For Principles of Economics courses. Questions that drive interest, applications that illustrate concepts, and the tools to test and solidify comprehension. Students come into their first Economics course thinking they will gain a better understanding of the economy around them. Unfortunately, they often leave with many unanswered questions. To ensure students actively internalize economics, O'Sullivan/Sheffrin/Perez use chapter-opening questions to spark interest on important economic concepts, applications that vividly illustrate those concepts, and chapter-ending tools that test and solidify understanding.
ARTHUR O’SULLIVAN
is a professor of economics at Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon. After receiving his B.S.
in economics at the University of Oregon, he spent two years in the Peace Corps, working with city
planners in the Philippines. He received his Ph.D. in economics from Princeton University in 1981
and has taught at the University of California, Davis, and Oregon State University, winning teaching
awards at both schools. He is the author of the best-selling textbook Urban Economics, currently in its
seventh edition.
Professor O’Sullivan’s research explores economic issues concerning urban land use, environmental
protection, and public policy. His articles have appeared in many economics journals, including the
Journal of Urban Economics, Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, National Tax Journal,
Journal of Public Economics, and Journal of Law and Economics.
Professor O’Sullivan lives with his family in Portland, Oregon. For recreation, he enjoys hiking,
kiteboarding, and squash.
STEVEN M. SHEFFRIN
is professor of economics and executive director of the Murphy Institute at Tulane University. Prior to
joining Tulane in 2010, he was a faculty member at the University of California, Davis, and served as
department chairman of economics and dean of social sciences. He has been a visiting professor at
Princeton University, Oxford University, London School of Economics, and Nanyang Technological
University, and he has served as a financial economist with the Office of Tax Analysis of the United
States Department of the Treasury. He received his B.A. from Wesleyan University and his Ph.D. in
economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Professor Sheffrin is the author of 10 other books and monographs and over 100 articles in the
fields of macroeconomics, public finance, and international economics. His most recent books
include Rational Expectations (second edition) and Property Taxes and Tax Revolts: The Legacy of
Proposition 13 (with Arthur O’Sullivan and Terri Sexton).
Professor Sheffrin has taught macroeconomics and public finance at all levels, from general introduction
to principles classes (enrollments of 400) to graduate classes for doctoral students. He is the
recipient of the Thomas Mayer
