UCL Uncovering Politics

Public Attitudes To The Economy

Episode Summary

This week we’re looking at public attitudes to the economy. How do people think of the economy? And why do they often support fiscal austerity?

Episode Notes

We're celebrating another inaugural lecture today and welcome the fantastic Professor Lucy Barnes. Lucy has made a career out of breaking new ground in the field of Political Economy. 

Economic policy clearly matters to us all. The view that the state of the economy is the primary driver of election results is often taken as a given. But we can only understand the implications of that if we understand how people actually view the economy. Do people look to their own good or to the good of society as a whole? Do they look forwards or backwards? What do they think ‘good’ means in this context in the first place?

Watch Lucy's inaugural lecture on Youtube: https://youtu.be/hfK8Qd85-xM


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