Welcome!

Seinfeld ran for nine seasons on NBC and became famous as a “show about nothing.” Basically, the show allows viewers to follow the antics of Jerry, George, Elaine, and Kramer as they move through their daily lives, often encountering interesting people or dealing with special circumstances.

It is the simplicity of Seinfeld that makes it so appropriate for use in economics courses. Using these clips (as well as clips from other television shows or movies) makes economic concepts come alive, making them more real for students. Ultimately, students will start seeing economics everywhere – in other TV shows, in popular music, and most importantly, in their own lives.

We hope that you find these clips valuable and would appreciate your feedback.

The Book!

Book Cover

The Economics of Seinfeld is a book now, check it out on Amazon.

Written in a light-hearted and conversational style, this book is a must-read for fans of Seinfeld and anyone who wants to learn something from “the show about nothing.” It is an ideal supplement for all economics classes.


The Barber icon

The Barber

competition

The Andrea Doria icon

The Andrea Doria

incentives

The Apartment icon

The Apartment

signaling

The Alternate Side icon

The Alternate Side

imperfect information | moral hazard

The Apartment icon

The Apartment

price ceiling | rationing mechanisms

The Baby Shower icon

The Baby Shower

cost-benefit analysis | economics of crime | incentives | thinking at the margin

The Barber icon

The Barber

cost-benefit analysis | dominant strategy | game theory

The Cafe icon

The Cafe

free entry and exit

The Cafe icon

The Cafe

free entry and exit | monopolistic competition | product differentiation

The Bottle Deposit icon

The Bottle Deposit

arbitrage | fixed costs | incentives | variable costs

The Bris icon

The Bris

compensating differentials | labor market

The Calzone icon

The Calzone

altruism | incentives | utility

The Chaperone icon

The Chaperone

functions of markets | scarcity | zero-sum game

The Chinese Woman icon

The Chinese Woman

change in technology | innovation

The Chinese Restaurant icon

The Chinese Restaurant

opportunity cost

The Chinese Restaurant icon

The Chinese Restaurant

opportunity cost | rationing mechanisms

The Chinese Restaurant icon

The Chinese Restaurant

efficiency | rationing mechanisms

The Cheever Letters icon

The Cheever Letters

black market | gains from exchange

The Cheever Letters icon

The Cheever Letters

common resource

The Cheever Letters icon

The Cheever Letters

unintended consequences

The Chicken Roaster icon

The Chicken Roaster

cost-benefit analysis | externality

The Engagement icon

The Engagement

externality | incentives | property rights

The Finale icon

The Finale

changes in payoffs | game theory | incentives

The Foundation icon

The Foundation

cartel | collusion

The Foundation icon

The Foundation

economies of scale

The Contest icon

The Contest

cost-benefit analysis | rate of time preference

The Couch icon

The Couch

demand | substitutes

The Deal icon

The Deal

deadweight loss of gift-giving | signaling | utility

The Deal icon

The Deal

opportunity cost | trade-off

The Invitations icon

The Invitations

credible threat | signaling | strategic move

The Jacket icon

The Jacket

luxury goods

The Fusilli Jerry icon

The Fusilli Jerry

intellectual property rights

The Fusilli Jerry icon

The Fusilli Jerry

asymmetric information | moral hazard

The Glasses icon

The Glasses

demand

The Good Samaritan icon

The Good Samaritan

externality

The Hamptons icon

The Hamptons

common resource

The Marine Biologist icon

The Marine Biologist

diversification

The Little Jerry icon

The Little Jerry

reputation effects | willingness to pay

The Robbery icon

The Robbery

game theory | randomized strategies

The Marine Biologist icon

The Marine Biologist

depreciation of capital

The Keys icon

The Keys

unlimited wants

The Kiss Hello icon

The Kiss Hello

compound interest | future value | present value

The Maestro icon

The Maestro

barriers to entry | monopoly power

The Mango icon

The Mango

consumer sovereignty

The Marine Biologist icon

The Marine Biologist

non-price competition | regulated prices

The Non-Fat Yogurt icon

The Non-Fat Yogurt

demand | value of information

The Nose Job icon

The Nose Job

commitment device | game theory | trade-off

The Note icon

The Note

change in demand | change in supply | movement along a demand curve | movement along a supply curve

