ZOLTAN ACS – författare

The hidden role of philanthropy in enriching America''s prosperity—and the world''sPhilanthropy has long been a distinctive feature of American culture, but its crucial role in the economic well-being of the nation—and the world—has remained largely unexplored. Why Philanthropy Matters takes an in-depth look at philanthropy as an underappreciated force in capitalism, measures its critical influence on the free-market system, and demonstrates how American philanthropy could serve as a model for the productive reinvestment of wealth in other countries. Factoring in philanthropic cycles that help balance the economy, Zoltan Acs offers a richer picture of capitalism, and a more accurate backdrop for considering policies that would promote the capitalist system for the good of all.Examining the dynamics of American-style capitalism since the eighteenth century, Acs argues that philanthropy achieves three critical outcomes. It deals with the question of what to do with wealth—keep it, tax it, or give it away. It complements government in creating public goods. And, by focusing on education, science, and medicine, philanthropy has a positive effect on economic growth and productivity. Acs describes how individuals such as Benjamin Franklin, Andrew Carnegie, Bill Gates, and Oprah Winfrey have used their wealth to establish institutions and promote knowledge, and Acs shows how philanthropy has given an edge to capitalism by promoting vital forces—like university research—necessary for technological innovation, economic equality, and economic security. Philanthropy also serves as a guide for countries with less flexible capitalist institutions, and Acs makes the case for a larger, global philanthropic culture.Providing a new perspective on the development of capitalism, Why Philanthropy Matters highlights philanthropy''s critical links to the economic progress, health, and future of the United States—and beyond.

This brief captures the contextual features of entrepreneurship by measuring entrepreneurial attitudes, abilities, and aspirations at both the individual- and country-level. Featuring data from the 2016 Global Entrepreneurship and Development Index (GEDI), which measures the quality and scale of the entrepreneurial process in 133 countries around the world, this book provides a tool to help policymakers and governments harness the power of entrepreneurship to address some of the economic challenges faced at the country level. In addition to the yearly data and comparisons, this edition also explores the relationship between entrepreneurship and other measures of development.

Distinct from both output-based entrepreneurship indexes (i.e., new firm counts) and process-based indexes (i.e., comparisons of policies and regulations, the GEDI is designed to profile national systems of entrepreneurship. The Index does not simply count new firm registrations nor is it an exercise ofpolicy benchmarking. It also does not focus exclusively on high-growth entrepreneurship; it considers the characteristics of entrepreneurship that enhance productivity, such as innovation, market expansion, globalization, and growth potential. Finally, recognizing that entrepreneurship has a different impact in different economic and institutional contexts, the GEDI combines individual-level data with data that describes national institutions, as well as economic and demographic structures, to provide an institutionally embedded view of the drivers of productive entrepreneurship.