How Economists Can Stop Failing Us:
A Q&A With Steven Payson
In recent years, the academic discipline of economics has endured increasing scrutiny. Often led by students, the criticisms of economists and their ideas are myriad and often relate to their perceived position as handmaidens to neoliberalism. In the UK, groups such as Post-Crash Economics and Rethinking Economics have been launched by students dissatisfied with the mainstream teaching of economics, with The Econocracy often presented as their manifesto.
In this talk, LSE alumnus Steven Payson (MSc Economics '82) will discuss these themes in the context of his new book, How Economics Professors Can Stop Failing Us: The Discipline at a Crossroads.
A Q&A and networking reception will follow his speech.
Monday, March 12th, 2018 from 6:00 until 8:00 pm
Hosted by Beth Halpern (MSc Public Policy '98)
Hogan Lovells
555 13th St NW
Washington, DC 20004
$5 for AFLSE members
$10 for non-members
Event details...
Please email washingtondc@aflse.org
with questions.
About Steven Payson
Steven Payson has over 32 years of professional experience in economics, having worked as an economic consultant for 
over three years at ICF Incorporated (starting in 1979), as an associate at the Inter-American Development Bank (from 1987 to 1991), and as federal government economist for more than 25 years at the National Science Foundation and the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, and Interior. He has also taught economics, as an adjunct faculty member, at schools including Columbia University, Virginia Tech, and most recently Georgetown University where he taught classes on the “Economics of Technology, Innovation, and Growth.”
In 2006, Steven founded the Association for Integrity and Responsible Leadership in Economics and Associated Professions (AIRLEAP), a not for profit organization whose Board of Directors is chaired by Distinguished Professor Deirdre McCloskey. For the past 11 years he has been the Executive Director of AIRLEAP, where he has organized many conference sessions and training seminars for economists on professional ethics, scientific integrity, and leadership responsibility, featuring many of the world’s most leading experts on these topics. In 2009-10, he also served as the President of the Society of Government Economists.
Steven received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in 1979 from Wesleyan University in Connecticut with a double-major in Mathematics and Bio-psychology, a Master of Science Degree in Economics from the London School of Economics in 1982, and a Ph.D. in Economics from Columbia University in 1991. For work he has performed in the government, Dr. Payson received a Bronze Award from the Bureau of Economic Analysis, and a Gold Award from the Department of the Interior.
Please contact the AFLSE DC Chapter at washingtondc@aflse.org with questions.