Economists in Love: Al Roth



2. What’s the upside of being married to an economist? The downside?

The upside? You mean, aside from the fact that we’re hot? I guess we also have job security, as long as the economy keeps generating puzzles and questions we can’t answer.

The downside? Sounds like a good research question for someone…

3. How is a marriage like a corporation? How isn’t it like one?

The reason a lot of economic activity takes place in corporations is that, for some kinds of long term or repeated interactions, it would be a pain to have to always be buying what you need on the market. It would make it hard to make plans and investments that might make production more efficient. Well, families are where we produce household goods. Children, for example. As a recent empty-nester, I can tell you that it takes a long time to produce a complete kid, and team production is the way to go. (I attach a picture of me and Emilie engaging in household production.)

4. You study matching, in which one “agent” has to be matched to another, or as you’ve said, “you can’t just choose what you want, you have to also be chosen.” This applies to markets  anything from students and colleges, to men and women. How did you know you and your wife would make a good match?

As I recall, she told me.

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One Response to Economists in Love: Al Roth

  1. The last answer is just adorable :)

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