THE TEACHING OF ECONOMICS IN THE

UNITED STATES'

I. INTRODUCTION

At the 1909 conference on the teaching of elementary economics, a committee of three was appointed "to undertake a comprehensive statistical investigation of the present status of the teaching of economics in the United States." The discussion at the time the committee was appointed showed that the conference hoped this committee not only would secure a comprehensive view of the methods now in use in the teaching of the elementary course, but also would throw some light upon the extent to which the entire subject of economics is taught in this country; upon the extent to which economics has become a required subject in the modern college curriculum; and particularly upon the extent to which the presentation of this subject secures financial support, student registrations, etc. The committee has made an attempt to carry out the wishes of the conference and it now submits a report-although it recognizes it to be tentative and subject to corrections.

The difficulties under which the committee has been forced to labor have been neither few nor insignificant. To begin with, it was impossible to frame a comprehensive questionnaire which would meet the varying conditions of the many colleges which teach economics. The committee sought to get a questionnaire which would cover as many cases as possible by sending out proof sheets and securing the advice of over a score of instructors before a final form was adopted. Nevertheless, in filling out the questionnaire finally adopted, several instructors were forced to report that it fitted conditions at their institutions so poorly that it was difficult to give replies of much value.

The attempt to secure data which would make possible comparisons with other departments in the matter of student registrations, number of instructors, financial support, etc., was a particularly difficult undertaking. As stated above, it was impos

'A paper presented at the Second Conference on the Teaching of Economics, held at the University of Chicago, 1911.

sible to frame the questions so that they would meet the conditions of every institution. Further, the data desired are not kept by many institutions and even where kept, they are kept in such a form as to put a considerable burden upon the person who attempts to fill out the questionnaire. The outcome is as the committee feared it would be. The number of institutions which filled out this part of the blank is so small as not to justify the presentation of the data.

A third difficulty arose from the fact that it was not always easy to induce institutions to divulge their information. Some apparently doubted the wisdom of making the data public, others were discouraged by the rather formidable (and, under the conditions of particular institutions, rather impossible) questionnaire, others were negligent. The committee can only say that it sent its questionnaires to every institution of college rank of which it could secure the name and address, and also requested catalogues from all these institutions and this not once or twice but, in scores of cases, three or four times. The committee has made more than ordinary effort and its returns are probably as full and accurate as could reasonably be expected.

The difficulties above mentioned might have been overcome more effectually had the committee had at its disposal unlimited funds and clerical help. Situated as it was, the committee soon reached the limit of its resources and was forced to be quiescent, if not content, when it had carried the investigation to its present status. The present inquiry has covered but a small section of the field. At least four important topics have been omitted: (1) economics in the secondary schools, (2) the work of the colleges of commerce, (3) graduate work and the requirements for the doctorate, (4) the history of the teaching of economics in the United States. The committee would recommend that it be continued, or that a new committee be appointed, to consider these topics.

II. A GENERAL STATEMENT OF THE WORK IN ECONOMICS IN THE UNITED STATES

The first table to be presented is the general statement of the work in economics in the United States at the present time. The

NORTH ATLAN

data were compiled from the catalogues of the institutions,' and from the answers in the questionnaire.2

In the table in the Appendix the number of hours given to economics was computed from the catalogues. This is equivalent to saying that these data cannot be used as any trustworthy basis of comparisons of institutions. Some institutions announce only the work which will actually be given that year; others announce the work which will be given through a series of years, taking pains to designate the courses which will be omitted in each particular year; others announce the work which will be given through a series of years without designating the courses which are to be in alternation; a very few announce courses which they can have no reasonable expectation of ever giving. There were two or three cases where the catalogue announced scores of hours of work in economics while the questionnaire returned from that institution reported that little or no work was actually given. Fortunately, these are few, and most, if not all, of them have been eliminated from the table.

Under the circumstances it seemed best to treat the matter as an inquiry into the amount of economics which, according to the catalogues, seems to be available in the various institutions. In the table in the Appendix the second column gives the total number of hours of work in economics listed. Where there is evidence of a rotation of courses, some being omitted each year, the figures are printed in italics. While this results in a greater number of hours in many of these institutions than is actually given in any one year, the total for the country at large is probably not unduly swelled, as there are undoubtedly institutions offering work in economics whose names do not appear in this list. Again, while seminar and other graduate work were generally counted in compiling this table, there are a few institutions where some of this advanced work is given under such conditions as not to enable the committee to reduce it to "hours." When it is further pointed out that subjects which are repeated in a given year are counted but once, it becomes reasonably clear that the total number of hours given to economics is not exaggerated in this table. It has already been shown that

'These catalogues are in most cases those for the year 1910-11. The data in the questionnaires are usually for the year 1909-10