Zogby researcher (4,835 respondents) libs fail basic economics

[The Village Idiot]

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703561604575282190930932412.html?mod=WSJ_Opinion_LEADTop

excerpt

Who is better informed about the policy choices facing the country—liberals, conservatives or libertarians? According to a Zogby International survey that I write about in the May issue of Econ Journal Watch, the answer is unequivocal: The left flunks Econ 101.

Zogby researcher Zeljka Buturovic and I considered the 4,835 respondents' (all American adults) answers to eight survey questions about basic economics. We also asked the respondents about their political leanings: progressive/very liberal; liberal; moderate; conservative; very conservative; and libertarian.

Rather than focusing on whether respondents answered a question correctly, we instead looked at whether they answered incorrectly. A response was counted as incorrect only if it was flatly unenlightened.

Consider one of the economic propositions in the December 2008 poll: "Restrictions on housing development make housing less affordable." People were asked if they: 1) strongly agree; 2) somewhat agree; 3) somewhat disagree; 4) strongly disagree; 5) are not sure.

Basic economics acknowledges that whatever redeeming features a restriction may have, it increases the cost of production and exchange, making goods and services less affordable. There may be exceptions to the general case, but they would be atypical.


excerpt

[Chris_]

In this case, percentage of conservatives answering incorrectly was 22.3%, very conservatives 17.6% and libertarians 15.7%. But the percentage of progressive/very liberals answering incorrectly was 67.6% and liberals 60.1%. The pattern was not an anomaly.

Thanks for the laugh.

[thundley4]

Any and all economic threads at the DUmp back this up.

[The Village Idiot]

Thanks for the laugh.

Remember that Zogby himself is no friend of conservatives

[BEG]

Progressives/liberals are economic idiots, my anecdotal evidence........my brother. 

[bkg]

Progressives/liberals are economic idiots, my anecdotal evidence........my brother. 

and my sister.

[Mike220]

and my sister.

Mine too, though she is an idiot in general.

[bkg]

Mine too, though she is an idiot in general.

Mine's working on her doctorate... living off of her boyfriend (pays for everthing) and has the audacity to bitch about "living below the poverty levels" in front of family members who have never made what she currently makes part-time..

Book smart, life stupid.

[Chris_]

Progressives/liberals are economic idiots, my anecdotal evidence........my brother. 

My husband's aunt.

Who called me a racist because I said illegal immigrants should either be deported or get citizenship.

[cclanofirish]

Progressives/liberals are economic idiots, my anecdotal evidence........my brother. 

My sister who stated today "why do I care so much" that Obama as been a complete and utter **** up his entire administration....and had the audacity not to commemorate our men and women on the anniversary of D-Day.

[zeitgeist]

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703561604575282190930932412.html?mod=WSJ_Opinion_LEADTop

excerpt

Who is better informed about the policy choices facing the country—liberals, conservatives or libertarians? According to a Zogby International survey that I write about in the May issue of Econ Journal Watch, the answer is unequivocal: The left flunks Econ 101.

Zogby researcher Zeljka Buturovic and I considered the 4,835 respondents' (all American adults) answers to eight survey questions about basic economics. We also asked the respondents about their political leanings: progressive/very liberal; liberal; moderate; conservative; very conservative; and libertarian.

Rather than focusing on whether respondents answered a question correctly, we instead looked at whether they answered incorrectly. A response was counted as incorrect only if it was flatly unenlightened.

Consider one of the economic propositions in the December 2008 poll: "Restrictions on housing development make housing less affordable." People were asked if they: 1) strongly agree; 2) somewhat agree; 3) somewhat disagree; 4) strongly disagree; 5) are not sure.

Basic economics acknowledges that whatever redeeming features a restriction may have, it increases the cost of production and exchange, making goods and services less affordable. There may be exceptions to the general case, but they would be atypical.


excerpt

FWIW I went over to check out the comments and entire article ( am a paying Journal user) and locked up several times.  I suspect this means they are seeing some pretty heavy traffic on this article, I almost never have a problem with them. 

Suffice to say this the Loons will not be loving this lambasting.  Mmmmmmmm basted Loon.....