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Political Economy, Institutions and Virtue: Alasdair MacIntyre’s Revolutionary Aristotelianism (Routledge Advances in Social Economics)
by Matías PetersenThis book engages with a radical critique of the modern state and the contemporary economic order: Alasdair MacIntyre’s ‘revolutionary Aristotelianism’ project. Central to this critique is the idea that the moral norms that markets and states tend to reproduce or reinforce are an obstacle to the development of practical judgement. The book outlines MacIntyre’s theory of practical reason and discusses some of the institutional arrangements that can be derived from it. It also explores the growing body of literature which has started to examine the extent to which alternative forms of social organisation might be more compatible with MacIntyre’s account of the virtues. This literature includes various proposals for alternative political and economic arrangements, ranging from certain forms of market socialism to the promotion of different forms of mutual and cooperative enterprises. Finally, the book offers an account of the type of institutional analysis required for the advancement of the revolutionary Aristotelianism project. This is achieved by showing how some key features of the Bloomington School of political economy are not only compatible with MacIntyre’s political philosophy, but also that a synthesis between neo- Aristotelian moral philosophy and the work of the Bloomington School offers a robust alternative for revolutionary Aristotelians. Thus, the book defends the idea that MacIntyre’s account of human flourishing is more likely to be realised, although imperfectly, in a polycentric social order. This book will be of interest to social scientists working in questions of political economy as well as political and moral philosophers.
Political Economy, Nationalistic Populism, and Immigration in Today's World: A Primer for the Social Sciences
by Jacqueline Murray BruxPolitical Economy, Nationalistic Populism, and Immigration in Today’s World: A Primer for the Social Sciences is a core text for a multidisciplinary range of courses in economics, political science, sociology, international studies, public policy, and the social sciences.The text weaves together an understanding of the interconnected topics of global nationalistic populism, authoritarianism, immigration, conditions in developing countries, social systems and safety nets, diversity, and ultimately, happiness as measured by global happiness surveys.The text is designed for a global audience through the use of examples and case studies in a manner that is clear to students and provides all prerequisite knowledge for undergraduates. It includes content on countries across the developing world, Europe, Canada, and the United States. There is considerable emphasis on the politics and ideologies of Europe and the United States and how these relate to immigration and impact each other.
The Political Economy of a Living Wage
by Donald StabileThis book tells the story behind President Franklin D. Roosevelt's use of the phrase "living wage" in a variety of speeches, letters, and statements, and examines the degree to which programs of the New Deal reflected the ideas of a living wage movement that existed in the US for almost three decades before Roosevelt was elected president. Far from being a side issue, the previously unexplored living wage debate sheds light on the New Deal philosophy of social justice by identifying the value judgments behind its policies. Moving chronologically through history, this book's highlights include the revelation of a living wage agenda under the War Industry Board (WIB)'s National War Labor Board (NWLB) during World War I, the unearthing of long-forgotten literature from the 1920s and 30s that formed the foundation of Roosevelt's statements on a living wage, and the examination of contemporary studies that used a simple living wage formula combining collective bargaining, social insurance, and minimum wage as a standard for social justice used to measure the impact of New Deal polices.
The Political Economy of a Plural World: Critical reflections on Power, Morals and Civilisation (RIPE Series in Global Political Economy)
by Robert Cox Michael G. SchechterBuilding on his seminal contributions to the field, Robert W. Cox engages with the major themes that have characterized his work over the past three decades, and the main topics which affect the globalized world at the start of the twentieth-century. This new volume by one of the world's leading critical thinkers in international political economy addresses such core issues as global civil society, power and knowledge, the covert world, multilateralism, and civilizations and world order. With an introductory essay by Michael Schechter which addresses current critiques of Coxian theory, the author enters into a stimulating dialogue with critics of his work.Timely, provocative and original, this book is a major contribution to international political economy and is essential reading for all students and academics in the field.
The Political Economy of Africa
by Vishnu PadayacheeThe Political Economy of Africa addresses the real possibilities for African development in the coming decades when seen in the light of the continent’s economic performance over the last half-century. This involves an effort to emancipate our thinking from the grip of western economic models that have often ignored Africa’s diversity in their rush to peddle simple nostrums of dubious merit. The book addresses the seemingly intractable economic problems of the African continent, and traces their origins. It also brings out the instances of successful economic change, and the possibilities for economic revival and renewal. As well as surveying the variety of contemporary situations, the text will provide readers with a firm grasp of the historical background to the topic. It explores issues such as: employment and poverty social policy and security structural adjustment programs and neo-liberal globalization majority rule and democratization taxation and resource mobilization. It contains a selection of country specific case studies from a range of international contributors, many of whom have lived and worked in Africa. The book will be of particular interest to higher level students in political economy, development studies, area studies (Africa) and economics in general.
