Economists’ influence can be measured through media, political, and advisory coefficients

Evidence

The media coefficient measures the presence of economists (hits for each person) in leading German newspapers and magazines over the whole period analyzed. The media coefficient builds on a weighted average of hits per person in electronic archives, by construing individual reference archives in order to control for different academic life spans. The political actor coefficient operationalizes positions in political institutions (Bundesbank, ministries, Bundestag, political parties, monopoly commission), according to the specific position and the length of time it is occupied, using a classification scheme (see appendix). The political advice coefficient operationalizes positions in economic policy advice institutions like the German Council of Economic Experts (GCEE), the scientific advisory boards of the German ministries of finance and economics, and economic research institutes. — Dieter Plehwe, Quinn Slobodian & Philip Mirowski (eds.), Nine Lives of Neoliberalism, 620

Categorization

• DEFINE: Defines the three methodological coefficients (media, political actor, political advice) used to quantify economists’ influence in Germany.
• XREF: connects to: Economics’ legitimating power depends on the surrounding political and cultural context. — Donald MacKenzie, An Engine, Not a Camera: How Financial…, 1194; Public legitimacy of economics rests on its predictive and prescriptive authority — Philip Mirowski, Never Let a Serious Crisis Go to Waste, 679; Academic metrics mirror social media influence metrics — Brooke Erin Duffy, (Not) Getting Paid to Do What You Love:…, 619

Broader Connections

• Economics’ legitimating power depends on the surrounding political and cultural context. #expands (0.80) — Donald MacKenzie, An Engine, Not a Camera, 1194
• Public legitimacy of economics rests on its predictive and prescriptive authority #qualifies (0.75) — Philip Mirowski, Never Let a Serious Crisis Go to Waste, 679