IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/cdp/texdis/td612.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

How economics became an interventionist science (and how it ceased to be)

Author

Listed:
  • Rafael Galvão de Almeida

    (Cedeplar-UFMG)

Abstract

The relationship between economics and State has been intimate ever since classical political economy. However, perceptions about the role and size of the State have changed according to the epoch. In other words, economic theory assigned a bigger or a smaller role to the State depending on the political situation. This article analyses the change in economists and economic theory’s perception of the role of the State in the economy, from favoring an interventionist approach from the 1930s to the 1960s, and a liberal approach from 1970s, in order to understand the factors behind this change.

Suggested Citation

  • Rafael Galvão de Almeida, 2019. "How economics became an interventionist science (and how it ceased to be)," Textos para Discussão Cedeplar-UFMG 612, Cedeplar, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais.
  • Handle: RePEc:cdp:texdis:td612
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.cedeplar.ufmg.br/pesquisas/td/TD%20612.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. George Stigler, 1959. "The Politics of Political Economists," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 73(4), pages 522-532.
    2. Alan Kirman, 2010. "The Economic Crisis is a Crisis for Economic Theory ," CESifo Economic Studies, CESifo, vol. 56(4), pages 498-535, December.
    3. D. Colander & H. Follmer & A. Haas & M. Goldberg & K. Juselius & A. Kirman & T. Lux & B. Sloth, 2010. "The Financial Crisis and the Systemic Failure of Academic Economics," Voprosy Ekonomiki, NP Voprosy Ekonomiki, issue 6.
    4. Charles K. Rowley, 2008. "Public Choice Trailblazers versus the Tyranny of the Intellectual Establishment," Springer Books, in: Readings in Public Choice and Constitutional Political Economy, chapter 3, pages 47-73, Springer.
    5. Francisco Louca, 1999. "The econometric challenge to Keynes: arguments and contradictions in the early debates about a late issue," The European Journal of the History of Economic Thought, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 6(3), pages 404-438.
    6. William Keech & Michael Munger, 2015. "The anatomy of government failure," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 164(1), pages 1-42, July.
    7. Lawrence H. White, 2008. "Did Hayek and Robbins Deepen the Great Depression?," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 40(4), pages 751-768, June.
    8. Weintraub, E. Roy, 2017. "Mccarthyism And The Mathematization Of Economics," Journal of the History of Economic Thought, Cambridge University Press, vol. 39(4), pages 571-597, December.
    9. Daniel B. Klein & Charlotta Stern, 2007. "Is There a Free‐Market Economist in the House? The Policy Views of American Economic Association Members," American Journal of Economics and Sociology, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 66(2), pages 309-334, April.
    10. Thomas C. Leonard, 2016. "Illiberal Reformers: Race, Eugenics, and American Economics in the Progressive Era," Economics Books, Princeton University Press, edition 1, number 10572.
    11. Joseph E. Stiglitz, 2011. "Rethinking Macroeconomics: What Failed, And How To Repair It," Journal of the European Economic Association, European Economic Association, vol. 9(4), pages 591-645, August.
    12. Oskar Lange, 1936. "On the Economic Theory of Socialism," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 4(1), pages 53-71.
    13. Charles K. Rowley & Friedrich G. Schneider, 2008. "Readings in Public Choice and Constitutional Political Economy," Springer Books, Springer, number 978-0-387-75870-1, September.
    14. William D. Nordhaus, 1975. "The Political Business Cycle," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 42(2), pages 169-190.
    15. Magnus, J.R. & Morgan, M.S., 1987. "The ET interview : Professor J. Tinbergen," Other publications TiSEM c9e971fe-394d-4e99-89a2-6, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    16. William Keech & Michael Munger, 2015. "Erratum to: The anatomy of government failure," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 164(1), pages 43-44, July.
    17. Anthony Downs, 1957. "An Economic Theory of Political Action in a Democracy," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 65, pages 135-135.
    18. Steven G. Medema, 2004. "Public Choice and Deviance," American Journal of Economics and Sociology, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 63(1), pages 51-54, January.
    19. Leonhard Dobusch & Jakob Kapeller, 2009. "Diskutieren und Zitieren: Zur paradigmatischen Konstellation aktueller oekonomischer Theorie," European Journal of Economics and Economic Policies: Intervention, Edward Elgar Publishing, vol. 6(2), pages 145-152.
    20. Charles K. Rowley, 2008. "Public Choice and Constitutional Political Economy," Springer Books, in: Readings in Public Choice and Constitutional Political Economy, chapter 1, pages 3-29, Springer.
