Yesterday's poll about renaming this blog produced an overwhelming result.
Almost 90% of respondents think that the time has come for it to be renamed. Tax is, after all, no longer its focus.
Less than half of those voting liked the suggestion I made that it be renamed Political Economy UK. That said, I was surprised at the level of support it got.
Many alternative names were suggested, of which the most popular was Courageous State, or something based on it. But, I have to admit that I am not entirely convinced. There is a real risk that much as it appeals to some it could alienate others. I also admit that whilst I stand by the book I would write it differently if doing so again, so it is not a true reflection of where I am now.
There have also been suggestions about adverbs: the implication is that action must be implied.
I reviewed every suggestion. I still quite like Political Economy. But Moral Economy appealed as well. So too did Murphy's Lore, which I was amused by, but it says nothing about the blog.
My colleague Colin Hines came up with the idea that I like most at present. That is to use the name Finance for the Future, which is the name of the partnership we have had since 2007. It makes clear that the focus is on economics. It has the required future orientation. The implication is that there will be a solution focus. There would be some complications in a name transfer but overall I like this.
Any move like this is one that takes quite a lot of thought. As a result I thought I would seek opinion on a range of suggested names. You have three votes in this poll. I would appreciate votes and any further comments. And remember that some of the key things about any name is that it has t available and roll off the tongue. The poll is not binding.
What should the name of this blog be?
- Modern Money Matters (27%, 117 Votes)
- Finance for the Future (24%, 106 Votes)
- Economics, Money and Politics (11%, 46 Votes)
- Economics that works (9%, 39 Votes)
- Moral economy (8%, 34 Votes)
- Political economy (7%, 32 Votes)
- Murphonomics (7%, 31 Votes)
- Courageous State (7%, 30 Votes)
Total Voters: 270
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I was going to suggest something with your name in it. ‘Richard Murphy and Finance’, ‘Murphy & Money or Macroeconomy’. But lo and behold Murphonomics might work, so voted for that.
That emerged during a walk with my wife yesterday…
Nice one – I liked “Finance for the Future” as that seemed less dry and conversely more accessible than say something about ‘Economics’ and whilst puns like ‘Murphonomics’ might work short term, my feeling is that it would “grow old” and feel (imho) like ‘cheap laugh’ fairly quickly – e.g. things that seemed witty or funny in the 70’s long ago lost that shine. Anyhow, I think you’re rather brave to invite collective opinion about renaming – that never worked for me on any of the committee’s I’ve been on, if you see what I mean. Best of luck with it Richard.
Thanks
My advice to you is not to bring your name into it.
Then the mud slinging will start referring to your apparent ego. You can do what you want Richard of course but don’t turn yourself into a cult – all too easy to fall into that trap.
Along with the impressive morality and intellectual diligence on the site is the humility and self awareness.
The brand on this site is not you – it’s what you stand for.
Just my view.
I admit I am not that keen on it
But I am sampling opinion
Of course – but go wider than the blog in that case.
Wise advice.
Just voted.
A decent bunch of options there.
Craig
If you are trying to widen your audienc4e and, in particular, encourage younger people who are generally less involved in this kind of thing, I would avoid Economy and economics. I think they are a turn off.
I am sorry but Finance for the Future sounds a bit like a new credit card advert!
Neutrality has some advantages in reaching out though
Ha ha, made me laugh Cyndy, hadn’t thought of that, yues I suppose it does. Very good.
I like (and voted for) Finance for the Future … but Accounting for the Future is an alternative that is also a nice play on words?
Accounting definitely puts people off
The idea that is is boring persists, even if I think it untrue
“Finance for the Future” could be contracted down to “Future Finance”
But “money” is a more accessible word than “finance”.
Does “Future Money” work as a more succinct alternative?
Not for me
First, France is much bigger than money
It includes tax, governance, sustainability and more
And FFTF is easier to say if speaking – important when on air, for example
Financing a Fairer Future…..???