The Political Economy of African Famine (Routledge Library Editions: Food Supply and Policy)
by R. E. Downs Donna O. Kerner Stephen P. ReynaOriginally published in 1991. This volume explores the combination of political and economic forces that influence different levels of food supply. The book begins with a discussion of famine theories, ranging from cultural ecology to neo-Marxism. Following this survey is a series of essays by anthropologists, geographers, economists and development practitioners that explores the role of Western institutions in African famine, analyzes famine in particular countries, and documents the relationship between famine and gender. This book takes an unusually broad look at famine by including analyses of countries where hunger has rarely been studied and by examining African famine from both African and Western perspectives. Its concluding proposals for eradicating famine make innovative and provocative contributions to current global debates on food and nutrition.
The Political Economy of Agricultural and Food Policies (Palgrave Studies in Agricultural Economics and Food Policy)
by Johan SwinnenFood and agriculture have been subject to heavy-handed government interventions throughout much of history and across the globe, both in developing and in developed countries. Today, more than half a trillion US dollars are spent by some governments to support farmers, while other governments impose regulations and taxes that hurt farmers. Some policies, such as price regulations and tariffs, distribute income but reduce total welfare by introducing economic distortions. Other policies, such as public investments in research, food standards, or land reforms, may increase total welfare, but these policies come also with distributional effects. These distributional effects influence the preferences of interest groups and in turn influence policy decisions. Political considerations are therefore crucial to understand how agricultural and food policies are determined, to identify the constraints within which welfare-enhancing reforms are possible (or not), and finally to understand how coalitions can be created to stimulate growth and reduce poverty.
The Political Economy of Agricultural Booms
by Mariano TurziThis book offers an in-depth analysis of the political economy of soybean production in Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay, by identifying the dominant private and public actors and control mechanisms that have given rise to a corporate-driven, vertically integrated system of regionalized agricultural production in the Southern Cone of South America. The current agricultural boom surrounding soybean production has been aided by aggressive new agro-technologies, including biotechnology, leading to massive organizational changes in the agricultural sector and a significant rise in the power of special interest groups and corporations. Despite having similar initial production conditions, the pattern of economic activity surrounding soybean production in Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay, continues to be largely determined by the needs of the multinational corporations involved, rather than national considerations of comparative advantage. The author uses these findings to argue that the new international model of agricultural production empowers chemical and trading multinational companies over national governments.
The Political Economy of Agro-Food Markets in China
by Louis Augustin-Jean Björn AlpermannChina's agricultural production and food consumption have increased tremendously, leading to a complete evolution of agro-food markets. The book is divided into two parts; the first part reviews the theoretical framework for the 'social construction of the markets,' while the second part presents the implication for the agro-food markets in China.
The Political Economy of Aid and Accountability: The Rise and Fall of Budget Support in Tanzania
by Helen TilleyThe provision of aid is increasingly under scrutiny with increasing demands for results. This raises the question: what are our expectations from aid and are they realistic? Too often accountability is argued for without questioning if what is understood by the term is relevant or applicable. The Political Economy of Aid and Accountability: The Rise and Fall of Budget Support in Tanzania explores the real meaning of accountability and argues for a new approach to aid more relevant to recipient countries. Offering fresh, insightful ideas Helen Tilley presents a contemporary theory of accountability through a case study of the delivery of general budget support in Tanzania. By considering the wider system of often contradictory political and social relations that influence and in turn constrain donor-government relations she questions the traditional understanding of accountability and deconstructs its epistemological assumptions. Engaging in an interdisciplinary discussion drawing upon economics, sociology, political science, anthropology, psychology and philosophy the book constructs a modern and nuanced understanding of accountability and foreign aid.
The Political Economy of Aid in Palestine: Relief from Conflict or Development Delayed? (Routledge Political Economy of the Middle East and North Africa)
by Sahar Taghdisi-RadDespite for many years receiving the highest per capita aid worldwide, the economies of the West Bank and Gaza Strip have failed to achieve any lasting developmental outcomes and suffer from major weaknesses which undermine their very survival. This book argues that the dominant, mainstream approach to the study of aid and aid effectiveness is theoretically and empirically inadequate for a comprehensive understanding and analysis of the workings of aid in developing countries, particularly those undergoing conflict. This book examines the nature of donor operations in Palestine, highlighting the political and ideological determinants of aid allocation and effectiveness, and focussing on the role of trade-related donor assistance in Palestine, more commonly known as Aid for Trade. It discusses how such trade-related assistance is only another instance of donors working ‘around’ the conflict, as opposed to taking it into account; and how aid to Palestine cannot bring about significant improvement as long as the Palestinian economy is fundamentally affected by Israeli occupation, settlements and blockade. It argues that unless restructured and more carefully targeted, aid can only act as a temporary relief mechanism. Furthermore, the book sheds light on critical areas within Palestinian territories that are in need of development and require significant and immediate attention at both national and international level.
