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The economics of utopia: a co-evolutionary model of ideas, citizenship and socio-political change

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  • Isabel Almudi

    (University of Zaragoza)

  • Francisco Fatas-Villafranca

    (University of Zaragoza)

  • Luis R. Izquierdo

    (University of Burgos)

  • Jason Potts

    (RMIT University)

Abstract

We propose a new history-friendly approach to evolutionary socio-economic dynamics based around competition between five ‘utopias’ as central ideas about which to order society: capitalism, socialism, civil liberty, nature, and nationalism. In our model, citizens contribute economic resources to support their preferred utopia, and societal dynamics are explained as a co-evolutionary process between these competing utopias. We apply the model to analyze certain aspects of socio-economic and political change in the US from the 1960s–present. We carry out a history-friendly analysis inspired by such episodes as the outbreak of civil movements in the 1970s, the rise of neo-liberalism in the 1980s, and the channels through which America has engendered an ‘age of fracture’. Further applications for empirical and theoretical research are suggested.

Suggested Citation

  • Isabel Almudi & Francisco Fatas-Villafranca & Luis R. Izquierdo & Jason Potts, 2017. "The economics of utopia: a co-evolutionary model of ideas, citizenship and socio-political change," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 27(4), pages 629-662, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:joevec:v:27:y:2017:i:4:d:10.1007_s00191-017-0507-7
    DOI: 10.1007/s00191-017-0507-7
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    Cited by:

    1. Darcy W E Allen, 2020. "When Entrepreneurs Meet:The Collective Governance of New Ideas," World Scientific Books, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., number q0269, January.
    2. Isabel Almudi & Francisco Fatas-Villafranca & Jason Potts, 2017. "Utopia competition: a new approach to the micro-foundations of sustainability transitions," Journal of Bioeconomics, Springer, vol. 19(1), pages 165-185, April.
    3. Mikayla Novak, 2021. "Social innovation and Austrian economics: Exploring the gains from intellectual trade," The Review of Austrian Economics, Springer;Society for the Development of Austrian Economics, vol. 34(1), pages 129-147, March.
    4. Brendan Markey-Towler, 2021. "Psychology of evolutionary economic behaviour," Evolutionary and Institutional Economics Review, Springer, vol. 18(2), pages 361-383, September.
    5. Brendan Markey-Towler, 2018. "A formal psychological theory for evolutionary economics," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 28(4), pages 691-725, September.
    6. Vyacheslav V. Volchik & Maxim A. Koryttsev & Elena V. Maslyukova, 2019. "Institutions and ideology of managerialism in higher education and science," Upravlenets, Ural State University of Economics, vol. 10(6), pages 15-27, December.
    7. Sophie Urmetzer & Michael P. Schlaile & Kristina B. Bogner & Matthias Mueller & Andreas Pyka, 2018. "Exploring the Dedicated Knowledge Base of a Transformation towards a Sustainable Bioeconomy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(6), pages 1-22, May.
    8. Gianpaolo Abatecola & Alberto Surace, 2020. "Discussing the Use of Complexity Theory in Engineering Management: Implications for Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(24), pages 1-24, December.
    9. Abatecola, Gianpaolo & Breslin, Dermot & Kask, Johan, 2020. "Do organizations really co-evolve? Problematizing co-evolutionary change in management and organization studies," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 155(C).

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