Focusing on public administration activities in the field of national labour policy, this timely book provides detailed analyses of labour administration reforms, innovations and challenges in different countries, including detailed case studies from Brazil, Germany, India, Japan, South Africa, Sri Lanka and the US. Combining rigorous research and practical policy recommendations, the book contains contributions from top scholars in the fields of economics, employment relations, labour law and public administration, as well as officials from the International Labour Organization (ILO). Chapters offer wide-ranging investigations of topics such as labour inspection, social dialogue involving employer organizations and trade unions, and the role of performance management and new technologies in labour administration. The book further demonstrates the vital role of labour administration in upholding employment rights and promoting employment, emphasizing the ways in which it can contribute to good governance, sustainable development and decent work. This will be a critical read for employment relations, global labour studies and public administration scholars. Policy makers and practitioners working in and around employment policy and labour law will also find this book beneficial, particularly with its in-depth case studies.

In this thought-provoking book, Jose M. Magone investigates the growing political, economic and social divisions between the core countries of the European Union and the southern European periphery. He examines the major hindrances that are preventing the four main southern European countries (Italy, Spain, Portugal and Greece) from keeping up with the increasing pace of European integration, and the effects that this is having on democratic governance. Offering a comprehensive comparative overview of southern European politics over the past two decades, the book analyses the impact of the EU's political economy on democracy in the region, in particular the consequences of the Eurocrisis and the economic instability of the 2010s. It argues that these countries have failed to proactively initiate necessary strategic reforms in order to prevent economic and democratic stagnation, and have especially struggled to cope with the changing realities of Europeanization and the demands of Economic and Monetary Union. Students and scholars of European politics will find this book useful and insightful, in particular those interested in southern Europe's political economy and Europeanization. It will also be beneficial for policy makers working in southern European governments and organizations.

This timely Handbook synthesizes and analyzes key issues and concerns relating to the impact of agriculture on both farmers and non-farmers. With a unique focus on humans rather than animals or the environment, the book is interdisciplinary and international in scope, with contributions from sociologists, economists, anthropologists and geographers providing case studies and examples from all six populated continents. Looking at the pervasive impact of agriculture, the Handbook explores all aspects of the production of food and fiber within the agrifood value chain, including: farmers and laborers growing crops and raising livestock, businesses supplying inputs for these operations, and processors transforming plants and animals into intermediate and finished food, beverage and clothing products. Separated into four parts, it analyzes how the agrifood industry affects farmer well-being; the application of science and technology within an agricultural context; the ways in which agriculture affects the well-being of smallholder farmers, especially in developing countries; and agriculture's impact more broadly on society. This will be a beneficial read for economics and sociology students, particularly those looking at the impacts of agriculture. Accessible and clear, the Handbook will also be helpful for policymakers and agricultural NGOs wanting a more in-depth understanding of the impact of agriculture on human life.

This Modern Guide presents a comprehensive synthesis of contemporary thought on the informal economy, which, far from being a peripheral feature of the global economy, the author demonstrates, is a system in which the majority of the global workforce are employed and which has pervasive detrimental effects; formalising it is therefore a priority for most governments. Employing theoretical and empirical methodologies, Colin C. Williams explores the latest research on methods of understanding and measuring the informal economy in its various forms, and discusses the rationale behind its participants. Its rigorous discussion of the need to shift away from solely using tools that punish the practice and towards aligning social norms with the regulations of formal institutions is complemented by a rich analysis of how jobs and enterprises across the world can be encouraged to make the transition towards formalism. Incentives, education and reform are among the strategies advocated in this Modern Guide's compelling and lucid roadmap for the transition to formality. An invaluable resource for policymakers involved in tax, social security and labour policies, belonging to both governments and supra-national institutions, the book will also be valuable for academics and researchers in sociology, economics and business studies, especially those with an interest in taxation, industrial relations, entrepreneurship and labour economics.