A Political Economy of American Hegemony
by Thomas OatleyIn A Political Economy of American Hegemony, Thomas Oatley explores how America's military buildups have produced postwar economic booms that have culminated in monetary and financial crises. The 2008 subprime crisis - as well as the housing bubble that produced it - was the most recent manifestation of this buildup, boom, and bust cycle, developing as a consequence of the decision to deficit-finance the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Earlier instances of financial crises were generated by deficit-financed buildups in the 1980s and the late 1960s. The buildup, boom, and bust pattern results from the way political institutions and financial power shape America's response to military challenges: political institutions transform increased military spending into budget deficits, and financial power enables the United States to finance these deficits by borrowing cheaply from the rest of the world. Oatley examines how this cycle has had a powerful impact on American and global economic and financial performance.
The Political Economy of American Industrialization, 1877-1900
by Richard Franklin BenselIn the last decades of the nineteenth century, the United States underwent an extremely rapid industrial expansion that moved the nation into the front ranks of the world economy. At the same time, the nation maintained democratic institutions as the primary means of allocating political offices and power. As the combination of robust democratic institutions and rapid industrialization is rarely found in world history, this book explains how economic development and democracy coexisted in the United States during industrialization.
The Political Economy of an Emerging Global Power: In Search of the Brazil Dream
by Lourdes Casanova Julian KassumIs Brazil ready to take its place among the world's leading powers? The authors examine Brazil's hard power and soft power resources, assessing the challenges the country will need to overcome in order to build its own "Brazilian dream" and project itself on the international stage.
The Political Economy of Anti-dumping Protection
by Patricia WruuckThis book deals with anti-dumping measures (AD) and investigates two questions: First, what country characteristics affect AD use and notably, do domestic political institutions have an effect? Second, (how) is the decision to impose a new AD measure affected by anticipation of trading partners' potential retaliation? This book applies a strategic perspective to AD to address these questions, presenting a game-theoretic model together with an empirical test. The approach sheds light on the dynamics of interaction between trading partners and allows to capture selection processes which underpin the trade restrictions that can actually be observed. The book provides a fresh look on when and how trading powers apply antidumping measures, how this is shaped by strategic interaction and whether institutions do make a difference to the outcome. In a period in which the international trading system has to cope with numerous stresses such as an increased resort to administered protection largely by big emerging economies, this is a timely and important contribution. Dr. Klaus Günter Deutsch, Managing Director, Research, Economic and Industrial Policy, German Federation of Industries This book successfully integrates two research traditions in international politics - the traditional view that looks at domestic factors of anti-dumping policies and the strategic view that conditions the imposition of anti-dumping measures on the likely, retaliatory behavior of the trading partner. The result is an informative and constructive examination of anti-dumping protection and trade wars in the WTO. Prof. Dr. Thomas Bräuninger, Chair of Political Economy, University of Mannheim, Germany "The Political Economy of Anti-Dumping Protection - A Strategic Analysis" is a major contribution to the important and growing field international political economy. Starting with the "traditional" comparative institutional analysis, which focuses on the implications of democratic and non-democratic regimes for using anti-dumping measures in trade politics, the second part applies a strategic perspective on this type of sanctions uncovering the dynamic interactions between a challenging and challenged countries. For all those interested in understanding the logic of sanctions, the role of institutions, and in how to examine the implications of theoretical models for international political economy this book is a "must read". Prof. Dr. Thomas König, Chair of Political Science II, University of Mannheim, Germany.
The Political Economy of Apparel Exporting Industrial Parks in Ethiopia (International Political Economy Series)
by Mohammed Seid AliThis book discusses the maxim of industrialization with a human face or social upgrading, which currently dominates the academic and actual policy discourses, particularly in late-comer economies of the Global South such as Ethiopia. To understand industrialization with social upgrading in the current context of economic globalization, characterized by the Global Value Chain (GVC), the book adopts the Human Rights (HR) perspective to labour relations and employs the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) approach to analyze the labour compliance of apparel exporting firms and their respective global brand buyers operating in Ethiopia’s industrial parks. The findings reveal that Ethiopia’s post-2005 state-led industrialization development path, which has firmly embraced strong businessstate alliances, has curbed the power of labour. Further, global brands’ flawed CSR and poor purchasing practices have contributed to the ongoing labour abuses in the country’s industrial parks. If the government does not consciously respond to the “race to the bottom”, the cold current of economic globalization that dominates the global apparel value chain, local industrial workers in Ethiopian industrial parks will continue to face dismal working conditions.
