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ECONOMYANDSOCIETY
2018-2019
SOCIALSCIENCES PROF.VERMEIREN
D.L.Y.
,
INTRODUCTION
Crisisandinequalityindemocraticcapitalism
Whatis(comparative)politicaleconomy?
● Asaninterdisciplinarysubfieldinsocialsciences,politicaleconomystudiestheinteractionbetween
political/socialandeconomicdynamics
○ ApplicationofLasswell'sdefinitionofpolitics-“ Whogetswhat,whenandhow?”-totheeconomy
● Impactofpolitical/socialeventsontheeconomy
○ Globalfinancialcrisis2008
○ Risinginequalityinthewesternworld
● Impactofeconomiceventsonpoliticsandsociety
○ Riseinpopulism
Politicaleconomyofdemocraticcapitalism
Twocentralchallenges
1. Risinginequality
2. Economicinstability
OrganizationofEconomicCooperationandDevelopment(OECD)anditsprinciplesofliberaldemocracy
● Freeelections,press,separationofpowers,ruleoflaw
● Capitalistcountries,economystructuredbyprinciplesofprivateownershipofenterprisesandprivate
markets
● Democraticcapitalism
○ FullyestablishedafterSecondWorldWarinNorthAmerica,WesternEuropeandJapan
○ Votingrightsextendedtowomen
○ ⇒
Workedwelluntil1970s the“GoldenAge”ofcapitalism
● Crisisof2007-2009
○ DeepestfinancialcrisissinceGreatDepressionof1930s
○ Capitalisminrichdemocraticcountriesexperiencedthreefoldcrisis
1. Bankingcrisis
● Privatebanksextendedtoomuchcredittohouseholds,creatingbubblesinhousing
markets
● Bubblescollapsed,manyUSandEuropeanbankshadtoberescuedfrom
bankruptcybytheirgovernments
2. Crisisofpublicfinances
● Bankingcrisisevolvedintoafiscalcrisisbecauseoftherisinglevelsofgovernment
debt(1970s)andtheadditionalborrowing(2008)tosavethebankingindustry
● ⇒
Regain“confidenceinthemarkets” harshfiscalausteritypoliciesoncitizens
1
,
3. Crisisofthe“realeconomy”(partofeconomythatisconcernedwiththeactualproduction
ofgoodsandservicesratherthanthepartthatconsistsoftradinginfinancialmarkets)
● Harshfiscalausteritypoliciesresultedintocrisisoftherealeconomy
● Loweconomicgrowth(evenstagnation)andinsomecountrieshigh
unemployment
● Crisescloselyconnectedtogrowinglevelsofincomeandwealthinequality
○ 2016:shareoftotalnationalincomeaccountedforbyjustthatnation’stop10%earners:37%in
Europe,47%inNorthAmerica
○ Since1980:incomeinequalityrapidlyincreasedinnorthAmerica,moremoderatelyinEurope
○ Markedendofpost-warGoldenAgeofegalitariancapitalism
○ Lowerandmiddle-classconsumersinUSandotherAnglo-Saxoncountries:borrowtomaintainand
financetheirconsumptionpatterns(stagnatingincomes)
○ RiseofinequalitycontributedtotheGlobalFinancialCrisisof2007-2009
○ Fiscalausteritytendstoreinforcethesedynamicsofinequalitybycuttingspendingonsocial
programsthatprimarilybenefitthebottomhalfoftheincomedistribution
○ Highlevelsofinequalitycanbeacauseofloweconomicgrowthoreven“secularstagnation”aseven
mainstreameconomistsattheOECDandInternationalMonetaryFundhaveincreasingly
acknowledged
● Inequalitycalledoneofthemainthreatstotheworldeconomy
○ ByWorldEconomicForum(internationalbodybringingtogethertheglobalbusinessandpolitical
elitesinannualmeeting)
○ Inequalityhasimportantpoliticalrepercussions(couldendangerliberaldemocracyitself)
■ Citizensmorecriticaloftheirpoliticalleaders
■ Cynicalaboutvalueofdemocracyaspoliticalsystem,lesshopefulthatanythingtheydo
mightinfluencepublicpolicyandmorewillingtoexpresssupportforauthoritarian
alternatives
Increasingvotestopopulistparties
Allgenerationsmorecritical,
Youngerpeoplemorecritical especiallyintheUS
towardsbenefitsofdemocracy
2
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1.NEOCLASSICALECONOMICSANDITSFAILURES
● Neoclassicaleconomicsdominantapproachtostudytheeconomyinourcontemporarysociety
○ Overlast50years:increasinglyformalistic,developingmathematicalmodelsandquantitative
methodsthatarecompletelydetachedfromthesocial,politicalandhistoricalcontextofeconomic
dynamicsintherealworld
● GlobalFinancialCrisisexposedfailures
○ Objectiveinsocialsciences:understandinganddeepeningknowledgeofGFCandlongertermcauses
andconsequences
○ Neoclassicaleconomicsfailedreachingtheseobjectives
● Assumptionsbehinditsmathematicalmodelsoftensimplisticandunrealistic
○ “Homoeconomicus”=individualsareseenas“rational”andself-interestedactorswhomaximize
theirutilitybymakingdecisionsthatarebasedonfullinformation
○ Freemarketsbalancesupplyanddemandinthelong-termandareself-adjusting
⇒Response:modelsaretheretopredicteconomicbehaviourratherthanformulatingrealisticassumptions
● Neoclassicaleconomistsarebadpredictors
○ Takenonon-economicfactorsinaccountthatareveryimportant
○ E.g.powerandpolitics→
thinkeconomycanbeseparatedfromrelationsofpowerandpolitics
2.THEPROBLÉMATIQUEOFRISINGINEQUALITY
● Howisinequalitymeasured?
○ Gini-coefficientinincomeinequality
○ Shareofdifferentgroupsinnationalincomeandnationalwealth
○ Labourandcapitalshareinnationalincome
● Howcanitbeexplained?
○ Whymainneoclassicalinterpretationfailstoprovideexplanationofriseininequalityintheadvanced
capitalistworld
○ Roleofgovernmentpolicies(discussedinChapters2-4)
● Whydoesitmatter?
○ Connectiontoeconomicinstabilityandfinancialization
2.1.HOWISITMEASURED?
2.1.1.GINIINDEXOFDISPOSABLEINCOMEINEQUALITY
● Mostoften-usedmeasureofinequalitybeforeThomasPiketty’sC
apitalinthe21stCentury(2014)
● Abstractmeasureofincomedistribution:rangingfrom0(perfectequality)to1(completeinequality)
● Shareofdifferentincomegroups(e .g.top1%)innationalincome
○ DataofThomasPikettyandcolleagues
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