This timely Modern Guide offers critical insights into developments in both professional and recreational sports through the lens of the economic forces that determine them. It explores the benefits of the relationship between sports and economics, highlighting ways that economic research can help to understand sports better and the ways that sport provides opportunities to test economic theories. With both theoretical and empirical chapters, the book looks at the development of European sports economics over the last 20 years, the relationship between competitive balance and attendance, and the potential economic impact of sports events. Chapters further examine specific issues in sports from an economic perspective, including labour market restrictions on professional leagues, refereeing, team dynamics, the importance of good players versus good results and the sports analytics revolution due to big data. The use of state-of-the-art empirical methods makes this Modern Guide a crucial read for economists and sports science researchers looking to better understand both the relationship between the two fields and their own area of research. Sports policy makers will also appreciate the in-depth discussion on a range of different recreational and professional sports.

This timely book explores the neglected risk in the advent of the Covid-19 pandemic, illustrating the ways in which four decades of neoliberal economic and public policy has eroded the functional capacity of states to handle catastrophic events. Challenging the very heart of modern nation-states, Imad Moosa comprehensively demonstrates how the pandemic has shed light on existing structural problems that have been ignored by neoliberal governments and policy-makers. The author highlights the implications of the pandemic for democracy, militarism and international relations, as well as its impact on healthcare, inequality, human rights, poverty and homelessness. Drawing on theoretical insights and empirical evidence, Moosa emphasises the importance of sustained government intervention in economic activity at a time in which the free market doctrine has failed to restore equilibrium and deliver prosperity after an international financial shock. A radical and decisive intervention in contemporary economic thought, this book is crucial reading for scholars and researchers in economics and political science, particularly those focusing on the fallout of the Covid-19 pandemic and global economic recovery. The book's empirical insights and key policy recommendations will also benefit policy-makers in public health and economics.

This timely Research Handbook investigates the radically transformative impact of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), addressing key questions regarding its economic, political and strategic consequences: What does the Chinese government hope to achieve with the BRI? How have recipient states responded? And what are its potential opportunities and risks? Bringing together prominent international scholars and analysts, this Research Handbook arrives at a critical time in the infrastructural development of the BRI, shedding light on its influence in the future of global politics and economics. Chapters unpack the role of the BRI in Chinese foreign policy, placing infrastructural development at the centre of regional affairs, great power dynamics and economic and investment trends. Employing geopolitical and diplomatic modes of investigation, it offers critical and holistic views of the progress and challenges of the BRI's implementation and its implications on the world stage. Providing an innovative global viewpoint on the BRI, this Research Handbook offers cutting-edge perspectives for scholars and students of political science, particularly those investigating the latest developments in Chinese domestic and foreign policy. Its practical insights and broad empirical analysis will also benefit policymakers and think tank analysts working in the field. Huiyao Wang, Center for China and Globalization (CCG)

Exploring the emerging and vibrant field of critical agrarian studies, this comprehensive Handbook offers interdisciplinary insights from both leading scholars and activists to understand agrarian life, livelihoods, formations and processes of change. It highlights the development of the field, which is characterized by theoretical and methodological pluralism and innovation. The Handbook presents critical analyses of, and examines controversies about, historical and contemporary social structures and processes in agrarian and rural settings from a wide range of perspectives. Chapters explore the origins of critical agrarian studies, the concepts underpinning the diverse theoretical approaches to the field, and the strengths and weaknesses of different methodologies used within the field. Finally, it illuminates debates around the topic and trajectories for future research and development. This will be a vital resource for graduate students, scholars and activists interested in critical agrarian studies. The analytical and empirical insights will also be helpful to students of environmental and development studies as well as agricultural and development economics, human geography and socio-cultural anthropology.

Most colonies became independent countries after the end of World War II, while few of them became modernized even after decades of their independence. Taiwan is one of the few to become a modern state with remarkable achievements in its economic, socio-cultural, and political development. In 1921, Taiwanese intellectuals initiated a Petition Movement for the Establishment of a Taiwanese Parliament under the colonial government. Leaders of the enlightenment also established the Taiwan Cultural Association (TCA) on October 17, 1921. These two movements led to a series of socio-cultural, political, and economic developments during the past century. This book addresses the path and trajectory of the emergence of Taiwan from a colony to a modern state in the past century. It contains four major sections on identity and political developments and explores international relations, economic development. educational and societal development, and culture and literature development. This thorough exploration will prove invaluable to graduate and undergraduate students in Taiwan history, literature, and the cultural and political economy of development as well as students studying East Asia. It offers the same wealth of information to researchers and practitioners in Taiwan-China-US trilateral relations and in cultural anthropology and practices in East Asia politics and business.

