audioecon   Smart listening for students of economics

Link: http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2011/06/13/137109349/the-friday-podcast-the-case-for-preschool

Summary: Discussion with economist James Heckman on the findings of a study of the economic and social impacts of preschool.

Original air date: June 10, 2011

Length: 21:14

Main story content begins: 3:12

Discussion Prompt: If you were the U.S. Secretary of Education considering whether to require universal preschoool for all children in the U.S., what factors from the podcast might you consider as you weighed the costs and benefits of this decision?  What other factors (not included in the podcast) might you need to consider (or might, say, the President of the U.S. or Congress need to consider). Which of these factors do YOU think would be most important to consider, and why?

Follow-up Prompt: If you were promoted (!) to President, what sort of tradeoffs might you have to think about that are different from those of the Education Secretary?  What might you have to take into account from that higher perspective?  How can you see – from either position – that budgets reflect scarcity, choices and tradeoffs?