Who Thinks Like an Economist?
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- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
- Publication date:
- 11 May 2026
- 25 June 2026
- ISBN:
- 9781009763653
- 9781009763691
- 9781009763646
- Dimensions:
- (228 x 152 mm)
- Weight & Pages:
- 0.5kg, 200 Pages
- Dimensions:
- (228 x 152 mm)
- Weight & Pages:
- 0.25kg, 200 Pages
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Book description
Recent populist waves raise crucial questions about why economically harmful policies such as tariffs, Brexit, or immigration restrictions gain popular support. Conventional explanations focus on economic self-interest or cultural values; however, Beatrice Magistro's Who Thinks Like an Economist argues that the puzzle lies in how voters think. She introduces the innovative Economist Mental Model (EMM), which predicts attitudes toward trade, immigration, AI, and more. She explains that those adopting the Economist Mental Model are more likely to favor welfare-enhancing policies and prioritize cost-benefit information over partisan cues, while individuals with Alternative Mental Models (AMMs) show limited responsiveness to economic information and tend to support policies promising short-term relief at the expense of long-term welfare. Drawing on surveys and experiments in Italy, the UK, and the U.S., Magistro offers an indispensable guide for scholars and policymakers seeking to understand—and counter— the appeal of populist policies that ultimately harm society.
Reviews
‘Beatrice Magistro offers a provocative and innovative account of the two distinctive mental models that shape policy preferences and political choices. She tests her argument by investigating public attitudes concerning issues as various as Brexit, globalization and AI. An important implication of her book is that teaching economic reasoning would produce a better-informed public capable of considering the collective and long-term – not just the individual or immediate – consequences of important societal decisions.'
Margaret Levi - Professor Emerita of Political Science, Stanford University
‘Why do people support policies that reduce social welfare? Scholars often point to material interests or cultural values. Magistro offers a bold new explanation: people reason through trade-offs in different ways. Using the concept of mental models, she shows that individuals who think in economic terms are more likely to support welfare-enhancing policies, from trade to AI. With admirable clarity, Magistro provides a compelling new perspective on democratic policymaking.'
Stephen Weymouth - Georgetown University
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