Political Economy: A Comparative Approach / Edition 3

by Barry Clark

Overview

This nontechnical book provides a comprehensive and interdisciplinary survey of political economy that can easily be understood by any reader with an introductory-level background in economics.

As 21st-century political debate becomes polarized across ideological lines, students and citizens need to understand the underlying values on which contending arguments are based. The current political gridlock calls for a deeper appreciation of the competing perspectives in political economy. Now revamped for a third edition, Political Economy: A Comparative Approach supplies a truly interdisciplinary examination of the development and evolution of political economy from the Enlightenment onward, drawing material from the realms of political theory, sociology, philosophy, and history as well as from economics to present detailed comparisons of competing perspectives on a variety of current issues.

The book begins with an introduction to political economy that provides readers with an overview of the historical development of the discipline, followed by in-depth analyses of four ideological perspectives in political economy—Classical Liberalism, Radicalism, Conservatism, and Modern Liberalism. The author then applies each of the four ideological perspectives to a range of contemporary issues, such as the role of government, economic instability, poverty, labor relations, discrimination, education, culture, the environment, and international trade. Readers will gain insight into the methods and practice of political economics as well as better understand the history of political/economic thought and the effects of historical processes—European industrialization, for example—on modern debates.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781440842726
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	03/21/2016
Edition description:	3rd Revised ed.
Pages:	392
Product dimensions:	6.14(w) x 9.21(h) x 0.88(d)

About the Author

Barry Clark, PhD, is emeritus professor of economics and former department chairperson at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. He currently teaches at the University of Colorado-Boulder.

Table of Contents

Introduction
Part I • Political Economy: An Overview
Chapter 1 Politics, Economics, and Political Economy
Politics and Economics
The Revival of Political Economy
Chapter 2 The History of Political Economy
Origins of Political Economy
Classical Political Economy
The Radical Extension
The Conservative Response
Neoclassical Economics
Modern Political Economy
Part II • Contending Perspectives in Political Economy
Chapter 3 The Classical Liberal Perspective
Architects of Classical Liberalism
Principles of Classical Liberalism
Classical Liberalism Today
An Assessment of Classical Liberalism
Chapter 4 The Radical Perspective
Architects of Radicalism
Principles of Radicalism
Radicalism Today
An Assessment of Radicalism
Chapter 5 The Conservative Perspective
Architects of Conservatism
Principles of Conservatism
Conservatism Today
An Assessment of Conservatism
Chapter 6 The Modern Liberal Perspective
Architects of Modern Liberalism
Principles of Modern Liberalism
Modern Liberalism Today
An Assessment of Modern Liberalism
Part III • Contemporary Issues in Political Economy
Chapter 7 Government and the Market
The Classical Liberal Perspective
The Radical Perspective
The Conservative Perspective
The Modern Liberal Perspective
Chapter 8 Inflation and Unemployment
The Classical Liberal Perspective
The Radical Perspective
The Conservative Perspective
The Modern Liberal Perspective
Chapter 9 Poverty and Inequality
The Classical Liberal Perspective
The Radical Perspective
The Conservative Perspective
The Modern Liberal Perspective
Chapter 10 Labor and Industry
The Classical Liberal Perspective
The Radical Perspective
The Conservative Perspective
The Modern Liberal Perspective
Chapter 11 Minorities and Discrimination
The Classical Liberal Perspective
The Radical Perspective
The Conservative Perspective
The Modern Liberal Perspective
Chapter 12 The Political Economy of Gender
The Classical Liberal Perspective
The Radical Perspective
The Conservative Perspective
The Modern Liberal Perspective
Chapter 13 Education and Culture
The Classical Liberal Perspective
The Radical Perspective
The Conservative Perspective
The Modern Liberal Perspective
Chapter 14 Pollution and the Environment
The Classical Liberal Perspective
The Radical Perspective
The Conservative Perspective
The Modern Liberal Perspective
Chapter 15 International Trade and Development
The Classical Liberal Perspective
The Radical Perspective
The Conservative Perspective
The Modern Liberal Perspective
Chapter 16 Science, Ideology, and Political Economy
Economics as Ideology
Rejoinders from Economists
The Science of Political Economy
Conclusion
Selected Bibliography
Index

Editorial Reviews

Reminding us that political economy was the original social science before it devolved in the latter half of the 19th century into political science, economics, sociology, and its other at times contentious siblings, Clark (economics, U. of Wisconsin-LaCrosse)--whose prime research focus is on the ethical dimensions of public policy --offers a balanced perspective on inter- and intra- disciplinary debates by analyzing the underlying values and paradigms of four contending perspectives in political economics: the classical liberal, radical, conservative, and modern liberal. He also overviews the history of and contemporary issues in the field. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.

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