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HABERLER, THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS, AND THE SEARCH FOR CONSENSUS IN BUSINESS CYCLE THEORY IN THE 1930s

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  • Mauro Boianovsky
  • Hans-Michael Trautwein

Abstract

The paper discusses the League of Nations's project to produce consensus in the interpretation of aggregate economic fluctuations in the 1930s. G. Haberler started working in 1934 at the League of Nations headquarters in Geneva on a broad enquiry that should lead to a synthesis of the several conflicting explanations of the causes of the business cycles, which culminated with the publication of his classic book in 1937. The paper makes use of archival material hitherto unexplored - such as correspondence and verbatim records of conferences - to show how the discussions with economists at the time were incorporated into Haberler's final report, and to interpret in what extent the attempt to reach a consensus was successful.

Suggested Citation

  • Mauro Boianovsky & Hans-Michael Trautwein, 2004. "HABERLER, THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS, AND THE SEARCH FOR CONSENSUS IN BUSINESS CYCLE THEORY IN THE 1930s," Anais do XXXII Encontro Nacional de Economia [Proceedings of the 32nd Brazilian Economics Meeting] 002, ANPEC - Associação Nacional dos Centros de Pós-Graduação em Economia [Brazilian Association of Graduate Programs in Economics].
    • Handle: RePEc:anp:en2004:002
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    File URL: http://www.anpec.org.br/encontro2004/artigos/A04A002.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Daniele Besomi (ed.), 2003. "The Collected Interwar Papers and Correspondence of Roy Harrod," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, volume 0, number 3068.
    2. Hans-Michael Trautwein, 1996. "Money, Equilibrium, and the Business Cycle: Hayek's Wicksellian Dichotomy," History of Political Economy, Duke University Press, vol. 28(1), pages 27-55, Spring.
    3. D. E. Moggridge, 1995. "The Diffusion of the Keynesian Revolution: The Young and the Graduate Schools," History of Political Economy, Duke University Press, vol. 27(5), pages 223-241, Supplemen.
    4. Lawrence H. Officer, 1982. "Prosperity and Depressionâ€â€and Beyond," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 97(1), pages 149-159.
    5. Gottfried Haberler, 1976. "Some Reminiscences," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 90(1), pages 9-13.
    6. Mauro Boianovsky, 2004. "The IS-LM Model and the Liquidity Trap Concept: From Hicks to Krugman," History of Political Economy, Duke University Press, vol. 36(5), pages 92-126, Supplemen.
    7. Klausinger, Hansjörg, 2003. "The Austrians on Relative Inflation as a Cause of Crisis," Journal of the History of Economic Thought, Cambridge University Press, vol. 25(2), pages 221-237, June.
    8. Gottfried Haberler, 1986. "Reflections on Hayek's Business Cycle Theory," Cato Journal, Cato Journal, Cato Institute, vol. 6(2), pages 421-435, Fall.
    9. Laidler,David, 1999. "Fabricating the Keynesian Revolution," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521641739.
    10. Daniele Besomi, 2002. "Lowe's and Hayek's influence on Harrod's trade cycle theory," The European Journal of the History of Economic Thought, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 9(1), pages 42-56.
    11. Susan Howson, 2001. "Why Didn't Hayek Review Keynes's General Theory? A Partial Answer," History of Political Economy, Duke University Press, vol. 33(2), pages 369-374, Summer.
    12. Wesley Clair Mitchell, 1927. "Business Cycles: The Problem and Its Setting," NBER Books, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc, number mitc27-1, May.
    13. Jens Christopher Andvig, 1991. "Verbalism and Definitions in Interwar Theoretical Macroeconomics," History of Political Economy, Duke University Press, vol. 23(3), pages 431-455, Fall.
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    Cited by:

    1. Mauro Boianovsky & Hans-Michael Trautwein, 2010. "Schumpeter on unemployment," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 20(2), pages 233-263, April.
    2. Vincent Carret, 2021. "Rupture and continuity in the original divide between micro-dynamics and macro-dynamics," Working Papers halshs-03242180, HAL.
    3. Michaël Assous & Vincent Carret, 2021. "The hidden side of Jan Tinbergen’s approach to economic policy (1934-1944)," Working Papers halshs-03133125, HAL.

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    JEL classification:

    • B22 - Schools of Economic Thought and Methodology - - History of Economic Thought since 1925 - - - Macroeconomics

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