Economic knowledge as a public good
“Knowledge for the sake of decision-making,” wrote Luigi Einaudi in his *i* *Prediche Inutili* . An exhortation that remains remarkably relevant today. In a society undergoing ever-faster economic, technological and geopolitical transformations, the quality of collective decisions depends crucially on the quality of the knowledge on which they are based. This applies not only to government decisions, but also to those made by businesses, households and individual citizens. Yet, just as economic issues are taking up an ever-greater share of public debate, the tools needed to understand them fully are not always as widely available. From the impact of artificial intelligence on work to the consequences of an ageing population, from migration to the energy transition, from the sustainability of the welfare state to the new forms of inequality generated by the digital revolution, these economic issues – both old and new – profoundly influence our daily lives and therefore require an informed debate capable of moving beyond simplifications and ideological divisions.
It is this realisation that has given rise to the collaboration between the Italian Society of Economics and *Il Sole 24 Ore*. This initiative was strongly championed by the Society’s president, Roberto Cellini, and developed as part of the outreach activities coordinated by Federico Boffa, with the aim of strengthening the dialogue between the worlds of economic research and journalism and, through them, all citizens. The idea behind it is simple: economic knowledge is a public good. It realises its full value not when it remains confined to universities, specialist seminars or academic journals, but when it becomes a shared resource, a tool for understanding reality and a basis for individual and collective decision-making.
The Italian Economic Association brings together a broad and diverse community of scholars who are engaged in research and teaching on a daily basis. Every year, universities and research centres across the country produce studies that address some of the most significant issues of our time. Very often, however, this wealth of knowledge struggles to reach the public debate. Not because there is a lack of communication channels, but because the language of research and that of public discussion follow different logics and timelines. On the one hand, there is a need for in-depth analysis and empirical verification; on the other, a need for synthesis and immediacy. The challenge, therefore, lies in building bridges and establishing new channels of communication. This collaboration has been established precisely with this aim in mind: to facilitate the coming together of two worlds that share the same public responsibility. On the one hand, the scientific community, called upon to produce rigorous and reliable knowledge. On the other, business journalism, which plays an essential role in making that knowledge accessible and relevant to the general public.
Of course, the role of economists is not to provide definitive truths, nor to take the place of political decision-makers. Economics does not offer certainties. It provides tools to better understand problems, assess the consequences of possible alternatives and highlight the trade-offs that accompany every collective decision. In this sense, the profession of the economist has a civic dimension that extends beyond the confines of academia. It is not limited to research or teaching. It also involves participation in public life through the dissemination of knowledge and a contribution to the development of more informed citizens.
A mature democracy needs robust institutions, free access to information and an informed citizenry. It needs people capable of distinguishing between facts and opinions, between evidence and slogans, between real problems and false solutions. In other words, it needs ‘knowledge to deliberate’. The collaboration between the Italian Economic Association and *Il Sole 24 Ore* was established with this ambition in mind. Not to offer a single voice, but to make available to public debate the diversity of expertise and perspectives that characterise contemporary economic research. Not to simplify complexity, but to make it understandable. Not to steer citizens’ choices, but to provide them with better tools to make those choices. Because Einaudi’s lesson remains as valid today as it was yesterday. The dissemination of economic knowledge is neither a narrow professional interest nor an academic exercise. It is an investment in the quality of our democratic life. It is a concrete form of service to the country. Knowledge does not eliminate conflicts, nor does it automatically resolve dilemmas or render politics superfluous. But it helps us to debate more effectively, to make choices with greater awareness, and to build institutions capable of meeting the challenges of our time.
