SPIN-FREE ECONOMICS

by Behravesh, Nariman

• ISBN13: 9780071549035
• ISBN10: 007154903X
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2008-11-11
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill Education

Summary

With technology and globalization advancing at breakneck speed, the world economy becomes more complex by the day. Activists, politicians, and media enablersconservative and liberal, left and right, informed and just plain wrongconsistently seize this opportunity to present woefully simplistic explanationsand hype the latest myths regarding issues affecting the economy. Their purpose is not to educate but to advocate and, in many cases involving the media, manufacture outrage to drive ratings higher. So, where can you find the truth about today's economy and how it affects you? Turn off the TV, put down the magazine, log off the Internetand read this book.Spin-Free Economicsplaces the current economic debates where they belong: in the middle of the road. With no political ax to grind, Nariman Behravesh takes a centrist approach to explain how today's economic issues affect individuals and businesses. Along the way, he debunks myths regarding the effects of immigration, unemployment, regulation, productivity, education, health care, and other headline issues.Spin-Free Economicsanswers today's most pressing questions, including Will more regulation prevent financial crises? Are outsourcing and foreign ownership good or bad for Americans? Should we fear or embrace Asia's emerging economic powers? Is aid or trade the solution to global poverty?The vast majority of economists, Behravesh points out, are independent analysts who are in agreement on many of today's issues. Unfortunately, the subject has been taken over by opportunists, whose answers to the questions above invariably fall along partisan lines.Spin-Free Economicsis a breath of fresh air for those seeking an alternative to the chatter of ideologues and cynics. Rejecting the manipulative approach of "sound-bite economics," Nariman Behravesh uses facts and insight tempered by clearheaded reason to present the most accurate assessment of the subject to date.

Author Biography

Nariman Behravesh is Chief Economist for Global Insight, an economic and financial analysis firm. He previously served as Chief International Economist at Standard And Poor's..

Table of Contents

The Ideological Divide and Sound-Bite Economics Have Polarized the Public Discussion of Economic Issues and Given Rise to Dangerous Myths	p. 1
Background: Lessons from History and the Consensus Among Economists	p. 7
Markets Know Best	p. 27
There Is a Price for Everything	p. 51
Competition Is the Consumer's Best Friend	p. 71
Growth Is Good	p. 95
Globalization Is More Like Love Than War	p. 129
Good Government, Bad Government: The Fine Art of Knowing When Government Intervention Helps More Than It Hurts	p. 177
Poverty, Inequality, and Job Insecurity: Help the Vulnerable and Downtrodden Without Hurting the Rest	p. 235
Macroeconomic Policies: The Long (And Ultimately Successful) Search for Stability	p. 267
Financial Markets and the Economy: The Tail Need Not Wag the Dog	p. 303
Conclusion: Nine Economic Lessons for a Polarized World	p. 333
Notes and Sources	p. 335
Index	p. 361
Table of Contents provided by Blackwell. All Rights Reserved.