=================== HES POSTING ================== Steve's question is in fact about the institutionalization and professionalization of economics as such in the U.S, for this is how our modern (social) criteria for judging scientific contributions and individual scientists, in short the pecking order, came into existence. The literature on that is probably extensive. Moreover, the literature on the rise to dominance of neoclassical economics all over the world by means of benchmarking the American educational model is rapidly growing. One of my favourite books is Bob Coats (1993), 'Sociology and Professionalization of Economics. British and American Economic Essays Volume II' (Routledge) Volume I in this series (of 3) contains also an interesting article on the subject. The annual supplement to Volume 28 of HOPE is about how the American model is benchmarked internationally, but it also contains an article by William J. Barber on postwar changes in American graduate education. Finally, an advertisement. The close link between the rise to dominance of neoclassical economics and changes in the incentive structure in graduate education can be studied from the recent Western European experience. A forthcoming book (to which I contributed) by Routledge, edited by Bob Coats deals with that subject. Henk W. Plasmeijer ============ FOOTER TO HES POSTING ============ For information, send the message "info HES" to [log in to unmask]