Economists largely agree that writing is fundamental to understanding and communicating economics and can serve as an effective way to teach students to "think like economists." However, only a small percentage of programs include writing-intensive courses, a major research paper, or a senior thesis, and even fewer devote class time to…

The value of grammar instruction in improving students' writing has been debated for at least 150 years, and is showing no signs of tiring. But would teaching grammar actually improve writing? In fact, study after study has shown that the study of grammar does not translate to improved student writing. Indeed, the basic skills of writing are not…