Elgar Research Agendas outline the future of research in a given area. Leading scholars are given the space to explore their subject in provocative ways, and map out the potential directions of travel. They are relevant but also visionary. Written by well-established researchers in behavioural economics, this Research Agenda illustrates the application of incentivised decision-making experiments, highlighting how this can add a new and novel dimension to social science research. Informative and timely, it explores how experiments are being used by pioneers in a diverse range of fields when research questions may not be amenable to field studies, vignettes or surveys. Offering fruitful cross-disciplinary discussions, the chapters look at incentivised decision-making experiments in the study of: social norms, law and economics, environmental regulations, entrepreneurship, healthy behaviour, gender and leadership, political ideology, and neuroeconomics. Chapters provide an opportunity for experienced experimental economists to develop more innovative applications of their tools and scope for less experienced scholars to learn how to incorporate experiments in their research questions. Researchers in economics, political science, sociology, as well as business and management will find this to be a beneficial read. Policy makers looking to understand how experimental tools and behavioural nudges are used to improve policy will also appreciate the key theoretical and practical applications of the topics offered in this Research Agenda.

This insightful book assesses the theory of constitutional pluralism in light of the events of the Eurozone crisis of the past decade. Based on an analysis of how national courts reviewed the crisis response mechanisms and participated in the European-level political process, Tomi Tuominen argues that constitutional pluralism is not a valid normative theory of European constitutionalism. The analysis of crisis response mechanisms focuses on how the lack of a proper economic policy competence for the EU affected the formation of the measures and is at the root of the criticism concerning these mechanisms. Furthermore, the author connects discussions on the Eurozone crisis and constitutional pluralism in an innovative fashion, whilst also explaining how asymmetry and pluralism are linked. A novel reading on the horizontal and vertical aspects of Article 4(2) TEU is also developed throughout. Utilizing up-to-date and original analyses, The Euro-Crisis and Constitutional Pluralism will be an important read for scholars and students of European law, EU constitutional law and public policy.

Presenting critical insights on how economic activity is constrained by the environment's ability to provide material and energy resources, this timely Research Agenda explores how humanity shapes, and is shaped by, environmental change and sustainability challenges. Chapters highlight how, under these constraints, people may seek to improve their lives and standards of living without undermining the abilities of others to do so now or in the future. With contributions from top economic scholars, as well as from a range of other disciplines including ethics, law, and the physical and life sciences, this book explores how interdisciplinary insights can be integrated to provide meaningful investment and policy advice. Offering diverse understandings of the topic from both the Global North and South, this Research Agenda challenges previous economic conceptualizations of human-environment interactions, exploring resource use and environmental impact from micro- and macro-economic perspectives. Students of environmental and ecological economics will find this to be a thought-provoking and stimulating read. The suggestions for future research and use of clear case studies will also prove valuable for environmental law and ethics scholars, as well as environmental policy-makers. Contributors include: D.C. Andersen, Y. Bramoulle, L.P. Breckenridge, M. Faber, M. Frick, A. Kander, R. Kemp, D. Malghan, R.B. Norgaard, C. Orset, S.V. Ramani, M. Ruth, J. Sager, M. Sagoff, M.R. Sers, D.I. Stern, D.J. Thampapillai, E. van Leeuwen, M.d.M.R. Varas, P.A. Victor

Inclusive Financial Development provides theoretical and empirical analyses of the nature of financial inclusion. The contributing authors explore the impediments to inclusion that exist around the world, the macro and stability implications, and the regulation dimension. With contributions from distinguished researchers, this book covers the main analytical and empirical issues in financial inclusion and its role in economic development. Chapters present a wide range of case studies illustrating topics such as mobile money, financial liberalization and bank efficiency, as well as highlighting the costs associated with financial exclusion and the various policy and regulatory measures that have been applied to lower the barriers to inclusion. Offering a comprehensive exploration of financial inclusion and its impediments, this important book will be welcomed by students, researchers and policy makers interested in economic development and financial regulation.

