Problems In Political Economy

Drawing together leading scholars, the book provides a revealing new map of the US political economy in cross-national perspective.

The discipline of economics has been increasingly criticized for its inability to illuminate the workings of the real world and to provide reliable policy guidance for the major economic and social challenges of our time. A central problem in contemporary economics, and a problem from which many of its other failings flow, is its lack of plurality. By a lack of plurality it is meant that contemporary economics lacks diversity in its methods, theories, epistemology and methodology. It is also meant that economics has become far less interdisciplinary. From Economics to Political Economy offers an explanation as to why economics has become so determinedly non-pluralistic, and also gives considerable attention to exploring and evaluating promising strategies for reform. These strategies include developing a pluralist economics under the label of 'political economy' within other social science departments (such as departments of politics). Along the way the reader will learn about the worldwide student movement seeking greater pluralism in economics, encounter some dramatic case studies in intellectual suppression, gain a fuller sense of the nature of contemporary economics and explore the relationship between economics and other social sciences. This book is of interest to any social scientist, particularly those with interests in economics and politics.

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Political Economy, Volume I: General Problems provides a systematic treatise on political economy. This book discusses the state of economic science and the course of economic development in different parts of the world. Organized into seven chapters, this volume begins with an overview of the social or political economy as the study of social laws governing the production and distribution of the material means of satisfying human needs. This text then examines the basic regularity encountered by political economy in its analysis of the social laws governing human economic activity, which is formed by the dependence of production relations on social productive forces. Other chapters consider the objective character of economic laws. This book discusses as well the concern of economic history in the development of concrete economic progress. The final chapter deals with the differences of opinions and interpretations in the development of science. Economists will find this book useful.

"As an introductory text, The Global Political Economy has much to offer. It presents theoretical material clearly and concisely, offers an up-to-date review of the academic literature, and reviews a wide range of issues current in policy circles."--Thomas Ilgen, Pitzer College, Perspective.

This groundbreaking Encyclopedia is the very first fully-refereed A-Z compendium of the main principles, concepts, problems, institutions, schools and policies associated with political economy. Based on developments in political economy since the 1960s, it is designed to provide a comprehensive introduction to the field as well as being an authoritative reference work. Undergraduates taking courses in political economy or graduate students coming to the field for the first time will rely on this work as a key point of reference and for direction in their further reading. This lucid work compares for the first time the disparate theories of political economy (e.g, Marxist, Feminist, Sraffian etc.) and emphasizes the application of their principles to real world problems such as inflation, unemployment, development and financial instability. The extensive international team of consultants and contributors has produced a monumental work with truly global perspective.