the journal's accomplishments and articulate some of my own goals for the JEP going forward.