I will play with that idea – let me see, but I think the alliteration is good
This will be resolved soon
I like Financing a Fairer Future. Financing for the Future is good but without a subtitle can come across as a credit card ad as someone suggested. With just a single word “fairer” you get much closer to the nub of what the site is about. It also implicitly alludes to answering “How do you pay for it” in the title of the blog itself.
I am playing with variations too
Thanks
I have come rather late to the discussion as I was very busy yesterday. Could I suggest:
“Economic Justice Matters”?
It is subtlely ambiguous in that it could either me a statement, one which it would be difficult to disagree with, or it could be a description of the contents of the blog.
A phrase can communicate much more than it literally says. “Economic Justice Matters” suggests that we do not have economic justice, that we should have economic justice and that the aim of the blog is to help achieve economic justice. It answers the question “Why should I be interested in this blog?”
I think precise wording is important. People are happy to use the the terms “the economy”, “economic” and “economical”, but the word “economics” has an academic ring about it and suggests a blog for specialists so I would rule out its use in the title. I would say the same is true of the word “finance”.
Finally, the term “Economic Justice” has a very old pedigree having an entry in the Stanford Dictionary of Philosophy but was also a favourite of Martin Luther King and he used it in many of his speeches. He was was an expert at finding phrases that would resonate with a very wide audience.
I thought about Economic Justice – but I have done Justice before and I think I should avoid it now
I liked “The Courageous State” because it hinted at the moral/ethical basis from which your work springs. However, I understand your reservations.
“Finance for the Future” is a good fit, but does it not need a qualifying adjective that distinguishes it from the mere mechanics of finance, and which also conveys a sense of where you are coming from.
I wish I could be more constructive by providing concrete examples, but I have always been painfully slow at dealing with the nuances of language, and I’m guessing that you and/or others on this site will come with appropriate suggestions in short order.
Thanks
I voted for my original suggestion, “Courageous State”.
I’d have used a second vote for “Moral Economics” if it hadn’t been for that word *moral*. “Ethical Economics” – maybe.
But somewhere there has to be room for the birds. And the coffee. We all need to smell the coffee.
Not today….I am an academic listening to a paper on Irish tax right now
Some good choices there. I’m asking myself:
– Who are the audience you want to attract. Not the usual suspects. So what would appeal to them?
– What’s the scope of what you are covering? Its broader than just (cold) finance, money, tax because there is a moral dimension as well
– Is there positive, future ‘vision’ that you are trying to get across? And a sense of action to get there?
Then try and capture that in a Three Word Slogan – without sounding too much like something out of Downing Street!
Whatever, if it’s not perfect, it won’t be the end of the world.
–
After this I am going to take a week or more to think about this.
What is apparent is the right answer is worth some time to find.
Couldn’t agree more, Robin.
I was going to make a few suggestions in the last thread but when it topped 100 replies I thought my offerings would be lost in the noise.
I think a 3 word slogan is what the Great British public tend to go hook line and sinker for these days. Also, I thought about something that wouldn’t just dog whistle all of us centre-left, proper thinking, ethical types (cos what’s the use of an echo chamber?)
So the two options I came out with were –
“Taking Back Control” (see what I did there?) – which would of course refer to the ongoing struggle against the neo-lib narrative and the efforts this blog makes to get people to see the truth about money and macro and it’s impact on the drivers for Gov spending.
“No Accounting For It” which is a bit of a laugh, but nods towards the incredulity of the current accepted wisdom.
Too late for both, but never mind. Next time, eh? 🙂
The matter is nit closed yet
I heard ‘three words’
And I have heard the call for optimism and a solution focus
The thinking is nit over yet
But I bought a batch of domain names yesterday
I can see the need for change, but for something much loved, people generally don’t like change. However, partial change is often more acceptable.
I personally like Research in the name, which brings kudos, and, of course, would give only partial change.
