Handbook of Alternative Theories of Economic Development

Handbook of Alternative Theories of Economic Development

Author: Erik S. Reinert

Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing

Published: 2016-09-28

Total Pages: 849

ISBN-13: 1782544682

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The Handbook of Alternative Theories of Economic Development explores the theories and approaches which, over a prolonged period of time, have existed as viable alternatives to today’s mainstream and neo-classical tenets. With a total of 40 specially commissioned chapters, written by the foremost authorities in their respective fields, this volume represents a landmark in the field of economic development. It elucidates the richness of the alternative and sometimes misunderstood ideas which, in different historical contexts, have proved to be vital to the improvement of the human condition. The subject matter is approached from several complementary perspectives. From a historical angle, the Handbook charts the mercantilist and cameralist theories that emerged from the Renaissance and developed further during the Enlightenment. From a geographical angle, it includes chapters on African, Chinese, Indian, and Muslim approaches to economic development. Different schools are also explored and discussed including nineteenth century US development theory, Marxist, Schumpeterian, Latin American structuralism, regulation theory and world systems theories of development. In addition, the Handbook has chapters on important events and institutions including The League of Nations, The Havana Charter, and UNCTAD, as well as on particularly influential development economists. Contemporary topics such as the role of finance, feminism, the agrarian issue, and ecology and the environment are also covered in depth. This comprehensive Handbook offers an unrivalled review and analysis of alternative and heterodox theories of economic development. It should be read by all serious scholars, teachers and students of development studies, and indeed anyone interested in alternatives to development orthodoxy.


Capitalism

Capitalism

Author: Anwar Shaikh

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2016-01-15

Total Pages: 1019

ISBN-13: 0199390657

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Orthodox economics operates within a hypothesized world of perfect competition in which perfect consumers and firms act to bring about supposedly optimal outcomes. The discrepancies between this model and the reality it claims to address are then attributed to particular imperfections in reality itself. Most heterodox economists seize on this fact and insist that the world is characterized by imperfect competition. But this only ties them to the notion of perfect competition, which remains as their point of departure and base of comparison. There is no imperfection without perfection. In Capitalism, Anwar Shaikh takes a different approach. He demonstrates that most of the central propositions of economic analysis can be derived without any reference to standard devices such as hyperrationality, optimization, perfect competition, perfect information, representative agents, or so-called rational expectations. This perspective allows him to look afresh at virtually all the elements of economic analysis: the laws of demand and supply, the determination of wage and profit rates, technological change, relative prices, interest rates, bond and equity prices, exchange rates, terms and balance of trade, growth, unemployment, inflation, and long booms culminating in recurrent general crises. In every case, Shaikh's innovative theory is applied to modern empirical patterns and contrasted with neoclassical, Keynesian, and Post-Keynesian approaches to the same issues. Shaikh's object of analysis is the economics of capitalism, and he explores the subject in this expansive light. This is how the classical economists, as well as Keynes and Kalecki, approached the issue. Anyone interested in capitalism and economics in general can gain a wealth of knowledge from this ground-breaking text.


After Adam Smith

After Adam Smith

Author: Murray Milgate

Publisher: Princeton University Press

Published: 2011-10-16

Total Pages: 318

ISBN-13: 0691152349

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'After Adam Smith' looks at how politics & political economy were articulated & altered in the century following the publication of Smith's 'Wealth of Nations'.


Understanding Economic Change

Understanding Economic Change

Author: Ulrich Witt

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2019

Total Pages: 411

ISBN-13: 1107136202

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Shows how thinking in evolutionary terms enhances our understanding of the economic and social change taking place at all levels.