    21. James M. Buchanan, 1949. "The Pure Theory of Government Finance: A Suggested Approach," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 57, pages 496-496.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Jun, Bogang & Kim, Tai-Yoo, 2015. "A neo-Schumpeterian perspective on the analytical macroeconomic framework: The expanded reproduction system," Hohenheim Discussion Papers in Business, Economics and Social Sciences 11-2015, University of Hohenheim, Faculty of Business, Economics and Social Sciences.
    2. Dirk Helbing, 2013. "Economics 2.0: The Natural Step towards A Self-Regulating, Participatory Market Society," Papers 1305.4078, arXiv.org, revised Jun 2013.
    3. Fischer, Thomas & Riedler, Jesper, 2014. "Prices, debt and market structure in an agent-based model of the financial market," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 95-120.
    4. Fatouh, Mahmoud & Markose, Sheri & Giansante, Simone, 2021. "The impact of quantitative easing on UK bank lending: Why banks do not lend to businesses?," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 183(C), pages 928-953.
    5. Czeglédi, Pál, 2017. "Richard E. Wagner: James M. Buchanan and Liberal Political Economy: A Rational Reconstruction. Lexington Books, Lanham, Maryland, 2017, ix + 209 o [Richard E. Wagner: James M. Buchanan and Liberal ," Közgazdasági Szemle (Economic Review - monthly of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences), Közgazdasági Szemle Alapítvány (Economic Review Foundation), vol. 0(10), pages 1097-1101.
    6. Berlemann, Michael & Enkelmann, Sören, 2014. "The economic determinants of U.S. presidential approval: A survey," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 36(C), pages 41-54.
    7. Mauro Napoletano & Jean-Luc Gaffard & Zakaria Babutsidze, 2012. "Agent Based Models: A New Tool for Economic and Policy Analysis," Sciences Po publications info:hdl:2441/121881fn7h9, Sciences Po.
    8. Giovanni Dosi & Andrea Roventini, 2019. "More is different ... and complex! the case for agent-based macroeconomics," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 29(1), pages 1-37, March.
    9. repec:hal:spmain:info:hdl:2441/53r60a8s3kup1vc9l5643ehjk is not listed on IDEAS
    10. Georgios Efthyvoulou, 2012. "Political budget cycles in the European Union and the impact of political pressures," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 153(3), pages 295-327, December.
    11. Francisco Louçã & Alexandre Abreu & Gonçalo Pessa Costa, 2021. "Disarray at the headquarters: Economists and Central bankers tested by the subprime and the COVID recessions [Forward guidance without common knowledge]," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 30(2), pages 273-296.
    12. Kärnä, Anders & Karlsson, Johan & Engberg, Erik & Svensson, Peter, 2020. "Political Failure: A Missing Piece in Innovation Policy Analysis," Working Paper Series 1334, Research Institute of Industrial Economics, revised 21 Apr 2022.
    13. Horacio Piffano, 2012. "Las Crisis y los Modelos Económicos: Diagnósticos, Predicciones y las Políticas Económicas," Department of Economics, Working Papers 093, Departamento de Economía, Facultad de Ciencias Económicas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata.
    14. Beatrice Cherrier & Jean-Baptiste Fleury, 2017. "Economists’ interest in collective decision after World War II: a history," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 172(1), pages 23-44, July.
    15. Krumm, Raimund & Volkert, Jürgen, 2015. "Möglichkeiten und Grenzen der politischen Realisierbarkeit intra- und intergenerativer Gerechtigkeit," UFZ Discussion Papers 11/2015, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), Division of Social Sciences (ÖKUS).
    16. Glenn Furton & Adam Martin, 2019. "Beyond market failure and government failure," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 178(1), pages 197-216, January.
    17. Mauro Napoletano & Jean-Luc Gaffard & Zakaria Babutsidze, 2012. "Agent Based Models," SciencePo Working papers Main hal-03461262, HAL.
    18. Mauro Napoletano & Jean-Luc Gaffard & Zakaria Babutsidze, 2012. "Agent Based Models A New Tool for Economic and Policy Analysis: A New Tool for Economic and Policy Analysis," Sciences Po publications 3, Sciences Po.
    19. repec:hal:spmain:info:hdl:2441/121881fn7h9haadnuq3gp3ujjd is not listed on IDEAS
    20. Sven Rudolph & Friedrich Schneider, 2011. "Did the Japanese Patient Follow the Doctor's Orders? Mostly no! A Public Choice Analysis of Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Schemes in Japan before and after the Earthquake," CESifo Working Paper Series 3639, CESifo.
    21. Bjørnskov, Christian, 2020. "Economic Freedom and the CO2 Kuznets Curve," Working Paper Series 1331, Research Institute of Industrial Economics.
    22. Poledna, Sebastian & Miess, Michael Gregor & Hommes, Cars & Rabitsch, Katrin, 2023. "Economic forecasting with an agent-based model," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 151(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    theory of economic policy; economic planning; liberalism; neoliberalism;
    All these keywords.

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:cdp:texdis:td612. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Gustavo Britto (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/pufmgbr.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.