Challenging traditional economic notions of equilibrium, this book presents a new framework rooted in the principles of entropy and life processes. Authors James K. Galbraith and Jing Chen argue that the ideal market conditions are unrealistic and emphasize the importance of recognizing an unequal, ever-changing world. Their theories address scarcity, monopoly power, and the dynamics of production, while exploring critical issues like trade, finance, and climate change. This innovative perspective aims to provide insights into the complexities of contemporary economic challenges.
No account of the financial insanity of 1929 has been issued in a form at once so readable, so humorous, and so carefully authenticated as this classic book. J.K. Galbraith examines the 'gold rush fantasy' in American psychology and describes its dire consequences. The Florida land boom, the operations of Insull, Kreuger and Hatry, and the fabulous Shenandoah Corporation all come together in this penetrating study of concerted human greed and folly. From the cold figures of Wall Street the author wrenches a truly human drama.
Inequality what is it, exactly? How is it measured? Why should we care? Why
did inequality rise in the United States? Is rising inequality an inevitable
feature of capitalism? What should we do about it? Inequality: What Everyone
Needs to Know answers these questions and more in a comprehensive yet easily-
understood introduction to the topic of economic inequality.
A world-renowned economist offers cogent and powerful reflections on one of the great avoidable economic catastrophes of the modern era. The economic crisis in Greece is a potential international disaster and one of the most extraordinary monetary and political dramas of our time. The financial woes of this relatively small European nation threaten the long-term viability of the Euro while exposing the flaws in the ideal of continental unity. "Solutions" proposed by Europe's combined leadership have sparked a war of prideful words and stubborn one-upmanship, and they are certain to fail, according to renowned economist James K. Galbraith, because they are designed for failure. It is this hypocrisy that prompted former Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis, when Galbraith arrived in Athens as an adviser, to greet him with the words "Welcome to the poisoned chalice." In this fascinating, insightful, and thought-provoking collection of essays-- which includes letters and private memos to both American and Greek officials, as well as other previously unpublished material-- Galbraith examines the crisis, its causes, its course, and its meaning, as well as the viability of the austerity program imposed on the Greek citizenry. It is a trenchant, deeply felt commentary on what the author calls "economic policy as moral abomination," and an eye-opening analysis of a contemporary Greek tragedy much greater than the tiny economy of the nation itself. -- Provided by publisher
"The years since the Great Crisis of 2008 have seen slow growth, high unemployment, falling home values, chronic deficits, a deepening disaster in Europe--and a stale argument between two false solutions, "austerity" on one side and "stimulus" on the other. Both sides and practically all analyses of the crisis so far take for granted that the economic growth from the early 1950s until 2000--interrupted only by the troubled 1970s--represented a normal performance. From this perspective the crisis was an interruption, caused by bad policy or bad people, and full recovery is to be expected if the cause is corrected. The End of Normal challenges this view. Placing the crisis in perspective, Galbraith argues that the 1970s already ended the age of easy growth. The 1980s and 1990s saw only uneven growth, with rising inequality within and between countries. And the 2000s saw the end even of that--despite frantic efforts to keep growth going with tax cuts, war spending, and financial deregulation. When the crisis finally came, stimulus and automatic stabilization were able to place a floor under economic collapse. But they are not able to bring about a return to high growth and full employment. Today, four factors impede a return to normal. They are the rising costs of real resources, the now-evident futility of military power, the labor-saving consequences of the digital revolution, and the breakdown of law and ethics in the financial sector. The Great Crisis should be seen as a turning point, a barometer of the rise of unstable economic conditions, which should be regarded as the new normal. Policies and institutions going forward should be designed, above all, modestly, to cope with this fact, maintaining conditions for a good life in difficult times"-- Provided by publisher
For nearly three decades, Washington has been in the grip of an economic orthodoxy defined by Ronald Reagan and embraced ardently by George W. Bush. It rests on four pillars: 1) Cut taxes on the wealthy, 2) Reduce regulation, 3) Fear inflation above all else, and 4) Insist on free-floating currency rates. Yet mainstream economists have spent much of the past decade examining the results, and declaring them rotten. Supply-side stimulation is a mirage. Deficits matter. Inequality matters. The disasters in Latin America--bread riots in Argentina, inflationary madness in Brazil - and Africa - bankrupt governments and capital flight - were a direct result of the Reagan-Bush agenda. James Galbraith is fed up, and determined to close the gap between what the economists know, and what the politicians ignore. In plain English, the Republican Party has been hijacked by political leaders who long since stopped caring if reality conformed to their message. Galbraith exposes the crumbling pillars one by one, naming names and pulling no punches. If you thought you should vote Republican for the sake of the economy, think again. Here's the "j'accuse" that the Bush economic agenda richly deserves - and a plan for what should replace it.
Focusing on contemporary issues, this collection features James K. Galbraith's significant writings and fresh commentary. It delves into the disastrous situation in Iraq and examines the transformation of the American economy during Alan Greenspan's tenure, providing critical insights into the interplay between politics and economic policy.
