Economic Policy for the 21st Century

Explore economic policy challenges and opportunities of the 21st century in this lecture by Professor John Quiggin, Australian Laureate Fellow in Economics at the University of Queensland. Examine how current economic policy discussions in Australia are dominated by outdated 20th-century issues, particularly the microeconomic reform agenda of the 1980s and 1990s. Discover why modern challenges like climate change and the Global Financial Crisis are often overlooked in policy debates. Analyze the implications of these contemporary issues for economic analysis and learn about proposed policy responses. Delve into topics such as mercantilism vs. libertarianism, the knowledge economy, over-obsolescence, the internet's impact, and fundamental economic difficulties including public goods and non-market activities. Gain insights into a new policy agenda focusing on post-secondary education, research, development, and communication. Participate in a Q&A session to further explore these critical economic concepts and their relevance to shaping effective policies for the future.

Introduction
Introducing Professor John Quiggins
Professor John Quiggins
The Current Policy Debate
Mercantilist vs Libertarian
Policy Problems of 1980
Policy Response
Reform Fatigue
The Knowledge Economy
Policy Problems of 2015
Over obsolescence
Central economic activity
The Internet
Information Superhighway
Total Factor Productivity
Fundamental Economic Difficulties
Public Goods
NonMarket Activities
Implications for Reform Agenda
The Wrong Issues
Policy Agenda
PostSecondary Education
Research Development Communication
Nostalgia
Questions