Contending Economic Theories

Contending Economic Theories

Author: Richard D. Wolff

Publisher: MIT Press

Published: 2012-09-07

Total Pages: 425

ISBN-13: 0262517833

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A systematic comparison of the 3 major economic theories—neoclassical, Keynesian, and Marxian—showing how they differ and why these differences matter in shaping economic theory and practice. Contending Economic Theories offers a unique comparative treatment of the three main theories in economics as it is taught today: neoclassical, Keynesian, and Marxian. Each is developed and discussed in its own chapter, yet also differentiated from and compared to the other two theories. The authors identify each theory's starting point, its goals and foci, and its internal logic. They connect their comparative theory analysis to the larger policy issues that divide the rival camps of theorists around such central issues as the role government should play in the economy and the class structure of production, stressing the different analytical, policy, and social decisions that flow from each theory's conceptualization of economics. Building on their earlier book Economics: Marxian versus Neoclassical, the authors offer an expanded treatment of Keynesian economics and a comprehensive introduction to Marxian economics, including its class analysis of society. Beyond providing a systematic explanation of the logic and structure of standard neoclassical theory, they analyze recent extensions and developments of that theory around such topics as market imperfections, information economics, new theories of equilibrium, and behavioral economics, considering whether these advances represent new paradigms or merely adjustments to the standard theory. They also explain why economic reasoning has varied among these three approaches throughout the twentieth century, and why this variation continues today—as neoclassical views give way to new Keynesian approaches in the wake of the economic collapse of 2008.


History of Economic Thought

History of Economic Thought

Author: E. K. Hunt

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2015-01-28

Total Pages: 604

ISBN-13: 1317468597

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The new edition of this classroom classic retains the organizing theme of the original text, presenting the development of thought within the context of economic history. Economic ideas are framed in terms of the spheres of production and circulation, with a critical analysis of how past theorists presented their ideas.


Economics for the Common Good

Economics for the Common Good

Author: Mark A Lutz

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2002-11-01

Total Pages: 501

ISBN-13: 1134764081

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This textbook presents an introduction to the central issues of social economics. Building on a venerable social economics tradition, the book recommends a more rational economic order and proposes new principles of economic policy. The issues covered include: * the inadequacy of individualistic economics in guiding the policy maker * a critique of economic rationality * rethinking of the modern business corporation * a critical look at markets as panacea * the harmful effects of international competition * environmental problems. The book introduces social economic concepts and challenges the reader to look beyond the confines of mainstream economic thinking to find a solution to these critical issues.


Reinterpreting Mr. Keynes

Reinterpreting Mr. Keynes

Author: Warren Young

Publisher: Springer Nature

Published: 2022-01-19

Total Pages: 168

ISBN-13: 3030913422

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This book examines the origins of the IS-LM model, one of the most significant innovations in the history of economic thought. It shows that the complete IS-LM model, including the equations and diagram, was produced by a group of economists who contributed their respective mathematical models of Keynes’s General Theory, including Champernowne, Reddaway, Harrod, and Meade, not to mention Hicks. Furthermore, the book discusses the implications of newly discovered archival material, including a previously overlooked document showing that John Maynard Keynes himself was the first to present the IS-LM model equations in a lecture he gave on December 4, 1933. It focuses on the implications of this material in terms of understanding the evolution of Keynes’s approach from 1933 to 1937, later interpreters of his General Theory, and the ongoing debate between Keynesians and Post-Keynesians on the nature of his system. Given the revelations it presents, this book will transform the profession’s understanding of the origins of the IS-LM model and modern macroeconomics.


Recharting the History of Economic Thought

Recharting the History of Economic Thought

Author: Kevin Deane

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2020-04-08

Total Pages: 414

ISBN-13: 1350306169

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This ground-breaking new textbook takes a thematic approach to the history of economic thought, introducing current economic issues and examining the relevant arguments of key economists. By taking this innovative approach, the book sets these pivotal ideas in a contemporary context, helping readers to engage with the material and see the applications to today's society and economy. Based on courses developed by the authors, the text introduces a range of perspectives and encourages critical reflection upon neoclassical economics. Through exposure to a broader spectrum of sometimes conflicting propositions, readers are able to evaluate the strengths, weaknesses and relevance of different economic theories. Recharting the History of Economic Thought is an invaluable companion for those taking courses in the History of Economic Thought, the Development of Economic Ideas, Developing Economic Thinking or Economic Thought and Policy. It will also appeal to anyone looking for an introduction to pluralist approaches to economics.