78% of Congress Didn't Study Business, Economics

As Congress debates the weighty economic issues of our times, you can rest easy knowing that almost 80% of them didn’t major in business, economics, accounting, or any related field, according to a new study from the Employment Policies Institute. Just 8.4% of legislators studied economics, with another 13.7% studying business or accounting, the Hill reports. The majority (55.7%) majored in government, law, or humanities.

“This research suggests that our elected representatives may want to dust off their Econ 101 textbook (if they have one) before trying to tackle weighty questions about the impact of taxes, spending, and debt on our economy and the labor market,” the EPI wrote in its press release. The research doesn’t take into account whether lawmakers have any private sector experience, and researchers admit that it’s possible to educate yourself about the issues. But a formal education they argue, “would certainly help.” (More economics stories.)