Routledge Handbook of Macroeconomic Methodology

INTRODUCTION The scope and content of the handbook

Victoria Chick, Jesper Jespersen and Bert Tieben

DOI: 10.4324/9781315745992-1

Introduction

This Handbook intends to contribute to the understanding of how macroeconomists work. Macroeconomists use different methods. They are not just ‘doing’ economics, but quite often they use a specific method (theory and practice) without really contemplating or discussing its specific relevance. The pivot argument of this Handbook is that one method does not fit unequivocally to all macroeconomic problems. By method we mean the systemic combination of theory, empirical practice and communication (i.e. how research is presented to the public and in teaching). One of the editors’ shared views is that macroeconomists ...