The Old Man icon

The Old Man

demand

The Muffin Tops icon

The Muffin Tops

bads | complements | substitutes

The Muffin Tops icon

The Muffin Tops

innovation | intellectual property rights

The Opera icon

The Opera

black market | gains from exchange

The Pez Dispenser/The Pick (Part II) icon

The Pez Dispenser/The Pick (Part II)

entrepreneurship | intellectual property rights | trade-off

The Opposite icon

The Opposite

sunk cost | thinking at the margin

The Parking Garage icon

The Parking Garage

competition | cost-benefit analysis | rationality

The Parking Space icon

The Parking Space

common resource | non-excludable goods | property rights | rival goods

The Pez Dispenser icon

The Pez Dispenser

dominant strategy | game theory

The Pez Dispenser/The Pick (Part I) icon

The Pez Dispenser/The Pick (Part I)

entrepreneurship | intellectual property rights | trade-off

The Postponement icon

The Postponement

demand | law of demand

The Revenge icon

The Revenge

unemployment

The Robbery icon

The Robbery

inferior good | normal good

The Pitch icon

The Pitch

asymmetric information

The Pledge Drive icon

The Pledge Drive

free rider | public good

The Pledge Drive icon

The Pledge Drive

bandwagon effect

The Pony Remark icon

The Pony Remark

price ceiling | rationing mechanisms

The Soul Mate icon

The Soul Mate

commitment device | game theory

The Soup Nazi icon

The Soup Nazi

barriers to entry | monopoly power

The Rye icon

The Rye

willingness to pay | willingness to sell

The Showerhead icon

The Showerhead

law of demand

The Showerhead icon

The Showerhead

black market | regulation

The Sponge icon

The Sponge

change in demand | expectations

The Sponge icon

The Sponge

opportunity cost | scarcity | trade-off

The Stakeout icon

The Stakeout

Coase theorem | externality

The Stock Tip icon

The Stock Tip

diminishing marginal utility

The Statue icon

The Statue

absolute advantage | comparative advantage | gains from exchange

The Stock Tip icon

The Stock Tip

diminishing marginal utility

The Strike icon

The Strike

sunk cost | thinking at the margin

The Strike icon

The Strike

collective bargaining | labor union

The Suicide icon

The Suicide

common resource | reservation wage | supply of labor

The Switch icon

The Switch

complements | substitutes

The Ticket icon

The Ticket

incentives

The Trip (Part II) icon

The Trip (Part II)

incentives

The Truth icon

The Truth

signaling

The Wig Master icon

The Wig Master

game theory | reputation effects

The Big Salad icon

The Big Salad

altruism | utility

The Wife icon

The Wife

incentives

The Mango icon

The Mango

asymmetric information | signaling

The Trip (Part I) icon

The Trip (Part I)

incentives

The Smelly Car icon

The Smelly Car

Coase theorem | externality | moral hazard

The Junior Mint icon

The Junior Mint

externality | unintended consequences

The Parking Garage icon

The Parking Garage

common resource | cost-benefit analysis | thinking at the margin

The Stock Tip icon

The Stock Tip

efficient markets | value of information

The Susie icon

The Susie

game theory

The Pilot icon

The Pilot

game theory | signaling

The Stand-In icon

The Stand-In

game theory | randomized strategies

The Blood icon

The Blood

financial intermediation | saving

The Checks icon

The Checks

nominal exchange rate | real exchange rate

The Fire icon

The Fire

fallacy of composition

The Marine Biologist icon

The Marine Biologist

externality

The Stall icon

The Stall

scarcity

The Glasses icon

The Glasses

dual-self models | time inconsistency