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This book develops an original theory of group and organizational behavior that cuts across disciplinary lines and illustrates the theory with empirical and historical studies of particular organizations. Applying economic analysis to the subjects of the political scientist, sociologist, and economist, Mancur Olson examines the extent to which the individuals that share a common interest find it in their individual interest to bear the costs of the organizational effort. The theory shows that most organizations produce what the economist calls “public goods”—goods or services that are available to every member, whether or not he has borne any of the costs of providing them. Economists ...
"A compelling theory on the rationale for the changing fortunes of nations"--Publisher's website.
A world-renowned economist tackles tough questions and contends that governments can play an essential role in the development of markets. His exploration of "market-augmenting governments" provides a useful framework in which to consider the Asian financial crisis and its aftermath.
First Published in 1975. Two policy proposals are particularly notable and owe nothing to the long-standing controversies between left and right. Rather, they suggest new perceptions of reality and a changing sense of values. They are thoroughly radical and indeed subversive since they attack two fundamental features of modern society: its tendency to exponential growth and its assumption of continuous progress. The two proposals are zero economic growth and zero population growth... Quite apart from the question of the desirability of a no-growth society, or even the possibility that it may even be a necessity, what properties should it have? How would its social, political and economic systems function? What would people be like in such a society? What sort of culture or ·consciousness· would be appropriate in it? ...A careful examination of the no-growth proposals helps to reveal a number of the most fundamental failings and fears of modern life.
A comprehensive insight into Mancur Olson's work as well as extensions and applications of his work. Chapters cover three main areas: Collective Action, Institutional Sclerosis and Market-Augmenting Government. Some chapters directly assess Olson`s contributions, focusing on distinguishing what was original in his works from what was already in the literature, and assess his impact on the fields of public economics and economic history. Other chapters present new tests and frequently extend his work. Each of the chapters is a new piece of scholarship inspired by and intended to honor Mancur Olson, and extend his influence to another generation of Collective Choice scholars and researchers.
Individuals make decisions but they do not do so in a social vacuum. The goods they buy are frequently status-symbols in a zero-sum game which some will win and some must lose. Their consumption of commodities is subject to the constraint that what one can do, all cannot. The pressure of coalitions and interest groups, the self- interest of politicians and bureaucrats may all work against a solution being found for some of the most urgent social and economic problems of our times. These problems form the centrepiece of the economic approach to social interaction that has been pioneered by Anthony Downs, Mancur Olson and Fred Hirsch. This book seeks to examine and evaluate their important theories of collective action.
A Brookings Institution Press and Carnegie Endowment for International Peace publication Many of the countries that have recently converted to a market-based economic system have also experienced an alarming increase in income inequality — a widening gap between the haves and have nots. But to what extent is the increase in inequality also increasing the opportunities for economic advancement — particularly for those at the bottom of the economic ladder? Does the creation of greater opportunities make a region's move to the market politically acceptable? And, if opportunities don't increase along with inequality, will it eventually cause a political backlash against a country's market po...
The pioneering young scientist whose work on the structure of small worlds has triggered an avalanche of interest in networks. In this remarkable book, Duncan Watts, one of the principal architects of network theory, sets out to explain the innovative research that he and other scientists are spearheading to create a blueprint of our connected planet. Whether they bind computers, economies, or terrorist organizations, networks are everywhere in the real world, yet only recently have scientists attempted to explain their mysterious workings. From epidemics of disease to outbreaks of market madness, from people searching for information to firms surviving crisis and change, from the structure of personal relationships to the technological and social choices of entire societies, Watts weaves together a network of discoveries across an array of disciplines to tell the story of an explosive new field of knowledge, the people who are building it, and his own peculiar path in forging this new science.
The Economics Of The Wartime Shortage: A History Of British Food Supplies In The Napoleonic War And In World Wars I And II is a book written by Mancur Olson Jr. The book provides a comprehensive analysis of the economic factors that influenced the British food supply during the Napoleonic War and both World War I and II. The author examines the impact of war on the food market, including the effects of price controls, rationing, and government intervention. The book also explores the role of technology and innovation in increasing food production and overcoming shortages. The author draws on a wide range of primary sources, including government records, newspapers, and personal accounts, to ...