Economics is not primarily a collection of facts to memorize, although there are plenty of important concepts

to learn. Instead, think of economics as a collection of questions to answer or puzzles to work. Most

importantly, economics provides the tools to solve those puzzles.

Consider the complex and critical issue of education barriers on national and regional levels, which affect

millions of people and result in widespread poverty and inequality. Governments, aid organizations, and

wealthy individuals spend billions of dollars each year trying to address these issues. Nations announce the

revitalization of their education programs; tech companies donate devices and infrastructure, and celebrities

and charities build schools and sponsor students. Yet the problems remain, sometimes almost as pronounced

as they were before the intervention. Why is that the case? In 2019, three economists—Esther Duflo, Abhijit
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