The Capitalism and Freedom in the Twenty-First Century Podcast Steven D. Levitt (Freakonomics co-author and U Chicago Econ Prof) on His Career and Decision to Retire From Academic Economics
18 snips
Mar 13, 2024 
Join the podcast to hear Steven D. Levitt discuss his career, transition to academia, and decision to retire. Explore his impact on applied microeconomics, data-driven research, and the evolution of academic economics at UChicago. Reflect on golf, retirement, and the future of economics, as well as insights into teaching, educational reform, and pandemic project challenges.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Unconventional PhD
- At MIT, Levitt prioritized writing papers over coursework, publishing in the Journal of Political Economy in his second year.
- He secured a Society of Fellows fellowship at Harvard, allowing him to bypass the job market for six years.
Research and Politics
- Bill Clinton and Janet Reno used Levitt's research on police and crime to support their crime bill.
- Levitt learned that research impact is often driven by political agendas, not quality, and declined a job offer from Rahm Emanuel.
Credibility Revolution Footnote
- Levitt downplays his role in the credibility revolution, viewing himself as a follower who applied existing methods to new questions.
- He believes his early success stemmed from being in the right place at the right time, using then-novel methods.