This book argues that in many jurisdictions free market advocates have resorted to public sector downsizing and privatization as a means of alleviating problems of unemployment and slow economic growth and that, as a consequence, the strategy of reducing public deficits, balancing budgets and achieving surpluses has become widely accepted as the only road to prosperity. The Economics of Public Spending shows in clear and simple terms that the strategy of public sector downsizing is based on a misleading conception of public finance. The book dispels several myths about public deficits and debts, offering alternative approaches to fiscal and monetary policies. The contributors argue convincingly and authoritatively that the public sector is crucial for economic growth, that budget deficits are required for improving the performance of the private sector and that there is a real need for an economic agenda based on public deficits and low stable real interest rates in order to achieve full employment with high wages, more generous social programmes and sustainable inflation. This fascinating and challenging book will be of great interest to policymakers in government, academic researchers as well as public finance experts and economists.

In this volume, Louis-Philippe Rochon and Hassan Bougrine bring together key post-Keynesian voices in an effort to push the boundaries of our understanding of banks, central banking, monetary policy and endogenous money. Issues such as interest rates, income distribution, stagnation and crises - both theoretical and empirical - are woven together and analysed by the many contributors to shed new light on them. The result is an alternative analysis of contemporary monetary economies, and the policies that are so needed to address the problems of today. Students and professors of economics, policymakers interested in alternative policies, academics and scholars in all fields will benefit from the explorations therein, and would also appreciate the companion publication, Economic Growth and Macroeconomic Stabilization Policies in Post-Keynesian Economics, also published by Edward Elgar Publishing. Contributors include: R. Bellofiore, H. Bougrine, J. Chen, L. Cordonnier, E. Correa, S. Dow, T. Ferguson, G. Fontana, C. Gnos, R. Guttmann, P.D. Jorgensen, P. Kriesler, E. Le Heron, J. Leclaire, V. Monvoisin, A. Parguez, E. Perez Caldentey, P. Petit, J.-F. Ponsot, L.-P. Rochon, S. Rossi, S. Thabet, J. Toporowski, M. Vernengo

Hassan Bougrine, Louis-Philippe Rochon and the expert contributors to this book explore issues of economic growth and full employment; presenting a clear explanation to stagnation, recessions and crises, including the latest Global Financial Crisis of 2007-8. With a central focus on the role played by government spending, deficits and debt as well as the setting of interest rates, the chapters propose alternative policies that can be used by central banks and fiscal authorities to deal with problems of income inequality, unemployment and slow productivity. Students and professors of economics, policymakers interested in alternative policies, academics and scholars in all fields will benefit from the explorations therein and would do well to seek out the companion publication, Credit, Money and Crises in Post-Keynesian Economics, also published by Edward Elgar Publishing. Contributors include: P. Arestis, R.A. Blecker, S. Cesaratto, O. Costantini, J.J. da Silveira, M. Dufour, A.K. Dutt, G. Epstein, G. Fujii-Gambero, M. Garcia-Ramos, J. Halevi-Haifa, G.C. Harcourt, E. Hein, E. Kam, J.E. King, P. Kriesler, G.T. Lima, J.A. Montecino, T.I. Palley, F.J. Prante, M. Sawyer, M. Setterfield, J. Smithin, J. Stanford, S. Storm

It is now widely acknowledged that history is useful, even essential, because it helps us predict the future. The history of ideas in economics, as in other fields of inquiry, plays an important role in enlightening current researchers as they endeavour to understand contemporary events and anticipate the future of human societies. This book brings together a fine collection of chapters that span contributions from forgotten classics to the most recent new thinking about critical issues such as growth, wealth, its creation and its distribution among members of society. It is A Brief History of Economic Thought, but it will certainly go a long way in helping undergraduate students and other researchers who are curious about the evolution of economic ideas over the last five centuries. Chapters offer discussions on the main tenets of post-Keynesian economics, and focus on issues of growth, wealth and income distribution. The debate on the role of government versus the market is brought to the fore within the context of economic thought from the Physiocrats to the post-Keynesians. The editors have created an essential read for scholars and students interested in the history of economic thought and post-Keynesian economics.

Written by distinguished Keynesian and Post-Keynesian economists from diverse national backgrounds, this book examines the economic growth and employment experiences of both large areas of the world and specific economies. Dealing with critical issues in macroeconomic theory and policy, this book puts current issues in a historical perspective. Emphasising developments during and after the Great Recession, and paying due attention to the impacts of austerity policies, chapters explain that high growth of aggregate demand is as essential as ever to achieving full employment and rising living standards. Organised into three distinct thematic parts, the book moves from discussing theoretical considerations, to aggregate demand and employment in the EU, Latin America and the developing world, to individual country studies including Canada, India and Japan. Economics students, particularly those interested in heterodox economics and macroeconomics, will find the accessible language and perspectives on a range of major regions helpful. This will also be a useful read for macroeconomic policy-makers looking for a more in-depth understanding of the importance of boosting aggregate demand. Contributors include: H. Bougrine, J.K. Galbraith, B.K. MacLean, J.W. Mason, L. Osberg, L.-P. Rochon, M. Sawyer, M. Seccareccia, S. Sen, J. Toporowski, M. Vernengo

The Creation of Wealth and Poverty is a study of the means and ways by which wealth and poverty are created in both developed and developing countries. It puts a particular emphasis on the role played by economic policy in shaping the stratification of modern societies through specific programmes dealing with issues of job creation, poverty and environmental degradation. This book is concerned with the social effects of the ongoing crisis in finance, development and the environment. By focusing on the political, legal and financial institutions that govern society and the economy, the book provides an analysis of wealth and poverty from a historical perspective. It shows how economic and social policies of the neoliberal model have led to a rise in unemployment, poverty and inequality and, therefore, made societies more polarized. This volume will be of great interest to policymakers, academics and students who study political economy, development economics and macroeconomics.

The Creation of Wealth and Poverty is a study of the means and ways by which wealth and poverty are created in both developed and developing countries. It puts a particular emphasis on the role played by economic policy in shaping the stratification of modern societies through specific programmes dealing with issues of job creation, poverty and environmental degradation. This book is concerned with the social effects of the ongoing crisis in finance, development and the environment. By focusing on the political, legal and financial institutions that govern society and the economy, the book provides an analysis of wealth and poverty from a historical perspective. It shows how economic and social policies of the neoliberal model have led to a rise in unemployment, poverty and inequality and, therefore, made societies more polarized. This volume will be of great interest to policymakers, academics and students who study political economy, development economics and macroeconomics.