A note on teaching economic inequality

Abstract

This note is motivated by rising inequality during the COVID pandemic and by calls from student groups in the aftermath of the financial crisis to address contemporary issues including economic inequality. Three textbook options are reviewed to showcase that they do not provide a comparative look on policies to combat inequality. Moreover, the CORE textbook that has been promoted as an alternative to standard textbooks is fraught with information overload and advanced concepts. It is emphasized that the preponderant academic position is shifting towards seriously addressing and combating economic inequality. Thus, lesson plans based on three video clips and Blanchard and Rodrik (2021) are showcased to address economic inequality. Overall, Disney animation clips sustain student interest, retention, and participation more effectively.