In times of dramatic social, economic and political change, governments around the world are questioning their roles and responsibilities in the public sector. The trend is away from a traditional public-sector market model, but there does not yet exist a universally accepted alternative. The essays offer a comparative analysis of public administration in several OECD countries, including the UK, US, Australia, and Scandinavia, and explores possible future directions.

In today's vernacular, Marx outed capitalism well over a century ago, but his explanation has been both ignored and misinterpreted by not only his detractors but also by many socialists and even a considerable number of Marxists as well. Today we are experiencing the full impact and suffering the repercussions of capitalisM's inherent need to become, more than ever before, a fully internationalized and integrated system of socio-economic control and domination--the global system that many commentators have suddenly remembered Marx and Engels (1848) presciently forecasted in the "Communist Manifesto."

When the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, the victory of capitalism and liberal democracy was triumphantly proclaimed. The Cold War was over, and we were promised a lasting peace. But as we enter the third millennium, we are facing escalating social divisions, injustice, and oppression, with an environment in varying stages of ecological decay. Daily we are bombarded by the schizoid media images of capitalisM's extremes on television news: the ravaged faces and wasted bodies of some of the thousands suffering famine, or the millions living in the world's slums, and then the gleaming, yet vacuous smile and sumptuously adorned figure of some extravagant, wealthy individual who is one of the select members of the global upper-class. Are we becoming conditioned to accept such contrasts and regard them as normal and inevitable at a time when we have the potential to eliminate scarcity and eradicate human deprivation? The author argues that critical education is needed to form a movement capable of challenging and then transforming capitalism. She also offers an accessible account of Marx's dialectical critique and expose of capitalism, clearly demonstrating the real enemy that should be the focus of anti-capitalist and anti-globalization struggles. This is an account that explains why our main focus should not be on greedy, individual capitalists or particular multinational corporations, or even their handmaiden institutions, such as, the World Bank, IMF, WTO, etc. but instead the global network of capitalist social relations and consequent habituated human practices in which we are all involved. These together with the historically specific form of capitalist wealth are the real enemy--the essence of capitalism--that must be abolished in order for humanity to have any hope of social and economic justice in the future.

This volume explores what happened in the Asian transition economies of China, Vietnam and Myanmar from both macro and micro perspectives. These economies opted for the gradual transition approach rather than the big bang approach that Russia and some CIS economies took. This ensured that institutional change was possible, unlike with the big bang approach. However the processes organized are done so by the governments, the same entities responsible for the planning during the planned economic eras, and whose incentive to reform may be debatable. This book questions whether these governments are capable of implementing effective reform and transformation.

Stemming from the idea that economics is a social science that tends to forget its own history, this refreshing book reflects on the role of teaching with historical perspectives. It offers novel ways of integrating the history of economics into the curriculum, both in history of economic thought modules and in other sub-disciplines. Coming from a wide diversity of experiences, the contributors explore the idea that studying the history of thought exposes students to pluralism, and that it is therefore an essential pedagogical tool. They also argue that this method of teaching will reveal the historical contextualisation of current theories and show how they are the results of a specific evolution within the discipline. Ultimately, this book demonstrates how some modules have successfully operationalized both the history of economic thought and the teaching of various sub-disciplines from a historical perspective. Teaching the History of Economic Thought will be invaluable and enlightening for teaching and learning institutes across the academic world, as well as for economists, heterodox economists in particular, and social scientists. Contributors include: R. Bellofiore, G. Friedman, S. Fuller, J. Halevi, C. Repapis, L.-P. Rochon, S. Rossi, D. Tavasci, L. Ventimiglia

The Guangdong province is the forerunner of China's economic reform, it has developed rapidly in the last 20 years since opening up its economy to the outside world. This book covers the evolution of economic reform in Guangdong, its links to Hong Kong and other parts of China, and developmental strategies in different parts of Guangdong. The book analyzes the many factors that have contributed to economic reform and covers topics such as development of land, human resources, the agricultural sector, and industrialization, and reforms of state-owned enterprises and township and village enterprises.

In recent years, major social forces such as: ageing populations, social trends, migration patterns, and the globalization of economies, have reshaped social welfare policies and practices across the globe. Multinational corporations, NGOs, and other international organizations have begun to influence social policy at a national and local level. Among the many ramifications of these changes is that globalizing influences may hinder the ability of individual nation-states to effect policies that are beneficial to them on a local level. With contributions from thirteen countries worldwide, this collected work represents the first major comparative analysis on the effect of globalization on the international welfare state.

The Welfare State in Post-Industrial Society is divided into two major sections: the first draws from a number of leading social welfare researchers from diverse countries who point to the nation-state as case studies; highlighting how it goes about establishing and revising social welfare provisions. The second portion of the volume then moves to a more global perspective in its analysis and questioning of the impact of globalization on citizenship, ageing and marketization.

The Welfare State in Post-Industrial Society seeks to encourage debate about the implications of the most pressing social welfare issues in nation-states, and integrate analyses of policy and practice in particular countries struggling to provide social welfare support for their needy populations.