Political Economy of Artificial Intelligence: Critical Reflections on Big Data Market, Economic Development and Data Society
by Nigel Walton Bhabani Shankar NayakThis book explores how artificial intelligence, the platform economy, and big data will impact economic development and societal change. It outlines how artificial intelligence is used as a capitalist tool that aids the corporate monopoly and creates alienating development. The ways in which artificial intelligence effects governance, economies, and global societies is also discussed, with particular attention given to how it undermines various forms of democracy. This book aims to challenge established theories on artificial intelligence and technological singularity and highlight how they create new forms of capital accumulation. It will be relevant to students and researchers interested in the economic and social impact of artificial intelligence.
The Political Economy of Asian Regionalism
by Giovanni Capannelli Masahiro KawaiThis book contributes to the theoretical and empirical literature on Asian regionalism, with a focus on the innovations needed to reform the current institutional architecture in Asia. After reviewing the key issues and challenges related to the political economy of Asia's economic cooperation and integration, the book discusses various aspects of regionalism from political and economic perspectives. It looks at the rationale for regional collective action and reviews the trend of economic integration with a focus on the implications of the global financial crisis. In addition to reviewing the key issues related to the development of regional institutions for integration, the book analyzes issues such as trade and finance and deals with the implications of regionalism in terms of the introduction of domestic reforms in Asian countries before discussing the possible formation of a region-wide economic community. The eight chapters of the book are based on respective papers initially prepared for the Asian Development Bank Institute Conference 2010.
The Political Economy of Asian Transition from Communism (Transition And Development Ser.)
by Sujian GuoA comparative study of the political economy of the transition from communism in East and Southeast Asian countries (China, North Korea, Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia), addressing the key theoretical questions generated from the debate between shock-therapists and gradualists. While accurately defining the pre-reform model, this book explores the causal variables that have contributed to reform efforts within Asia, examining the significance of the sequencing of political and economic transition and the interplay between politics and the economy in determining variations in transition outcomes. Comparing the 'real world' experiences of transition nations in communist Asia with Eastern Europe, prominent questions are brought to the fore; will market capitalism or market socialism prevail after the grand failure of communism? This book makes an important contribution to the political economy theory of comparative communist and post-communist studies and provides detailed analytical insights that will prove influential in future theoretical work.
A Political Economy of Banking Supervision: Missing a Chance
by Damir OdakThis book examines the effect of banking on the real economy and society, focusing on banking supervision as the decisive factor in steering banking activities and determining the social outcome of the game of finance. Banking is like a cardiovascular system for our society. If it functions correctly, it allows the economy to operate smoothly. On the other hand, if it malfunctions it becomes a doomsday device. This creates an asymmetry of risks – the asymmetry between the potential dire consequences and the modest rewards of accepting those risks. Banking was one of the critical technological factors enabling the transition from the middle ages and the creation of modern society. However, while today it contributes little to economic growth, its malfunction has a profound and lasting adverse impact.The book explains why, how and what. Why is it important to keep tight supervision of the banks? How can banking supervision improve stability, not only of the financial system but also of the whole human society? What went wrong with the regulation in the past?
A Political Economy of Behavioural Public Policy
by Adam OliverBehavioural public policy has thus far been dominated by approaches that are based on the premise that it is entirely legitimate for policymakers to design policies that nudge or influence people to avoid desires that may not be in their own self- interest. This book argues, instead, for a liberal political economy that radically departs from these paternalistic frameworks. Oliver argues for a framework whereby those who impose no substantive harms on others ought to be free of manipulative or coercive interference. On this view, BPP does not seek to “correct” an individual's conception of the desired life. This book is the third in a trilogy of books by Adam Oliver on the origins and conceptual foundations of BPP.
