We recently asked readers for economic haikus. As always when there are prizes at stake, you responded enthusiastically, with more than 300 separate entries.
It wasn’t easy, but with the help of the team here at the Becker Center, I’ve narrowed it down to the following six finalists. There are dozens more that deserve mention.
The entry that receives the most votes in the comments section as of 11:00 a.m. (E.D.T.) on Tuesday, September 2, wins a piece of Freakonomics schwag.
No. 1, posted by Tim:
Demand curve slopes down
Because the more cake I eat,
The less cake I want.
No. 2, posted by Calum:
A friend and I, jailed;
We agreed to stay silent
(But I still confessed).
No. 3, posted by LiaStarLight:
No matter how hard
I shake my money maker,
It is not enough.
No. 4, posted by Nate C.:
Sales of ice cream seem
To correlate with crime rate?
Simply summer heat.
No. 5, posted by Sean:
Can we work it out
If there aren’t transaction costs?
But of Coase we can.
No. 6, posted by Sophie:
Haiku writers know
The opportunity cost
Of a syllable.
and 
. You can also watch it on 
I vote for #6 who managed to cleverly link together economics and haiku strategy. Nicely done.
Prisoner’s Dilemma – #2.
Given a choice with no cost,
Expect no benefit;
But I pick three
I vote for No. 6 (Sophie).
#1
#2 for sure! Illustration of prisoner’s dilemma with a funny little twist at the end
I like the first one the best among the six.
Number 2