LSE: Public Lectures and Events – Impact Interviews

Episode: Mark Blyth on Making Political Science Research Matter

Date: July 31, 2013
Host: Sierra Williams (LSE Film and Audio Team)
Guest: Mark Blyth (Professor of Economics, Brown University; Author, "Austerity: The History of a Dangerous Idea")
Interviewer: Joel Suss (Editor, LSE Politics and Policy blog)

Overview

This episode explores how political science research can become more accessible and influential with policymakers and the public. Mark Blyth offers frank, insightful commentary on why economists often hold more sway than historians or political scientists, the pitfalls of academic insularity, and how research could be reshaped for real-world impact—especially in relation to economic policy and austerity debates.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Why Do Economists Get Heard More Than Historians or Political Scientists?

• Math as Authority:
  • Economists’ use of dense mathematics often lends an aura of certainty that policymakers find persuasive.
  • Historians, by contrast, tend to present nuanced, multi-factor explanations that feel inconclusive to non-specialists.
• Quote – The Power of Math:
  • “It's filled with math, it must be true... You pick up an econ paper... introduction's pretty straightforward... then it dissolves into math. So then you skip 20 pages, you get to the end and you say, I have shown conclusive evidence with a high R squared that this is what happens... It's just an easier digestible thing.”
    — Mark Blyth [01:01]
• Historians and Political Scientists:
  • Their work often lacks the simple, forceful presentation found in economics, making it less attractive and accessible to policymakers.

2. The Problem of Disciplinary Silos

• Academic Insularity:
  • Researchers often write only for academic peers, engaging in a kind of "Scholasticism" that is irrelevant to practical policy.
  • This inward focus is sustained by the academic publishing system—if not for graduate student requirements and bundled journal sales, many journals would not survive.
• Quote – On Disciplinary Echo Chambers:
  • “You get this kind of like Scholasticism, slash 19th century German philosophy, where it's Professor X's commentary on Professor Z's thesis about Professor Y's book, and nobody cares, right?”
    — Mark Blyth [02:02]
  • “If we actually had to sing for our supper, in terms of policy relevance, it would be a very, very different political science.”
    — Mark Blyth [02:46]

3. What Should Change?

• Clear Presentation:
  • Make arguments simple, direct, and meaningful beyond the academic community.
• Break From Disciplinary Conversation:
  • Step outside insular debates to engage issues of real-world importance using accessible language.
• Quote – On Prioritizing Policy-Relevance:
  • “Things are far too important to be left basically to abstract mathematicians.”
    — Mark Blyth [02:58]

4. Is Mark Blyth’s Work Having an Impact?

• It’s Difficult to Measure:
  • Blyth acknowledges that the influence of academic work on policy is often indirect and hard to quantify.
• Part of a Broader Movement:
  • He references other scholars—Paul Krugman, Stiglitz, Basu—who have been part of a growing, evidence-based critique against austerity.
• Challenging ‘Common Sense’ Economics:
  • The “intuitive” argument for austerity (reduce public spending to fix debt) must be questioned; he stresses the importance of explaining why economies are not like households, and how policy errors can be “self harm.”
• Quote – Breaking Through Misconceptions:
  • “There's something wonderfully intuitive about the story of, look, you've got too much debt, stop spending, but you need to take the next step and say... there's a paradox of thrift, there's a fallacy of composition... Economies are not like households.”
    — Mark Blyth [03:46]
  • “If this is really just self harm, let's just stop doing it. There's no good can come of it.”
    — Mark Blyth [04:30]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Feigned Certainty of Math in Economics
  “It's filled with math, it must be true.” — Mark Blyth [01:01]
• On Academic Insularity
  “If it wasn't for the existence of graduate programs where we make graduate students read our stuff, half the journals in the field would be dead.” — Mark Blyth [02:24]
• On the Need for Change
  “Things are far too important to be left basically to abstract mathematicians.” — Mark Blyth [02:58]
• On Changing Minds and Policy
  “There's something wonderfully intuitive about the story of, look, you've got too much debt, stop spending—but you need to take the next step...” — Mark Blyth [03:46] “If this is really just self harm, let's just stop doing it.” — Mark Blyth [04:30]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [00:25] – How can political science research be more accessible?
• [00:39] – Why economists are listened to and the ‘math effect’
• [01:01] – The gap between presentation in economics and history/political science
• [02:02] – The echo chamber and irrelevance of academic debates
• [03:07] – Is Mark Blyth's work having a policy impact?
• [03:46] – Explaining the flaws in intuitive economic “common sense”
• [04:30] – Final remarks on stopping self-defeating policies

Takeaways

• Academics must rethink how they communicate; clarity and relevance trump insular jargon.
• Economists’ dominance comes from perceived objectivity and simple presentation, not necessarily from more robust evidence.
• Policy-changing ideas require accessible, compelling arguments—and directly confronting popular misconceptions, especially on economic issues like austerity.