One of TIME magazine's All-TIME 100 Best Nonfiction Books One of Times Literary Supplement's Hundred Most Influential Books Since the War One of National Review's 100 Best Nonfiction Books of the Century One of Intercollegiate Studies Institute's 50 Best Books of the 20th Century How can we benefit from the promise of government while avoiding the threat it poses to individual freedom? In this classic book, Milton Friedman provides the definitive statement of an immensely influential economic philosophy--one in which competitive capitalism serves as both a device for achieving economic freedom and a necessary condition for political freedom. First published in 1962, Friedman's Capitalism and Freedom is one of the most significant works of economic theory ever written. Enduring in its eminence and esteem, it has sold nearly a million copies in English, has been translated into eighteen languages, and continues to inform economic thinking and policymaking around the world. This new edition includes prefaces written by Friedman for both the 1982 and 2002 reissues of the book, as well as a new foreword by Binyamin Appelbaum, lead economics writer for the New York Times editorial board.

This forward-thinking book examines the potential impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on productivity. Productivity and the Pandemic features 21 chapters authored by 46 experts, examining different aspects of how the pandemic is likely to impact on the economy, society and governance in the medium- and long-term. Drawing on a range of empirical evidence, analytical arguments and new conceptual insights, the book challenges our thinking on many dimensions. With a keen focus on place, firms, production factors and institutions, the chapters highlight how the pre-existing challenges to productivity have been variously exacerbated and mitigated by the pandemic and points out ways forward for appropriate policy-thinking in response to the crisis. An important read for scholars and students interested in the impact of the pandemic, this book will also be an invigorating read for economists and policy-makers looking for more information on how the pandemic and resulting economic recession is affecting productivity.

In the last decade, female entrepreneurship has gained considerable attention from both academicians and policymakers. Despite the proliferation of studies, this field of research is characterized by being a highly multidisciplinary and dispersed field, encompassing studies from a wide range of disciplines such as business and management, education, political science, technology, and innovation. To legitimize female entrepreneurship as a distinct field of research, it is important to deepen the scientific reasoning regarding women entrepreneurs while promoting the theoretical consolidation of this area of knowledge. Female Entrepreneurship as a Driving Force of Economic Growth and Social Change presents what researchers have learned so far about female entrepreneurship, namely the main motivations that lead women to undertake it and the characteristics of this type of business, as well as the impact of context and technology on the promotion and management of companies by women. In doing so, it contributes to a better understanding of this phenomenon and how it is different from male entrepreneurship, allowing a better delimitation of this field of research. Covering topics such as diversity, innovation, social entrepreneurship, and gender, this premier reference source is ideal for business owners, entrepreneurs, managers, researchers, scholars, academicians, practitioners, instructors, and students.

Tom Palley has made a significant contribution to understanding the meaning and significance of neoliberalism. This chronicle collects some of his best work to explain how global adoption of neoliberal policies over the past thirty years has increased income inequality and created tendencies to stagnation. The book explores the impact of neoliberal policies on the US, Europe, and global economy. It shows how the 2008 financial crisis and Great Recession were predictable outcomes of the neoliberal policy experiment, as is the emergence of global "race to the bottom" competition. It also explains how Europe's economic fragility is connected to the neoliberal design of the euro. Neoliberalism creates a particular variety of capitalism. It is a political choice. That means society is tacitly engaged in a "war of ideas", the outcome of which will determine our future political economic trajectory. Students, scholars, and readers in economics and political science will find this rich collection illuminating in their efforts to better understand the policy matrix that currently dominates the political landscape.

This timely book presents an in-depth investigation of who benefits from European financial market regulatory measures and how decision-makers and stakeholders are held politically and administratively accountable. The extensive study illustrates the full range of the actors involved in key regulatory processes such as the regulation of high-frequency trading and the activities of central-clearing counterparties. Chapters outline how politicians, regulators and market players are linked in various political and administrative accountability mechanisms. Providing analysis of how the accountability channels are linked to policy content, contributors ask whether specific regulatory objectives and results give rise to the mobilising of accountability mechanisms. Regulating Finance in Europe critically examines the implementation of major EU legislative packages in financial regulation (MiFID II and CMU), offering a unique empirical insight into how different modes of accountability in financial market regulation are linked with different policy effects. This comprehensive yet accessible book will be an invaluable read for politicians and practitioners working in finance as well as academics in EU politics and policies. It will also provide a useful resource for undergraduate and postgraduate students of political science, law and economics.

