Through innovative use of little used archival material, Rothenberg finds that the relevant economic magnitudes - farm commodity prices, wages for day and monthly farm labor, and the determinants of rural wealth holding - behaved as if they had been formed in a market. This ground breaking discovery reveals how an agricultural economy that lacked both an important export staple and technological change could experience market-led growth. To understand this impressive economic development, Rothenberg discusses a number of provocative questions.
Thirty years ago, the economic system of the Soviet empire—socialism—seemed definitively discredited. Today, the most popular figures in the Democratic Party embrace it, while the shapers of public opinion treat capitalism as morally indefensible. Is there a moral case for capitalism? Consumerism is an appalling spectacle. Free markets may be efficient, but are they fair? Aren’t there some things that we can’t afford to leave to the vicissitudes of the market? Robert Sirico, a onetime leftist, shows how a free economy—including private property, legally enforceable contracts, and prices and interest rates freely agreed to by the parties to a transaction—is the best way to meet society’s material needs. In fact, the free market has lifted millions out of dire poverty—far more people than state welfare or private charity has ever rescued from want. But efficiency isn’t its only virtue. Economic freedom is indispensable for the other freedoms we prize. And it’s not true that it makes things more important than people—just the reverse. Only if we have economic rights can we protect ourselves from government encroachment into the most private areas of our lives—including our consciences. Defending the Free Market is a powerful vindication of capitalism and a timely warning for a generation flirting with disaster.
Offering a cross-comparative study of the transition regimes of the countries formerly characterized by Soviet central planning, Pomfret (economics, U. of Adelaide) argues that the imposition of the Washington consensus has been a qualified success across the board. A major theme of the work is whether economists were able to accurately predict the economic behavior and results of the transition economies and whether they were able to learn from discrepancies. His analysis of this is surprisingly positive, although the arguments for the immediate benefits of mass privatization are noted to be deficient (in hindsight for Pomfret). Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
If you are genuinely interested in what is wrong with modern economics, this is where you can find out. If you would like to understand the flaws in Keynesian macro, this is the book you must read. If you are interested in marginal analysis properly explained, you again need to read this book. Based on the classical principles of John Stuart Mill, it is what is missing today; a text based on explaining how an economy works from a supply-side perspective.
This book uses relatable case studies to dispense practical financial advice to educators. Written by an expert team of four award-winning economics educators, the book provides an engaging narrative specifically designed for teachers and their unique financial needs. Educators are attracted to the teaching profession for numerous reasons. Prospective teachers enter the profession believing it offers a certain level of job security and good benefits, usually including a defined-benefit, state-funded pension. But things are changing. Pensions vary widely from state to state and even within school districts. Many private schools do not offer even basic 403(b) saving plans and, when they do, they are often not very generous. Much the same can be said of many charter schools and private colleges and universities. The book consists of fourteen chapters covering a comprehensive group of topics specifically curated for educators teaching at the K-12 and university level, including saving for retirement, managing debt, investment strategies, and real estate. Each chapter begins with a case study of an educator in a specific financial situation, which sets the scene for the introduction and explanation of key concepts. The chapters include a Q&A section to address common questions and conclude with a “Financial 911” focusing on a financial emergency related to the chapter topic.
