Legends in Econ Ed: Jim Gwartney

Jim Gwartney is a legend in economic education. Jim retired in 2022 after 54 years at Florida State University, but along the way he spent time working on the Joint Economic Committee in Washington DC, and met Vladimir Putin on a trip advocating for free markets in Russia. In this wide ranging interview we talk about his fascinating career in economic education.

CHAPTERS
0:00 Arriving at Florida State University
0:13 Introducing Jim Gwartney
1:13 Why Jim likes the Dodgers and Jackie Robinson
2:49 Kansas or Florida State
3:34 How has teaching economics changed over time
5:52 What was your opportunity cost for studying economics
15:10 Which economists were on the posters on your wall growing up
19:00 Interactions with Jim Buchanan
21:19 How has losing your sight changed the way you teach
25:43 Powerpoint without sight
27:26 What do you do differently in the classroom than other teachers
32:56 What are your favorite classes to teach
36:15 Common Sense Economics
41:40 How would you change the way we teach economics
45:11 Over or under rated: What Jim thinks about things in the econ profession
53:05 What is your most important contribution to economics
1:00:04 Life in DC at the Joint Economic Committee
1:03:40 What has it been like teaching at FSU for so long
1:05:43 Teaching in Europe after the fall of communism
1:08:46 What is the state of free markets
1:13:05 What does a free trade economist like Jim think about US trade policy
1:15:45 When Jim met Vladimir Putin and what they talked about
1:21:36 What advice would you give your younger self
1:22:45 What can PhD programs do to prepare their graduates to be better teachers
1:25:19 Is there anything you look back on and regret
1:28:39 What are you going to miss most and least about being in the classroom
1:30:11 Thanks to Jim and farewll