The Econ Forum was started in 2007 by two Economics Majors.

Julia and Christopher wanted to spend more time with faculty and other students discussing interesting current topics. They wanted to meet in a casual setting, so we started gathering at local pubs and restaurants on Friday afternoons a few times a semester. Since then, two seniors each year take on the job of coordinating the Econ Forums. Each Forum starts with an article which serves as the jumping off point for the discussion. We do a good job of sticking to the article for the first hour, but toward the end, the conversations become more social!

You can find the details of the next Econ Forum on our Facebook and Instagram pages (the links are below).

Examples of past discussion topics and articles

The Price of Oil: The winners and the losers. Articles included were “The Cost of Cheap Gas," Time Magazine.

The Grexit: The battle over the Euro--Greece vs Europe. Articles included "IU, IMF Bail Out Greece During Debt Crisis," "Go ahead, Angela, make my day" from the Economist, and "Ending Greece's Nightmare" by Paul Krugman from the New York Times Opinion Pages. View all three articles online here.

The economics of lethal disease outbreaks: the case of Ebola. "The Ebola Crisis" from the Economist and "Ebola: Economic impact already serious; could be catastrophic without swift response" from The World Bank. View both articles online here.

The economics of of a water crisis and the role of economics in resolving water scarcity. "California areas brace for water rationing as reservoir levels fall" from the LA Times and "Water Resources Issues" by Timothy H. Quinn. View both online here.

The economic impact of Wal-Mart on small towns and issues associated with the company as a whole.
Wal-Mart: How big can it grow?," a special report in The Economist; and "Is Wal-Mart good for America?," an article from Frontline. View them online HERE

Do You Procrastinate? Want to Figure Out Why? The Problem of Procrastination and Self-Control by Dan Ariely from Predictably Irrational

Power, Prosperity, and Poverty The wealth of nations - A review of why nations fail

Is student debt the next bubble? Is student loan debt the next financial crisis? As college student debt grows, is it worth it?