How to Interview for an Economics Prof Job at Florida State University

As noted earlier

http://dismalpoliticaleconomist.blogspot.com/2011/05/exclusive-new-florida-state-university.html

by The Dismal Political Economist, the Economic Department of Florida State University has sold itself in a friendly takeover to a Foundation controlled by the Koch brothers.  The Foundation now has control of hiring for the Department, and many candidates for a faculty position will not know how to work with this new situation.  As  public service, The Dismal Political Economists present the following mock (in more ways than one) interview to illustrate what the successful candidate will say.

17. Where did you get your doctoral degree?

1. Well I wanted to go to Regents University, Bob Jones University or Liberty but it jut didn’t work out and I had to accept a full scholarship to Princeton. 

17. What was the subject of your dissertation?

1. It examined the role of the Entrepreneur/Capitalist in making America great.  I built an Adam Smith based econometric model that showed in the absence of allowing a few corporations to gain enormous economic and political power, the U. S. would have been the Bangladesh of North America, and I mean that as no slight to Bangladesh.

17. What courses are you interested in developing?

1. Well there’s “Wealth Creation Through Inheritance” which will examine the roll that inherited wealth has played in economic growth, and why inherited wealth is more beneficial to a society than wealth accumulated through risk taking and investment. 

Q.  What is your current research project?

Consumer Economic Behavior of the Rich and Not So Famous, which develops mathematical models that show the superior stimulus effect of consumption of luxury goods.  So far I have not found any effect, and I am hoping more work will lead to new directions to show such an effect.  Even if there is no empirical evidence for such an effect, it is publishable research in respected academic journals like Forbes since the effect is a well known and accepted principle of micro economic behavior.

17. What about your next research project?

1. I am developing the framework for a new economic policy, a statutory maximum wage rate.  As we know, minimum wage rates have been very destructive to low income individuals, and a new approach is needed.  I believe setting a maximum wage rate for employees will benefit low and middle income workers in that it would keep costs low for the employer, increasing their profits and allowing them to consume a greater amount of luxury goods.  This will fit nicely into my work in Consumer Economics as I just described.

17. Would that maximum wage rate apply to everyone?

1. Oh no, just as there are exempt employees under the Fair Labor Standards Act, there would be exempt employees under the Maximum Wage Rate Act.  All management and officers would be exempt.

17. What do you think the impact on the unemployment rate would be from such a policy?

1. It would reduce the unemployment rate.  A large number of workers would leave the work force rather than work for the low wage rate set by the law, and since these individuals are not counted as unemployed, the unemployment rate would fall.

17. Would you expect to be involved in student advising?

1.  Absolutely.  Too many students today are following the path of empiricism.  They believe that because a policy like large tax cuts for the wealthy has not worked to stimulate the economy and balance the budget in the past, for example,  means that it should not be tried in the future.  I expect to show them that there are some things in Economic you just know are right and have to take on faith. 

17. How would you treat the writings of Keynes, Samuelson and Krugman in your classes?

1. Who?

Q.  How soon can you start?