Law and Justice in China's New Marketplace provides the first comprehensive multidisciplinary analysis of the jurisprudence and related law underlying the contemporary Chinese transition to the 'socialist market economy'. New 'pluralized jurisprudence' has moved beyond Marxist class analysis to consider a new balance of values relating to economic efficiency and social justice in the marketplace, and yet the interior debates and perspectives concerning these values are virtually unknown in the Western scholarly literature. By analysing the changing Chinese approach in law to the adjustment of social interests in the context of profound economic change , Law and Justice in China's New Marketplace provides a unique reference tool. It outlines the new vocabulary of market jurisprudence and law and examines new legal thinking on rights protection with reference to widely ranging and often hot internal debate over human rights, property law and procedural or judicial justice.

"The book analyzes the twenty years of economic transition from socialism to capitalism in Serbia. It offers a comprehensive evaluation of the achievements and failures of the transition, and explains why its course has been more complex and unique than elsewhere in the former socialist world"--

"Marx's Theory of Price and its Modern Rivals "provides an original look at how Marx understood the role of money, extending his theory to consider how prices move over the course of business cycles. Key modern theories of price are also analyzed; Neoclassical, Post Keynesian and Sraffian theories are contrasted with Marxian thought.

This book offers the reader a state-of-the-art overview on theory and empirics of business cycle synchronisation, structural reform and economic integration. Focusing on the ongoing integration process in the euro area and the EU, it analyses the integration process that has taken place since the 1980s and which is marked by the advent of the euro and the substantial enlargement that resulted from the accession of 12 new Member States in East and Southern Europe.

Foreign Direct Investment in Transitional Economies presents a detailed investigation into the recent changes in the patterns and determinants in inflows of FDI to transitional economies. The author re-evaluates conventional theories of FDI, and analyses the many changes taking place in the nature of international business, both in terms of the drives of the trans-border transactions, and the strategic orientation of the firms that engage in those transactions. This comparative investigation is based on original research detailing the experiences of FDI in the economies of China and Poland through case studies of over 200 multinationals, and takes into account the dynamic forces of globalization and their effects on FDI.

This study examines the development of capitalism in Israel. Taking a different view from the traditional modernization perspective, Ben-Porat argues that since 1948--when Israel became a state--the process of forming a capitalist society has underlain all other major processes. To explain capitalism in Israel, a perspective is needed that treats the problems of implanting capitalism in post-colonial states. Problems include the undeveloped class structure; the inability of the bourgeoisie to fulfill its capitalist role; the continuing post-colonial dependency on state support; and, most importantly, the central role of the state in enhancing, but also regulating, capitalism.

This is the first comprehensive study of the economics and politics of postsocialism in thirty transition economies of Europe and Asia, comparing initial conditions, shifting target models, paths to reform, and progress to date. It is written by the architect of Poland's successful economic reforms, who offers alternative policy proposals to the Washington Consensus based on his practical experience.

This book reexamines classical issues in the relationship between indifferent forms of democratization, civil, political and social--in Chile's transition to democracy during the 1990's. It highlights the lasting institutional limits tosocial democratization in countries that are democratizing in the context ofradical market reforms and provides an account of the politics of limiting social deepening in the crucial early years of Chile's transition, including a detailed examination of the influence of local union history and labor relations.

Transformations of the Welfare State gives a new twist to the longstanding debate on the impact of economic globalization on the welfare state. The authors focus on several small, advanced OECD economies in order to assess whether (and how) the welfare state will be able to compete under conditions of an increasingly integrated world economy.
Small states can be seen as an 'early warning system' for general trends, because of their dependence on world markets and vulnerability to competitive pressures. The book's theoretical part innovatively integrates the literature on the political economy of small states with more recent research on the impact of globalization on social policy to generate a set of ideal-typical policy scenarios. In the main body of the book, the authors systematically test these scenarios against the experience of four countries: Austria, Denmark, New Zealand, and Switzerland.
The comparative, in-depth analysis of reform trajectories since the 1970s in four key policy areas; pensions, labor market policy, health care, and family policy provides, according to the authors, substantial evidence of a new convergence in welfare state patterns. They go on to argue that this amounts to a fundamental transformation of the welfare state from the old Keynesian welfare state positioned 'against the market' to a new set of supply-side policies 'with' and 'for' the market. Yet one of the big lessons to be learned from this timely study is that the transformation does not match the doomsday scenario predicted by neo-classical economists in the 1990s. There is no evidence of a 'race to the bottom' of social expenditure and standards of social protection, nor of a convergence towards a 'liberal' social policy model. Looking to the possible future of the welfare state in an era newly marked by profound uncertainty, the authors sound an optimistic note for states of any size.