Malcolm Torry explores Citizen's Basic Income - an unconditional income for every individual - moving the reader from a basic understanding of the concept to an in-depth recognition of its wide-ranging implications. Torry examines debates around the desirability, feasibility and implementation of a Citizen's Basic Income, and how this idea is becoming increasingly widespread. This Modern Guide presents a comprehensive treatment of Citizen's Basic Income, first offering insight into the language surrounding it, and moving through a number of key disciplinary perspectives, including sociology, politics, economics and law. Each chapter discusses an academic discipline, looking at relevant aspects of the debate to understand how the discipline enhances knowledge of Citizen's Basic Income, and how discussion around the topic can contribute to the academic discipline. Containing detailed case studies in each chapter, this book will be helpful to a wide variety of scholars and students wanting a broader knowledge of Citizen's Basic Income. It will also be useful to policymakers who wish to engage in the debate on the potential benefits and drawbacks of a Citizen's Basic Income.

How is capitalism represented in popular culture today?Are profits seen as a legitimate reward of entrepreneurship? Are thrift and effort still considered a cornerstone of a healthy society? Or is it that inequalities are eliciting scandal and reproach? How is the ecosystem portrayed, vis-a-vis profit seeking companies? Are they irreconcilable, or maybe not? Are there any established trends with respect to the presentation of entrepreneurship, and that complex legal artefact that is the modern limited liability company? These are questions that will be at the core of this book. But they are not examined through the usual theoretical point of references, but looking at TV series produced in 2000-2020. Each chapter of this book is a case studies, covering some of the most popular, successful and engaging TV shows of the last 20 years. And showing how deep economic ideas and biases lie, at the roots of some of our times' most successful entertainment products.

This pioneering Handbook offers a state-of-the-art exploration of the social structure of accumulation theory, a leading theory of stages of capitalism, expertly summarising its development to date. It breaks new ground in several areas, including econometric evidence for the theory and developing institutional analyses of technology and the environment. Expert international contributors offer an in-depth treatment of the theory of social structures of accumulation, extending this analysis to areas of the world where the application of the theory has previously been underexplored such as Western and Eastern Europe, Latin America, and India. It offers a detailed discussion of global neoliberalism, and many of the important individual institutions constituting social structures of accumulation, including in the areas of criminal justice, urban policy, technology, and corporate management. Thought-provoking and insightful, the new ground covered in this Handbook will be a key resource for heterodox economists who are interested in social structures of accumulation, long waves, and stages of capitalism. The comprehensive background analysis on current issues will also be of interest to sociologists,political scientists, and historians.

In this fascinating book, Imad A. Moosa challenges existing preconceptions surrounding normative economics, arguing that what some economists see as undisputed facts of life may be myths caused by dogmatic thinking. With this in mind, Moosa argues that the alleged puzzles found in the economics and finance literature are not puzzles at all, because they can be explained intuitively, without the need for complex models or the extravaganza of econometrics. Plausible explanations are suggested for puzzles in various areas of economics and finance, such as the home bias puzzle, the PPP puzzle and the presidential puzzle. The author explains why some common beliefs are, in fact, myths, including those of the power of the market, inefficiency of the public sector and the use of low-interest policy to combat the depression caused by the Covid-19 outbreak. Controversies in Economics and Finance is a thought-provoking and stimulating read that exposes common flaws in economic analysis. It will be of great benefit to academics, graduate students and policy-makers looking to understand the limits of economic analysis.

The second edition of The Political Economy of Iraq is as comprehensive and accessible as the first with updated data and analysis. Frank R. Gunter discusses in detail how the convergence of the ISIS insurgency, collapse in oil prices, and massive youth unemployment produced a serious political crisis in 2020. This work ends with a discussion of key policy decisions that will determine Iraq's future. This volume will be a valuable resource for anyone with a professional, business, or academic interest in the post-2003 political economy of Iraq.