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On history and policy: Time in the age of neoliberalism

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  • Boldizzoni, Francesco

Abstract

It is often said that history matters, but these words are often little more than a hollow statement. In the aftermath of the Great Recession, the view that the economy is a mechanical toy that can be fixed using a few simple tools has continued to be held by economists and policy makers and echoed by the media. The paper addresses the origins of this unfortunate belief, inherent to neoliberalism, and what can be done to bring time back into public discourse.

Suggested Citation

  • Boldizzoni, Francesco, 2013. "On history and policy: Time in the age of neoliberalism," MPIfG Discussion Paper 13/6, Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies.
  • Handle: RePEc:zbw:mpifgd:136
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Harcourt, Bernard E., 2011. "The Illusion of Free Markets: Punishment and the Myth of Natural Order," Economics Books, Harvard University Press, number 9780674066168, August.
    2. Carmen M. Reinhart & Kenneth S. Rogoff, 2009. "Varieties of Crises and Their Dates," Introductory Chapters, in: This Time Is Different: Eight Centuries of Financial Folly, Princeton University Press.
    3. repec:cup:cbooks:9781107014213 is not listed on IDEAS
    4. Harvey, David, 2007. "A Brief History of Neoliberalism," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780199283279.
    5. North,Douglass C. & Wallis,John Joseph & Weingast,Barry R., 2013. "Violence and Social Orders," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9781107646995.
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    Blog mentions

    As found by EconAcademics.org, the blog aggregator for Economics research:
    1. “The Otherness of the Past:” (Economic) History and Policy in the Age of Disenchantment
      by Manuel Bautista in NEP-HIS blog on 2013-11-16 12:53:54

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