Are So-Called Normative Statements Practically the Same as Suitably Formulated So-Called Positive Statements? Evidence from a Survey of Economics Professors

GMU Working Paper in Economics No. 17-33

Cosmos & Taxis, forthcoming

43 Pages Posted: 10 Oct 2017 Last revised: 3 Aug 2020

See all articles by Daniel B. Klein

Daniel B. Klein

George Mason University - Department of Economics; George Mason University - Mercatus Center

Jason Briggeman

Austin Community College - Department of Economics

William L. Davis

University of Tennessee, Martin - Department of Economics

Abigail Devereaux

Wichita State University

Date Written: October 9, 2017

Abstract

In this paper, we investigate whether a statement like “the reform ought to be favored” is practically the same as “the reform would yield positive net consequences.” The first statement, featuring “ought,” is one that many economists would deem “normative,” the second, “positive.” But if the two statements are practically the same, where does that leave the positive-normative distinction? We advance the idea that any statement that is apt to be deemed “normative” can be recast as a statement that is practically the same but apt to be deemed “positive.” We generated empirical evidence on the idea by creating a set of surveys, fielded to economics professors. We sent out 3000 and received 574 completed surveys (19.1 percent). The key aspect of the surveys was that most of them contained both a “normative” formulation and a “positive” formulation, enabling investigation and assessment of practical sameness between the two formulations. When we sum all of the intra-individual-respondent differences between his or her “positive” answer and his or her “normative” answer—over all forms of the “positive” formulations, “for humankind (worldwide, present and future)”—we arrive at a sum of differences remarkably close to zero, a result consistent with the contention that so-called normative questions are practically the same as suitably formulated so-called positive questions. An online webpage contains numerous appendixes, allowing full replicability and including a kappa analysis and other ways of viewing our results.

Keywords: Positive, Normative, Ought

JEL Classification: A13, B40

Suggested Citation

Klein, Daniel B. and Briggeman, Jason and Davis, William L. and Devereaux, Abigail, Are So-Called Normative Statements Practically the Same as Suitably Formulated So-Called Positive Statements? Evidence from a Survey of Economics Professors (October 9, 2017). GMU Working Paper in Economics No. 17-33, Cosmos & Taxis, forthcoming, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3050034 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3050034

Daniel B. Klein (Contact Author)

George Mason University - Department of Economics ( email )

4400 University Drive
Fairfax, VA 22030
United States

HOME PAGE: http://economics.gmu.edu/people/dklein

George Mason University - Mercatus Center ( email )

3434 Washington Blvd., 4th Floor
Arlington, VA 22201
United States

Jason Briggeman

Austin Community College - Department of Economics ( email )

5930 Middle Fiskville Road
Austin, TX 78752
United States

William L. Davis

University of Tennessee, Martin - Department of Economics ( email )

554 University Street
Martin, TN 38238
United States

Abigail Devereaux

Wichita State University ( email )

Wichita, KS 67260-0078
United States

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