Donald J. Boudreaux - Böcker

"This readable and important book makes a strong case that the received version of economic history taught in high schools and colleges across the country is off the mark and that its errors distort current policy debates. It deserves attention from economic policymakers of all persuasions." -LAWRENCE SUMMERS, former Secretary of the Treasury; President Emeritus, Harvard UniversitySince the dawn of the Industrial Revolution, capitalism has unleashed unimaginable growth in opportunity and prosperity. And yet, at key points in American history, economic disruption has led to a greater role for government, ostensibly to protect against capitalism’s excesses. Today, government regulates, mandates, subsidizes and controls a growing share of the American economy.In this book, Phil Gramm, one of America’s premier public policy advocates, and noted economist Donald J. Boudreaux look at the seven events and issues in American history that define, for most Americans, the role of government and how the 21st century world works. To many Americans, these 5 periods of American history—the Industrial Revolution, Progressive Era, Great Depression, decline of America’s postwar preeminence in world trade, and the Great Recession--along with the existing levels of income inequality and poverty, represent strong evidence for expanding government in American life. Gramm and Boudreaux argue that the evidence points to a contrary verdict: government interference and failed policies pose the most significant threat to economic freedom.Setting up each topic with a “just the facts” approach that defies partisanship, Gramm and Boudreaux provide a compelling and highly readable powerful reassessment that will challenge open-minded readers to rethink the conventional wisdom and the policies that spring from them.

The contemporary era of globalization demonstrates that the local and global aspects of business and government are increasingly intertwined. This volume defines and makes sense of the workings of the global economy—and how it influences businesses and individuals. Each chapter identifies common questions and issues that have gained exposure in the popular media—such as outsourcing, the high cost of international travel, and the impact of a fast-growing China—to illustrate underlying drivers and mechanisms at work. Covering international trade, national wealth disparities (the haves vs. the have-nots), foreign investment, and geographical and cultural issues, and supported with illustrations, maps, charts, a glossary and timeline of key events,Globalization illuminates the dynamics of the global economy and informs readers of its profound impact on our daily lives.

The political process focuses on the ways that people come together to engage in collective decision making in a variety of contexts. The central elements of the political process include: the formation of rules, the subsequent interactions that take place within those rules, and the evolution of rules over time. Scholars working in the area of Virginia political economy—e.g., James Buchanan and Gordon Tullock—emphasize the importance of applying the tools of economics to non-market settings, including politics. Scholars in this tradition focus on both politics and economics to understand the formation of political rules—constitutional political economy—as well as the subsequent play within those rules—public choice. Scholars in the Bloomington School—most notably, Elinor and Vincent Ostrom—have emphasized three important aspects of the political process and political order. The first is the distinction between “rules in form” and “rules in use.” The rules in form refer to codified rules while the rules in use refer to the rules that people actually follow in their daily lives.Together, these dynamics generate the political order. The chapters in this volume explore and engage the key thinkers and ideas of the Virginia and Bloomington schools of political economy. The diversity in topics and approaches will make the volume of interest to readers in a variety of fields, including economics, entrepreneurship, history, political science, and public policy.

Political Process: New Perspectives on the Virginia and Bloomington Schools explores political process as emphasized by the Virginia and Bloomington schools of political economy. Though the Virginia school of public choice and Bloomington school of institutional analysis have risen to prominence through the works of James Buchanan, Gordon Tullock, and Elinor Ostrom; their joint emphasis on political process has been neglected. The chapters in this volume explore the idea of political process through a multi-disciplinary perspective and to better situate both schools in this discussion. Approximately half the chapters make theoretical contributions, proposing new frameworks for understanding how people come together to make collective decisions. The other half examine applied case studies through a process-oriented framework.

The political process focuses on the ways that people come together to engage in collective decision making in a variety of contexts. The central elements of the political process include: the formation of rules, the subsequent interactions that take place within those rules, and the evolution of rules over time. Scholars working in the area of Virginia political economy—e.g., James Buchanan and Gordon Tullock—emphasize the importance of applying the tools of economics to non-market settings, including politics. Scholars in this tradition focus on both politics and economics to understand the formation of political rules—constitutional political economy—as well as the subsequent play within those rules—public choice. Scholars in the Bloomington School—most notably, Elinor and Vincent Ostrom—have emphasized three important aspects of the political process and political order. The first is the distinction between “rules in form” and “rules in use.” The rules in form refer to codified rules while the rules in use refer to the rules that people actually follow in their daily lives.Together, these dynamics generate the political order. The chapters in this volume explore and engage the key thinkers and ideas of the Virginia and Bloomington schools of political economy. The diversity in topics and approaches will make the volume of interest to readers in a variety of fields, including economics, entrepreneurship, history, political science, and public policy.