Building on what Bernard Hurly has written, how does “Economic Justice Research” sound?
I am reluctant to go near Justice again having done it once
I think “The Moral Economy” might be ok, but I didn’t vote for “Moral Economy” as I feel the bare phrase could be misread by someone not already familiar with your writing as having a whiff of belt-tightening about it. It immediately correlates in my mind to expressions like “fiscal prudence”, which I’m fairly confident is not what you’re looking for.
I would go with Finance for the Future. But I will always think of the content as Murphonomics 🙂 You have ‘presence’ in bucketloads and it will shine through regardless. On-on!
That one should not have been let out into the wild….
economics that works for all
The word Finance for me is as dull and off putting as the word Tax. Economics as if People Mattered ? Murphonomics – Political Economy for People who Care. A Fair Economy. Courageous Economics, A Fair Future for All. (Tax Finance for Twitchers)
🙂
I have picked “Modern Money Matters” because it is an alliteration, so easier to remember, but “matters” can mean two things here – ie the importance of modern money or matters concerning modern money.
This might help draw inquisitive minds.
I am beginning to think that one pretty unlikely now
Just Follow the Money
Finance for the Future states an agenda, alternates nicely and the two key words carry equal weight. That you and Colin own and use the url is useful. Notice that ICAEW have borrowed for an award scheme…and a coalition of public interest groups have very recently set up the umbrella group – Finance for our Future.
I know about the others – but there is no conflict
Thanks
“Wake-up with Murphy!”
That’s what I do most days and the double meaning of ‘wake-up’ seems appropriate for this blog – Richard is an early bird and we desperately need more people to ‘wake up and smell the coffee’.
More seriously, while I agree it’s time to change the name and voted for Political Economy in the first poll, I have not felt able to vote in the second poll. Most of the suggestions are worthy in themselves, but I have come to think you need something more punchy as a name, together with an explicative subtitle (as you have now) which could be one of those proposed or some combination of them; I still think ‘Political Economy’ or ‘Economics, Money & Politics’ cover best the content of the blog, but some reference to the future is good and maybe sustainability or greening should also get a look in? I would prefer ethical to moral.
A more punchy name might include words like challenges/challenging, challenging the status quo, thinking outside the box, ….
“Challenges for a better future” ?
Best I can offer for now, but I agree you need to take your time over this.
Time will be taken now
Thanks
I voted ‘Finance for the Future’.
A good rule of thumb for naming things like this is to signify the outcome you hope to deliver through it.
Agreed
What an interesting process you have set going, Richard. Not least it has been stimulating to see how engaged our shifting virtual community is with the future good health of your venture. Comments at this stage are becoming even more stimulating.
I did cast one of my votes for my own “Economics That Works” suggestion, but “Moral Economics” and the, blamelessly accurate, composite “Economics, Money and Politics “also got my vote. But I have to admit that the impish suggestion of …. “Follow The Money” has some appeal, though perhaps it would sound too muck-raking a note for the full range of what you and – in minor key – we are trying to do here.
I find that the more I ponder “Finance for the Future”, the less I like it. ‘Finance’ has for very many people a set of unlovely and uncomfortable associations, ranging from dodgy prospectuses at one end to loan sharks at the other and the fact that it has a perfectly proper and usefully wide meaning may not well supplant that range of popular perceptions and usages. There’s also that potentially awkward definite article, here deployed to identify the very ‘thing’ about which it is least possible to be definite. And, if it seems that one is, how do we know whose definite viewpoint this portrays?
However, perhaps unhelpfully, all this has sparked a new candidate – at least in my mind. It’s partly stimulated by the appeal of Moral Economics, and by wanting to strengthen the site’s claim to be both society and humane value enhancing, while not using the now sadly tarnished word ‘Politics’.
How about just…. “Positive Economics” ?
Positive Economics is, essentially, neoliberalism, so I will not be going there
But thanks for engaging
It is a slightly strange feeling to realise so many people care about this.