The 'Minimum Ask' Campaign
What needs to change?
There has been much criticism against the way economics is presented in undergraduate courses. Economics textbooks such as Mankew’s Principles of Economics do not place economics in the broader environmental and social context in which it is supposed to operate. The goal of the textbooks introduced by the Economics in Context Initiative is to solve precisely that problem.
How to take action.
Participants can approach the relevant introductory economics teacher in any way they feel comfortable. This could take the modest and minimal form of simply spending two minutes to send a brief email to the relevant academic with a link to a particular textbook.
If you feel encouraged to go further, you might make the approach in collaboration with others. Simply float the idea with your professor or engage in more focused discussion and persuasion. If the decision on textbooks is taken at the department level it might involve writing a memo, attending a meeting, or submitting an agenda item. You should do whatever makes the best sense for you in your context.
If you want to get involved more closely with campaigning in general, find out more about joining the campaigning group at Rethinking Economics International here.
Making a considered and professional textbook suggestion to an academic should not normally have any risks associated with it. However, it pays to be careful and canny when seeking reform. Students who are already stuck with a particular set text in a particular semester can afford to wait until the end of the semester when they have their end-of-semester results before making the approach. They may also wish to make the suggestion as a group rather than as single individuals.
Monitoring and Evaluation.
Find out more about the textbooks that place economics in context:
