Dear Jeff,

SUMMER SEMINARS IN POLITICAL ECONOMY: July 9-13 & August 13-17

How sound an economics education are American students getting? If a
recent study of high school history textbooks is indicative, the
answer is very discouraging. The economists who authored that study
examined 12 history texts for their treatment of the Great
Depression. Only two of the texts correctly identified the fall in
the money supply as a cause of the Great Depression, while ten blamed
"overproduction" or "excess capacity" in various industries --
hypotheses that mainstream economic researchers rejected decades ago.

The bottom line? Even when a student is lucky enough to have a
teacher that teaches valid economic principles, that student is
likely being taught an interpretation of history that contradicts
those principles.

To help high school and college-age students learn to reason about
economics, history and politics, The Independent Institute is
sponsoring two Summer Seminars in Political Economy. These dynamic
seminars will help students learn what economics is, how it affects
their lives, and how understanding its laws can help them achieve the
things they care about.

TOPICS INCLUDE
-- Economics and Liberty: How the West grew richer and politically freer
-- Market Chaos or Hidden Order? How markets coordinate people's plans
-- Monopoly or Competition? How market incentives improve the quality of life
-- Market Failure or Government Failure? Inflation, recession and
government policy

INSTRUCTOR
-- Joseph Fuhrig, Professor of Economics and Finance, Golden Gate University

TIME
-- 8:30 AM - 12 NOON, July 9-13 or August 13-17 (choice of session
depends on availability)

TUITION
-- $175

Room and board and one unit of college credit through Holy Names
College in Oakland, Calf., are also available at extra cost.

WHERE
The Independent Institute
100 Swan Way
Oakland, CA 94621-1428

More information, see
http://www.independent.org/tii/students/SummerSeminar.html or contact
Carl Close, Academic Affairs Director at The Independent Institute at
cclose@independent.org or (510) 632-1366.

For "The Great Depression and History Textbooks," by Thomas F.
Cargill and Thomas Mayer, see http://www.fte.org/teachers/readings.htm