Economics from the Top Down is 1 year old

Blair Fix

Today is the [one year
anniversary](https://economicsfromthetopdown.com/2019/04/11/economics-from-the-top-down/){target="_blank"
rel="noopener"} of *Economics from the Top Down*. To mark the occasion,
I though I'd share with you the 5 most-viewed posts of the last year:

**Top 5 Posts**

1.  [No, Productivity Does Not Explain
    Income](https://economicsfromthetopdown.com/2019/07/08/no-productivity-does-not-explain-income/){target="_blank"
    rel="noopener"}
2.  [Productivity Does Not Explain
    Wages](https://economicsfromthetopdown.com/2019/11/14/productivity-does-not-explain-wages/){target="_blank"
    rel="noopener"}
3.  [Debunking the 'Productivity-Pay
    Gap'](https://economicsfromthetopdown.com/2020/01/17/debunking-the-productivity-pay-gap/){target="_blank"
    rel="noopener"}
4.  [An Evolutionary Theory of Resource Distribution (Part
    1)](https://economicsfromthetopdown.com/2019/09/06/an-evolutionary-theory-of-resource-distribution-part-1/){target="_blank"
    rel="noopener"}
5.  [Real GDP: The Flawed Metric at the Heart of
    Macroeconomics](https://economicsfromthetopdown.com/2019/04/29/real-gdp-the-flawed-metric-at-the-heart-of-macroeconomics/){target="_blank"
    rel="noopener"}

You'll notice that these posts have a common theme: they're all about
*productivity*. More specifically, they're about why productivity has
nothing to do with *income* (either for individuals or for whole
nations).

It seems that readers of this blog are thirsty for alternatives to the
neoclassical theory of income. And for good reason. The idea that income
stems from productivity is one of the defining ideologies of our time.
We worship at the altar of productivity, largely to the benefit of the
wealthy and powerful.

The other thing I notice about these top 5 posts is that they're
primarily criticisms. They critique neoclassical theory, but don't
necessarily provide alternatives. (The exception is [An Evolutionary
Theory of Resource
Distribution](https://economicsfromthetopdown.com/2019/09/06/an-evolutionary-theory-of-resource-distribution-part-1/){target="_blank"
rel="noopener"}.) Criticism is important, of course. But going forward,
I'm going to focus on developing alternatives to neoclassical theory.
The reality is that old theories die only when better options comes
along.

### Thank you

Over the last year, the response to this blog has exceeded my
expectations. I was used to writing scientific papers read by a few
hundred people. Imagine my surprise when readership of this blog topped
that value by several orders of magnitude.

More and more I see *Economics from the Top Down* as my primary research
outlet. Of course I continue to publish scientific papers. But what I
enjoy most is communicating my findings to a general audience.

Looking ahead, I have many projects on the docket. One that stands out
is something that, in the blogging world, may seem heretical. I'm going
to try to explain, in simple terms, a complex model that I developed in
my [PhD thesis](https://thesiscommons.org/7uqw9/){target="_blank"
rel="noopener"}.

The model is about how income relates to hierarchy. It took me years to
develop, and it's something that I struggle to explain even to other
scientists. I've had many a peer reviewer misunderstand the model. So
one of my goals, in the next year, is to explain this model to
non-specialists. Time will tell if I'm successful.

If you're a regular reader, thanks for being part of this adventure. (If
you really enjoy my writing, consider [becoming a
patron](https://economicsfromthetopdown.com/membership/){target="_blank"
rel="noopener"}.) If you're a new reader, welcome. There's lots more to
come.

\[Cover image: [Phil
Varney](https://www.flickr.com/photos/84225480@N05/15136415434/){target="_blank"
rel="noopener"}\]

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(Blair Fix) and link to [Economics from the Top
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Today is the one year anniversary of
<em>
 Economics from the Top Down
</em>
. To mark the occasion, I though I’d share with you the 5 most-viewed posts of the last year:
<strong>
 Top 5 Posts
</strong>
No, Productivity Does Not Explain Income Productivity Does Not Explain Wages Debunking the ‘Productivity-Pay Gap’ An Evolutionary Theory of Resource Distribution (Part 1) Real GDP: The Flawed Metric at the Heart of Macroeconomics  You’ll notice that

Messaggi di Rogue Scholar

One Year of Blogging