Week 2+3 Blog

Hello, in the time since I have last posted I have continued to study Modern Monetary Theory and have had extensive conversations with Professor Bill Mitchell. One of the key concerns that I had going into this project was my ability to act as a knowledgeable source of information

/ While I am heavily invested academically in this project, I am no expert. I have been worried about my ability to explain and validate the economic theory which is necessary for the continuation of this project. After all, I am a high school student not an expert so I do not have sufficient experience to declare myself an expert.

In my conversation with Bill Mitchell I spoke about this to which he advised that I take a different approach to writing for my final paper. Instead, Professor Mitchell said that I should focus on my paper as a less analytical piece and in more of a narrative similar to a newspaper article. To accomplish this while still achieving my goals I can enter the paper with a presumption of certain economic theory as fact. While I do not have the qualification to put forward high-level economics as my own work I do have the ability to interpret them and continue upon my work. In this way I can write an effective paper that still holds value to the reader without rushing to make my own less accurate assumptions. From talking with Bill Mitchell, I learned that I can transfer the credibility of the people who have done prior work into my own writing.

Additionally I have been reading Bill Mitchell’s book published in 2017 titled “Reclaiming the State”. In the book Mitchell alongside Thomas Fazi covers how neoliberal ideology has corrupted much of modern western politics. They discuss how in America the debate over macroeconomics has been lost. Mitchell argues that both parties have collectively decided upon a path forward for the American economy and that without proper debate you can never find the right path. There is no longer a Keynes or a Friedman to side with rather we now follow a Fed which remains consistent between administrations. Thank you for reading and see you next week where I will discuss the overall subject matter of my paper in further detail!