Skip to main content Accessibility help

We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.

Close cookie message
×
  1. Home
  2. Search

Refine search

Refine search

Access:
Content type:
Publication date:
Apply   From and To filters
Subject: Show more
Journals Show more
Publishers: Show more
Societies Show more
Series: Show more
Collections: Show more

Actions for selected content:

Select all | Deselect all
  • View selected items
  • Export citations
  • Download PDF (zip)
  • Save to Kindle
  • Save to Dropbox
  • Save to Google Drive

Save Search

You can save your searches here and later view and run them again in "My saved searches".

Please provide a title, maximum of 40 characters.
Cancel
×

1 results

  • 7 - On the Success of the Cobb–Douglas Regression

  • from Part III - Conclusion
  • Jeff E. Biddle, Michigan State University
  • Book:
    Progress through Regression
    Published online:
    30 October 2020
    Print publication:
    12 November 2020, pp 299-314

  • Summary

    This chapter presents speculation regarding factors that contributed to the success of the Cobb–Douglas regression. I discuss in particular four factors that helped facilitate the widespread adoption of the regression approach to production function estimation. (i) Douglas’s decision to link his procedure to fundamental concepts of the neoclassical approach to economics, which was destined to grow in influence over the course of the twentieth century. (ii) the flexibility and adaptability of the technique. (iii) Douglas’s rhetoric of persuasion, and (iv) the emergence of prominent advocates for the technique, such as Earl Heady and Zvi Griliches who communicated, by words and example, the attitude that despite its weaknesses, the technique was potentially very valuable, that the best way to realize that potential was to continue using the technique while working to address the weaknesses, and that even while this process of improvement was going on, the technique was still able to contribute to knowledge. The question of why such allies emerge is explored.