Competing Economic Models and Google Trends

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Jim Posted: Mon, Nov 10 2008 5:06 PM

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I would like to see what others think about the trends in the following link:

http://www.google.com/trends?q=Keynesian+Economics%2C+Austrian+Economics&ctab=0&geo=all&date=all&sort=0

This link displays the comparison of search volume for Keynesian Economics and Austrian Economics.  It appears that in the current 'crisis', (see the spike in Austrian Econ) people are searching for (and hopefully finding answers in) the Austrian Economic models. 

I have to believe that this trend is promising.  I especially like the diminishing (and scholastically distributed) trend of Keynesian Economics.   Has anyone else used Google Trends to examine relational trends?  Please post links to interesting Google Trends.  This search feature can be accessed at http://www.google.com/trends .  

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gcopenhaver replied on Mon, Nov 10 2008 7:53 PM

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The graph for Austrian economics correlates almost perfectly with when I started seeing a lot of Ron Paul articles on Digg (and when I first heard of Ron Paul).  It spiked really big this fall when the economic "crisis" got Ron Paul on TV a bit more than usual, too.  I think Ron Paul's popularity had a lot to do with it.

It's certainly promising, though.

What's sad is when you view one of these trends next to something insanely popular like britney spears or something...it hardly shows up if it does at all.

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Rubén replied on Mon, Nov 10 2008 8:22 PM

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Jim:

I would like to see what others think about the trends in the following link:

 

http://www.google.com/trends?q=Keynesian+Economics%2C+Austrian+Economics&ctab=0&geo=all&date=all&sort=0

 

This link displays the comparison of search volume for Keynesian Economics and Austrian Economics.  It appears that in the current 'crisis', (see the spike in Austrian Econ) people are searching for (and hopefully finding answers in) the Austrian Economic models. 

I have to believe that this trend is promising.  I especially like the diminishing (and scholastically distributed) trend of Keynesian Economics.   Has anyone else used Google Trends to examine relational trends?  Please post links to interesting Google Trends.  This search feature can be accessed at http://www.google.com/trends .  

My anecdotal evidence, as I have expressed many times before, is that I have become one of the most active members of Mises fora within a single month, just because of a Google search. It definitely provides replies to questions I've had all my life, even though I still have a hard time with some aspects I find quite extreme. Bur perhaps this expansion of readers of Austrian Economics will eventually propose updated answers to those topics that people like me still consider problematic.

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10Brandonr replied on Mon, Nov 10 2008 10:37 PM

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Why did the word libertarian (several times more searched than socialism) get so popular at the end of 2004? I don't remember anything particularly libertarian about those months in that year. 

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nazgulnarsil replied on Thu, Nov 13 2008 7:13 PM

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the truth always reemerges during times of economic hardship.  in a booming economy you can afford to be outrageously wrong.

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Paul replied on Fri, Nov 14 2008 12:02 AM

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Rubén:

Bur perhaps this expansion of readers of Austrian Economics will eventually propose updated answers to those topics that people like me still consider problematic.

Or, perhaps more likely, you'll learn and change your opinion.