S2E18: Interview with Steve Pischke, Labor Economist and Professor at LSE

On this week's episode of my podcast, The Mixtape with Scott, I got to meet and talk with the labor economist, Steve Pischke, a distinguished professor at the London School of Economics. Many listeners will automatically recognize that name for his joint venture with Josh Angrist in creating what is probably, without a doubt, the textbook of my generation in causal inference and applied micro econometrics — Mostly Harmless Econometrics. Like Angrist, Pischke earned his PhD in economics from Princeton, contributing significantly to my ongoing exploration of the Industrial Relations Section, one of a handful of ground zeroes for the “credibility revolution” within microeconomics, from the 70s, 80s, and 90s. Pischke, through his personal scholarship and the influential Mostly Harmless Econometrics, had a pivotal role in pushing out this change in the profession. In this episode, Pischke takes us on his journey from Europe to Princeton, sharing his shift from macro to micro (a road less traveled for sure). We explore the years that shaped his life and academic pursuits, providing a unique insight into his personal and professional development.

For those new to the podcast, though, here’s the premise: this podcast sets out to weave an oral tapestry of the economics profession over the past half-century. It's not just a history lesson; it's primarily a podcast of the personal voyages of economists, their lives recounted from being a kid through their career. I choose themes that I find interesting obviously, but those interests change over time. For a while, I’ve been engrossed in the 2021 Nobel Laureates context — Princeton and Harvard, faculty, collaborators, and students. But mainly I am interested in the people, not for their inputs in a larger story, but rather as people themselves. The oral history in my mind is a collection of swatches that make up a patchwork quilt. The oral history is just a story of the people who have their stories and I think you can’t understand one without the other. But ultimately what matters are the people. It’s just that economists seem to more often be interviewed for their papers or their opinions than their lives, but their lives to me matter far more than their papers or opinions. So this dual focus tries to ride a fine line between the historical context and the individual narratives, considering every personal story not just as an integral part of a larger narrative, but also as a standalone almost infinitely valuable treasure.

The creation of this podcast stems from my firm belief in the intrinsic value of every person's journey, a belief that these shared stories are as meaningful to those people as it is others listening. My hope is that not only will some listener out there learn from these personal accounts but may also, by hearing someone else’s story, be helped in navigating their own life journey — your life journey. So please here I have a chance to share with you about Steve Pischke!

As always, thank you for your support. If you like the podcast, share it with others, and even considering supporting it through subscription. But it’s meant to be freely given so don’t feel obligated either.

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