The Political Economy of Bilateral Aid: Implications for Global Development (Routledge Studies in Development Economics)
by Peter BluntThe social and economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic and of extreme climate events have brought into sharp relief the serious deficiencies of our political economies. The dominant global ideology of neoliberalism and its architects and beneficiaries are responsible for this. Bilateral development assistance is an integral part of the neoliberal grand design. However, while the deficiencies of neoliberalism have been starkly exposed by the pandemic, its collapse is unlikely in the short-term. Much bilateral assistance will therefore continue to be self-serving. Within these confines, and on the basis of a sharply critical analysis of the functioning of technical assistance at the point of the design and delivery of programmes and projects, this book identifies crucial supply-side nodes of power and influence where feasible and relatively straight-forward ‘functional’ reforms - strategy, structure, selection, training - would make genuinely developmental results for recipients more likely and enhance donor interests at the same time. It argues that more authentic, empathetic, and altruistic technical assistance will be essential to bringing this about. The arguments are supported by primary, published evidence gathered by the author during 18 years of full-time employment as a team leader or programme manager of technical assistance programmes. The book will be of interest to students of development management, development economics, political economy and international relations, as well as policy makers, development practitioners and supply- and demand-side government officials.
The Political Economy of Brazil’s WTO Case Against the United States: Inside the Cotton Dispute (International Political Economy Series)
by Mark S. LangevinThis book is about the remarkable trade conflict between two agricultural superpowers with a focus on Brazil’s rapid agricultural modernization in recent decades and its impact on trade policy formation and global economic governance. Previous research, including Black (2016), trace the origins and evolution of the cotton dispute up to the August 31, 2009 final arbitration ruling that authorized Brazil to impose retaliatory trade measures to compel U.S. compliance. Inside the Cotton Dispute offers a comprehensive examination of the bilateral relations and negotiations that culminated with the October 2014 mutual solution to one of the most important trade conflicts since the establishment of the World Trade Organization.
The Political Economy of Bureaucracy (Routledge Frontiers of Political Economy #135)
by Steven O. RichardsonThe Political Economy of Bureaucracy applies Public Choice theory and a complex systems view of government institutions to analyze policy implementation as an economic process. It addresses the common and vexing question of why managing federal agencies for results is so difficult by challenging traditional assumptions of institutional design and policy analysis. Using creative methods that focus on relationships that constrain the choices of executives and managers in a political hierarchy, the author reveals control and coordination as goals that are imperfectly achieved and often conflicting with one another. Despite decades of intense study, serious reform efforts and impressive technological advances, the U.S. government remains a typical bureaucracy that fails to meet citizens’ expectations. Clearly, policy analysis is missing something. The problem may rest with "machine" models of government. Rules, especially those governing expenditures, are assumed to be feasible and effective. Analysis of the federal government as a complex system of relationships between semi-autonomous agents helps explain the disconnect between policy and results. The solution is to roll back micro-management of ends and means; policymakers should focus on objectives and facilitate implementation by selectively relaxing constraints that prevent experimentation needed to determine the most effective methods. This book devotes unusual attention to the interaction between executive and legislative branches of government and between political appointees and career civil servants. Most studies of government policy take existing institutional structure for granted. Different conclusions emerge from this analysis by virtue of the systems view that accepts status quo hierarchies but questions the effectiveness of the rules that govern policy implementation. This book will be of interest to postgraduates and researchers focussing on Economic Theory, Public Choice, Institutional Economics and Political Science, as well as to those working in the public sector interested in Public Administration, Public Policy, and Organizational Behavior.
The Political Economy of Capital Cities (Regions and Cities)
by Heike Mayer Fritz Sager David Kaufmann Martin WarlandCapital cities that are not the dominant economic centers of their nations – so-called ‘secondary capital cities’ (SCCs) – tend to be overlooked in the fields of economic geography and political science. Yet, capital cities play an important role in shaping the political, economic, social and cultural identity of a nation. As the seat of power and decision-making, capital cities represent a nation’s identity not only through their symbolic architecture but also through their economies and through the ways in which they position themselves in national urban networks. The Political Economy of Capital Cities aims to address this gap by presenting the dynamics that influence policy and economic development in four in-depth case studies examining the SCCs of Bern, Ottawa, The Hague and Washington, D.C. In contrast to traditional accounts of capital cities, this book conceptualizes the modern national capital as an innovation-driven economy influenced by national, local and regional actors. Nationally, overarching trends in the direction of outsourcing and tertiarization of the public-sector influence the fate of capital cities. Regional policymakers in all four of the highlighted cities leverage the presence of national government agencies and stimulate the economy by way of various locational policy strategies. While accounting for their secondary status, this book illustrates how capital-city actors such as firms, national, regional and local governments, policymakers and planning practitioners are keenly aware of the unique status of their city. The conclusion provides practical recommendations for policymakers in SCCs and highlights ways in which they can help to promote economic development.