Comparative Economic Systems Culture, Wealth, and Power in the 21st Century

by Rosefielde, Steven

• ISBN13: 9780631229612
• ISBN10: 0631229612
• eBook ISBN(s): 9781119161219
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2002-04-29
• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell

Summary

Comparative Economic Systems: Culture, Wealth, and Power in the 21st Century explains how culture, in various guises, modifies the standard rules of economic engagement, creating systems that differ markedly from those predicted by the theory of general market competition. This analysis is grounded in established principles, but also assumes that individual utility seeking may be culturally determined, that political goals may take precedence over public well-being, and that business misconduct may be socially detrimental. The book clarifies conceptual misunderstandings about the comparative merit of free competition and perfect governance, showing in many cases how the same results are attainable using either mechanism, or by combining them. It illuminates why engineering variables such as the quantity and quality of fixed and variable inputs, management, entrepreneurship, technological progress, and economic governance do not adequately explain disorders like the increasing poverty of the world's poorest nations. End-of-chapter questions and an extensive glossary enhance the book's utility and enable readers to fully comprehend the key features of each chapter.

Author Biography

Steven Rosefielde is Professor of Economics at the University of North Carolina and a member of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences. He is actively involved in economic systems and global security research with the American, Russian, Swedish, and Japanese governments. He is the author of five books, and over 150 articles published in periodicals such as the Wall Street Journal, Slavic Review, Journal of Comparative Economics, Europe-Asia Studies, European Economic Review, and the American Economic Review.

Table of Contents

List of Figures	vii
List of Tables	ix
Acknowledgments	x
Preface	xii
Introduction	1	(4)
Part I Systems	5	(52)
Comparative Economic Systems	7	(9)
Classification and Principles	16	(29)
Culture, Politics, and Economic Misconduct	45	(9)
Power	54	(3)
Part II Perfect Economic Mechanisms	57	(20)
Introduction	58	(4)
Perfect Competition	62	(7)
Perfect Governance	69	(8)
Part III Great Powers	77	(120)
Introduction	78	(3)
America	81	(25)
Continental Europe	106	(17)
Japan	123	(20)
China	143	(19)
Russia	162	(20)
Transition	182	(9)
Comparative Potential	191	(6)
Part IV Performance	197	(38)
Measurement	199	(8)
Global Performance	207	(28)
Part V International Relations	235	(31)
Security	237	(12)
Military Balance	249	(10)
Interplay of Systems: Efficiency and Power	259	(7)
Glossary	266	(8)
Index	274