This volume approaches the current crisis of solidarity in the European Union from a multidisciplinary perspective. The contributions explore the concept of solidarity, its role in the European integration process, and analyze the risks entailed by a lack of solidarity. Experts from various academic fields, such as political science, law, sociology, and philosophy, shed new light on contemporary challenges such as the migrant and refugee crisis, the Eurozone crisis, nationalist and separatist movements, and Brexit. Finally, they also discuss different solutions for the most pressing problems in EU politics. The book has two main aims: Firstly, to show that solidarity is a key element in solving the EU's contemporary problems; and secondly, to reveal how the crisis of solidarity has become a crucial test for the integration project, as the nature of the crisis goes beyond the well-known shortcomings in the EU's structure and problem-solving capacities.

From Adam Smith and the Industrial Revolution to Wall Street and multinational corporations, capitalism has long been one of the world's leading economic systems. This work traces the evolution of capitalism from its roots in medieval Europe's rigid economy, through the laissez-faire abuses of the 19th century, to its contemporary form as shaped by competition with socialism.

Much-needed in the face of present political upheavals, including the rise of populism and re-emergence of nationalism and authoritarian regimes, this book is radical in both its critique and proposals for a new economics. Taking an interdisciplinary approach, Bart Nooteboom offers insights from economics, sociology, cognitive science, social psychology and philosophy. Exploring ways in which economics is developing, the book investigates how new economics has moved away from considering individuals as autonomous and instead studies their involvement and interactions with each other. The book discusses a new relational economics: less contractual, hierarchical and controlled, and more based on trust and mutual adjustment. Nooteboom proposes a shift from utility ethics to the virtue ethics of prudence, courage, moderation and justice. A provocative read for economics students, this work is especially pertinent to those interested in rethinking the subject and expanding upon heterodox theories. It will also prove a useful read to critical economists and sociologists looking to better understand a way forward in our current economic climate.

Haider Khan's book goes beyond the study of catch-up technology and raises the question of innovation processes that are the key to the future growth and prosperity of the East Asian economies. This is particularly important in the aftermath of the Asian financial crises that have cost these economies much. How can newly industrialized economies achieve cohesive systems of innovation for sustainable growth? The author offers a novel theory of innovation systems with concrete case studies to illustrate its usefulness.

This collection of essays on Verdoorn's Law--the relationship between the growth of industrial productivity and output--presents a number of comprehensive surveys and assessments of the vast literature available. The collection not only includes an English translation of Verdoorn's seminal article originally published in Italian, but also new empirical evidence for the Verdoorn Law and new developments in the theoretical modeling of cumulative causation.

This collection provides exceptional descriptive and analytical insights into changes in corporate governance settings in ten Eastern and Western European countries. It demonstrates that there exist different varieties of capitalism and paths to transformation of economic institutions. In addition, it offers detailed discussions about national cases as well as the overall European Union effects. This book should be of great interest to scholars and students of comparative national systems, corporate governance and European studies.

The Future BRICS provides in depth quantitative and qualitative questions and answers about the future of the BRICS Forum as a synergistic economic alliance and is a valuable resource for anyone interested in the ongoing international debate about the economic future and sustainability of the emerging markets in general.

The conquest of the Americas inaugurated the slow accumulation of resources and the imperceptible structural transformations that culminated in the Industrial Revolution. From that moment on, capitalism grew and expanded with a dynamism and adaptability that are now all too familiar, profiting from wars and even managing to rebound after a series of devastating economic crises.

In this highly-anticipated revised edition of the 1981 classic, Beaud extends one of the major strengths of the original: the interweaving of social, political, and economic factors in the context of history. At the same time, Beaud's analysis provides a realistic and thorough examination of the developments of capitalism in the last twenty years, including globalization, the accelerating speed of capital transfer, and the collapse of the Soviet empire and the subsequent absorption of its population into the world market. This new edition also offers a completely revised format that integrates diagrams and flow-charts not previously available in the English-language edition.

Capitalism versus Pragmatic Market Socialism: A General Equilibrium Evaluation contains important contributions both to general economic theory and to the evaluation of potential market socialist economic systems. As a contribution to economic theory, the general equilibrium model utilized in the research introduces the concept of `capital management effort' as a third primary factor of production (in addition to labor and saving) provided by private households. Capital management effort represents such things as corporate supervision, investment analysis, entrepreneurship, and related activity by the household which is intended to increase the rate of return on its capital wealth. As a contribution to the evaluation of market socialism, this research sheds powerful illumination on the potential performance of a specific variant of market socialism known as `pragmatic market socialism'. Pragmatic market socialism is a plan of market socialism designed to work `almost exactly' like contemporary capitalism. The key differences would be the enforcement of a profit incentive on the publicly owned corporations by an agency designated the Bureau of Public Ownership, and the distribution of the preponderance of capital property return produced by the publicly owned corporations as a social dividend supplement to the household's wage and salary income. The analysis reported in this book shows precisely under what conditions pragmatic market socialism would perform better than capitalism, and under what conditions the opposite would be true. The fundamental implication forthcoming from the research is that the potential performance of pragmatic market socialism relative to capitalism is an empirical rather than a theoretical question.