This study combines lessons drawn from events and experiences of developing countries and examines them in relation to Jan Kregel's ideas on economics and development. The contributors provide in-depth analysis on: financial stability and crises, monetary systems, banking, global governance, employment, inflation and political economy
This book rethinks economic theory and calls for a creative and pragmatic approach to policymaking. It examines what development and sustenance of economic progress mean, and how these may be facilitated. The relevance of this issue has received fresh impetus from the significant changes in the degree and pattern of international economic relations that are unfolding across the world, posing both opportunities and challenges. While globalisation of goods and financial markets may have delivered high growth for some nations, the distribution of the benefits has often been highly unequal, with gains to owners of capital and skills being disproportionately higher compared to that of labour, especially the unskilled. Widening and persistent inequalities have been at the heart of rising polarisation and spread of conflicts that threaten the social fabric. This work emphasises the relevance of a broad policy framework based on building individual capabilities and in line with a human-centric perspective. At the same time, it points out the crucial need to create policy space for macroeconomic stability and to accommodate heterodox influences, especially when conventional wisdom proves inadequate, as starkly demonstrated inter alia during the recent global financial crisis. This festschrift, dedicated to Deepak Nayyar, presents chapters on diverse themes that address the persisting global problems of poverty, inequality and sustaining development. The book will be of great interest to scholars and researchers of economics, development studies, public policy and governance, and also to policymakers, government officials and those in media.
This book makes the bold attempt at proposing a new general theory of economic development. The main premise is that economic institutions and policies must embody ‘economic discrimination’ if there is to be any chance of real economic development. By economic discrimination, the author means ‘treating differences differently’ by selecting and supporting economic entities and behaviour that contribute positively to the economy. The book identifies markets, government and corporations as the ‘holy trinity of economic development’, that is, the three most important institutions that must work together via economic discrimination to steer the economy towards real transformative progress. The book also warns against the current trend of economic egalitarianism or ‘not treating differences differently’ because it destroys economic incentives and results in an array of economic problems including growth stagnation.
Zusammenfassung: This book, set out over four-volumes, provides a comprehensive history of economic thought in the 20th century. Special attention is given to the cultural and historical background behind the development of economic theories, the leading or the peripheral research communities and their interactions, and a critical appreciation and assessment of economic theories throughout these times. Volume III addresses economic theory in the period of the new golden age of capitalism, between the years from the end of the Second World War to the mid1970s, which saw the establishment of the new mainstream, in particular in its Harvard-MIT-Cowles version. It was the period of the pre-eminence of the Neoclassical Keynesian Synthesis--the theoretical core of the period's dominant school of thought. This work provides a significant and original contribution to the history of economic thought and gives insight to the thinking of some of the major international figures in economics. It will appeal to students, scholars and the more informed reader wishing to further their understanding of the history of the discipline. Roberto Marchionatti is Professor Emeritus of Economics at the University of Torino, Fellow of the Accademia delle Scienze di Torino, and a Life Member of Clare Hall College, Cambridge. He has previously been a Visiting Scholar at the University of New York and the University of Cambridge. He is the editor of Annals of Fondazione Luigi Einaudi: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Economics, History and Political Science and he has been co-editor of History of Economic Ideas. He has published almost 50 journal articles and more than 15 books as well as a great number of contributions in edited volumes
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.
This book examines the changing role of national development banks (NDBs) in Africa. It presents a comprehensive overview of NDBs in Africa, examining their key characteristics, theoretical underpinnings, and growing importance to African economies. The book fully examines the role of NDBs and their potential to support development goals, address gaps in finance left by underdeveloped capital markets, and mobilize resources from the public and private sectors to encourage new long-term investments. Chapters cover the historical background and theoretical rationale for NDBs; the contemporary role of NDBs including their role in sustainable development, climate finance initiatives, and infrastructure development; funding sources, business models, monitoring and impact evaluation; and corporate governance, risk management and regulation. Case studies are also included to demonstrate the individual contributions of NDBs to several national economies. The book contributes to the limited literature in this area by providing a detailed resource on NDBs for scholars, students, policymakers and regulators working in the areas of development finance and banking.
Handbook of Economic Stagnation takes a broad view, including contributions from orthodox and heterodox economists who examine situations in countries and worldwide regions, including Japan and the Euro area. To be sure, stagnation is periodically relieved by short economic bursts usually brought on by unsustainable asset price bubbles. Once the bubbles burst, stagnation returns. This book's fresh, comprehensive approach to the topic makes it the premier source for anyone affected by these cycles. - Synthesizes and organizes diverse perspectives about crisis economics and future economic growth - Emphasizes the relationships among stagnation, international economics, and the global distribution of labor - Includes Japan and the Euro zone as well as other countries and regions worldwide
Offering an examination of the diplomatic and economic regional power structures in Africa and their relationships with each other, Dawn Nagar discusses the potential and future of pan-Africanism. The three primary regional economic communities (RECs) that are recognised by the African Union as the key building blocks of a united Africa are examined - these are the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC). These RECS include Africa's major economies – Egypt, South Africa, and Kenya but are also home to Africa's most conflict prone and volatile states – the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Burundi, South Sudan, Somalia and Lesotho. Providing a detailed overview of the current relationship between these power blocs, this book provides insight into the current state of diplomatic and economic relations within Africa and shows how far there is to go for a future of Pan-Africanism.
In contrast to neo-classical mainstream approaches to economics, this innovative Modern Guide addresses the complex reality of economic development as an inherently uneven process, exploring the ways of theorizing and empirically exploring the mechanisms with which the unevenness manifests itself. It covers a wide array of issues influencing wealth and poverty, technological innovation, ecology and sustainability, financialization, population, gender, and geography, considering the dynamics of cumulative causations created by the interplay between these factors.
This collection brings together leading economists from around the world to explore key issues in economic analysis and the history of economic thought. This book deals with important themes in economics in terms of an approach that has its roots in the works of the classical economists from Adam Smith to David Ricardo. The chapters have been inspired by the work of Neri Salvadori, who has made key contributions in various areas including the theory of production, the theory of value and distribution, the theory of economic growth, as well as the theory of renewable and deplorable natural resources. The main themes in this book include production, value and distribution; endogenous economic growth; renewable and exhaustible natural resources; capital and profits; oligopolistic competition; effective demand and capacity utilization; financial regulation; and themes in the history of economic analysis. Several of the contributions are closely related to the works of Neri Salvadori. This is demonstrated with respect to important contemporary topics including the sources of economic growth, the role of exhaustible resources in economic development, the reduction and disposal of waste, the redistribution of income and wealth, and the regulation of an inherently unstable financial sector. All contributions are brand new, original and concise, written by leading exponents in their field of expertise. Together this volume represents an invaluable contribution to economic analysis and the history of economic thought. This book is suitable for those who study economic theory and its history, political economy as well as philosophy.