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Potterian Economics

Author Info

Listed author(s):
  • Daniel Levy

    ()

    (Department of Economics, Bar-Ilan University, Israel; Department of Economics, Emory University, USA; The Rimini Centre for Economic Analysis, Italy)

  • Avichai Snir

    ()

    (Department of Banking and Finance, Netanya Academic College, Israel)

Abstract

Recent studies in psychology and neuroscience find that fictional works exert strong influence on readers and shape their opinions and worldviews. We study the Potterian economy, which we compare to economic models, to assess how Harry Potter books affect economic literacy. We find that some principles of Potterian economics are consistent with economists' models. Many others, however, are distorted and contain numerous inaccuracies, which contradict professional economists' views and insights, and contribute to the general public's biases, ignorance, and lack of understanding of economics.

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Paper provided by The Rimini Centre for Economic Analysis in its series Working Paper Series with number 17-03.

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Date of creation: Jan 2017
Handle: RePEc:rim:rimwps:17-03
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Keywords: Economic and Financial Literacy; Political Economy; Public Choice; Rent Seeking; Folk Economics; Harry Potter; Social Organization of Economic Activity; Literature; Fiction; Potterian Economy; Potterian Economics; Popular Opinion;

Other versions of this item:

Find related papers by JEL classification:
  • A13 - General Economics and Teaching - - General Economics - - - Relation of Economics to Social Values
  • A14 - General Economics and Teaching - - General Economics - - - Sociology of Economics
  • D72 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Political Processes: Rent-seeking, Lobbying, Elections, Legislatures, and Voting Behavior
  • D73 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Bureaucracy; Administrative Processes in Public Organizations; Corruption
  • H00 - Public Economics - - General - - - General
  • H11 - Public Economics - - Structure and Scope of Government - - - Structure and Scope of Government
  • I20 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - General
  • P16 - Economic Systems - - Capitalist Systems - - - Political Economy of Capitalism
  • P48 - Economic Systems - - Other Economic Systems - - - Political Economy; Legal Institutions; Property Rights; Natural Resources; Energy; Environment; Regional Studies
  • P51 - Economic Systems - - Comparative Economic Systems - - - Comparative Analysis of Economic Systems
  • Z11 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - Economics of the Arts and Literature
  • Z13 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - Economic Sociology; Economic Anthropology; Social and Economic Stratification

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